Body Politics refers to how something outside of our control, namely our physical being– the color of our skin, the shape of our body, our genetic make-up—can impact the quality of our daily existence. That is the body piece. The politics piece of it really links to what happens when external forces impose, pre-suppose, or characterize who we are. If there is synergy between our body image and the external political forces that impact us, chances are, there is little internal conflict. If, on the other hand, there is some dissonance between what we feel and what we experience, life can present challenges and complexities that are important to grapple with. The Body Politics narratives speak to both ends of this spectrum.

Since I had heard someone mention ‘body politics’ as in a negative connotation, I was meaning to study what it was about. The quote above was from UMassAlmerst Women of Color leadership web site. As it turned out, this was different from something that I was vaguely prepared to take a side for or against. This was just a recognition of the reality that we are in the society. If you are non-white, this is something you can’t avoid even for a day. But I did not see anything further than the statement as above. I would just go, ‘So?’ I am not sure about the conflict part because it would not disappear so easily just because you elevate your awareness. But anyway, the concept that is brought up is somehting so premised that it basically is not saying anything beyond the basic  recognition. So I just have to say, ‘SO?’