Bodies and agentic practice in young women's sexual and intimate relationships

Claire Maxwell*, Peter Aggleton

*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningpeer review

31 Citationer (Scopus)

Abstract

This article contributes to theorizations of agency through a focus on how understandings of power within young women's sexual and intimate relationships connect with their descriptions of feeling, reacting and sensuous bodies, to suggest why and how agentic practice takes place. Drawing on the narratives of 54 young women aged 16-18 years in one secondary school in England, findings concur with other literature which suggests that sensations experienced on or within the body can instigate (agentic) practice. Significantly, however, both physical and verbal practices are drawn on during agentic moments. Young women who discursively position themselves as 'powerful' integrate their bodies within such an understanding, using this integration to shore up the possibilities for agentic practice. Moving away from an understanding of practice as 'accommodating' and/or 'resisting' norms and inequalities, this article identifies four strategies described by the young women (assertive, refusing, proactive and interrogative) for facilitating more sustained agency.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftSociology
Vol/bind46
Udgave nummer2
Sider (fra-til)306-321
Antal sider16
ISSN0038-0385
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 1 apr. 2012

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