People everywhere have attempted to change their bodies in an effort to meet their cultural standards of beauty, as well as their religious and/or social obliga

Explores the human body alphabetically by part, detailing practices and beliefs from the past and present and from around the world.

In recent years, body studies has expanded rapidly, becoming an increasingly popular field of study within anthropology, sociology, and cultural studies. This g

An ethnography of the tattoo community, tracing the practice's transformation from a mostly male, working-class phenomenon to one adapted and propagated by a mo

Bracelets, buckles, buttons, and beads. Clasps, combs, and chains. Items of personal adornment fill museum collections and are regularly uncovered in historical