Debra Gimlin – författare

This book examines British and American women's narratives of cosmetic surgery, exploring what those narratives say about the contemporary status of cosmetic surgery and 'local' ideas about its legitimate and illegitimate uses.

In the last five years or so, there has been a huge explosion of scholarly work on the history of food and, likewise, pressing problems such as food scares and genetic modification, as well as anorexia and obesity, have become increasingly present in the public consciousness.Drawing on a wide variety of disciplines, this fascinating four-volume collection covers anthropology, sociology, psychology, history, cultural history, land economy, and, outside of the arts and social sciences, disciplines such as health sciences and health economics. An engaging and comprehensive reference, it is undoubtedly a highly useful resource for both student and scholar alike.

Today women are lifting weights to build muscle, wrapping their bodies in seaweed to reduce unwanted water retention, attending weigh-ins at diet centers, and devoting themselves to many other types of 'body work'. Filled with the voices of real women, this book unravels the complicated emotional and intellectual motivations that drive them as they confront American culture's unreachable beauty ideals. This powerful feminist study lucidly and compellingly argues against the idea that the popularity of body work means that women are enslaved to a male-fashioned 'beauty myth'. Essential reading for understanding current debates on beauty, "Body Work" demonstrates that women actually use body work to escape that beauty myth. Debra Gimlin focuses on four sites where she conducted in-depth research - a beauty salon, aerobics classes, a plastic surgery clinic, and a social and political organization for overweight women. The honest and provocative interviews included in this book uncover these women's feelings about their bodies, their reasons for attempting to change or come to terms with them, and the reactions of others in their lives.These interviews show that women are redefining their identities through their participation in body work, that they are working on their self-images as much as on their bodies. Plastic surgery, for example, ultimately is an empowering life experience for many women who choose it, while hairstyling becomes an arena for laying claim to professional and social class identities. This book develops a convincing picture of how women use body work to negotiate the relationship between body and self, a process that inevitably involves coming to terms with our bodies' deviation from cultural ideals. One of the few studies that includes empirical evidence of women's own interpretations of body work, this important project is also based firmly in cultural studies, symbolic interactionism, and feminism. With this book, Debra Gimlin adds her voice to those of scholars who are now looking beyond the surface of the beauty myth to the complex reality of women's lives.

Is any image in modern times more evocative of social change than the computer? Popular mythology ascribes extraordinary powers to computers in the ordering of human affairs. Computers are seen as instruments of social transformation and economic change. Indeed, it is hard not to find computers in the modern workplace, let alone in the home. They are ubiquitous in government offices, businesses large and small alike, the school, and not-for-profit organizations. In this meticulously researched study of computers and computing, authors James B. Rule, Debra Gimlin, and Sylvia Sievers present a fascinating, entertaining, and thought-provoking survey of the use of what may be the most powerful tool in today's workplace. In the chapter entitled "The New York Study: Design and Execution," the authors describe their inspiration for the undertaking of their study, how they designed their research methods, and how they obtained funding for the project. In the chapter "What Computers Do; How Computing Changes," case studies involving businesses that adopted greater computer usage are described, and the authors explain how the new technology was employed for their benefit. In "Employment and Efficiency" time saving and cost-effectiveness qualities of computer technology are explored. And in "Management and Structure," the authors posit the role of the computer in organizational transformation. Computing in Organizations is a timely and relevant work, and will prove of great benefit to strategic consultants, business management personnel, sociologists, and students of information technology.

Is any image in modern times more evocative of social change than the computer? Popular mythology ascribes extraordinary powers to computers in the ordering of human affairs. Computers are seen as instruments of social transformation and economic change. Indeed, it is hard not to find computers in the modern workplace, let alone in the home. They are ubiquitous in government offices, businesses large and small alike, the school, and not-for-profit organizations. In this meticulously researched study of computers and computing, authors James B. Rule, Debra Gimlin, and Sylvia Sievers present a fascinating, entertaining, and thought-provoking survey of the use of what may be the most powerful tool in today's workplace. In the chapter entitled "The New York Study: Design and Execution," the authors describe their inspiration for the undertaking of their study, how they designed their research methods, and how they obtained funding for the project. In the chapter "What Computers Do; How Computing Changes," case studies involving businesses that adopted greater computer usage are described, and the authors explain how the new technology was employed for their benefit. In "Employment and Efficiency" time saving and cost-effectiveness qualities of computer technology are explored. And in "Management and Structure," the authors posit the role of the computer in organizational transformation. Computing in Organizations is a timely and relevant work, and will prove of great benefit to strategic consultants, business management personnel, sociologists, and students of information technology.

This book examines British and American women's narratives of cosmetic surgery, exploring what those narratives say about the contemporary status of cosmetic surgery and 'local' ideas about its legitimate and illegitimate uses.

The Globalization of Food provides a comprehensive guide to all of the key issues involving globalization and the production, distribution and consumption of food in the present day. From domestic kitchens to factory farms, from corporate board-rooms to the fields of the Developing World, the book examines the most important sites and processes involved in changing the ways people all across the planet eat today. Rich in detail, expansive in scope and ambitious in coverage, The Globalization of Food forcefully demonstrates the central role of food in many of the crucial and most controversial social and political issues of the 21st century.The Globalization of Food:- Investigates the multiple ways in which globalization and food are interrelated- Spans established and emerging schools of thought in the field- Covers a broad range of examples and case studies from around the globe- Analyses the key controversies and dilemmas created by food globalization- Features contributions from leading experts in a range of disciplinesContributors include Pat Caplan, Carole Counihan, Marianne Elisabeth Lien, Alan Warde and Rick Wilk.