Session 4

This abstract delves into an audio recording from the "C.L.I.T Fest Wellington 2013", specifically a session on body politics covering themes such as health, fat, disability, class, and moral virtue. Participants Esther Woodbury, Grace Millar, Ali Nissenbaum, Robyn Kenealy, and Cat Pause engage in a profound discussion that challenges dominant narratives related to bodies and health. They unspool the complex relationship between individual and structural policing of bodies, societal expectations, and the personal experiences of exclusion faced by those with bodies that deviate from conventional norms.

The speakers address the pervasive societal pressure to conform to specific health standards, which often intersect with moral virtues. There is critique against the structural biases inherent in healthcare systems, such as the denial of treatments based on health standards or BMI thresholds, highlighting the real-world repercussions of these discriminations. The dialogue critically analyzes how contemporary society’s moral compass is entwined with health practices, efficiency, and the capitalist notion of the ideal worker, versus the reality of embodying diversity and dealing with a kaleidoscope of health statuses and disparities.

An important thread in this conversation revolves around the capitalist exploitation of body anxieties and the health industry complex, wherein both health and non-health are profited upon, often through selling products and lifestyles that target insecurities and self-image concerns. They delve into how narratives of individual responsibility for health mask structural inequalities and often lead to self-blame when commercial health solutions fail.

The discussion extends to examining how the language around bodies, both critical and adulatory, constructs powerful social narratives with real psychological impacts. It calls for a new framework of body politics that is rooted in accepting the diversity of bodies without judgment and in fostering a culture where people are empowered to define health on their own terms.

Heroes in the fight for a new body politic are also named, such as Dr. Charlotte Cooper and Dr. Samantha Murray, celebrating those who have made significant contributions to broadening and deepening our understanding of body politics.

The session encapsulates a rich exchange of ideas, challenging participants and listeners to critically engage with their internalized perceptions of health, bodies, and society’s role in shaping these perceptions. It urges a reclamation of body autonomy against the backdrop of pervasive societal critiques and the development of a collective responsibility that honors each individual's journey with their body.

This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.

Ali Nissenbaum Cat Pause Esther Woodbury Grace Millar Robyn Kenealy

2010s, activism, advertising, ali nissenbaum, allies, annemarie jutel, anorexia nervosa, anxiety, aotearoa new zealand, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd), body image, body issues, c.l.i.t fest wellington 2013, capitalism, carol hanisch, cat pause, charlotte cooper, class, commonality, depression, diet, disability, diversity, eating disorders, esther woodbury, eugenics, exclusion, exercise, fat, feminism, food, gender, grace millar, harassment, health, health system, identity, language, media, mental health, mobility, modeling, morality, narrative, operation 8, poverty, public spaces, racism, robyn kenealy, samantha murray, savannah dooley, social justice, social media, the personal is political (1968), transgender, wellbeing, wellington, wellington irish society hall, women

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