Physiognomy, phrenology and the temporality of the body

Twine, R. (2002) Physiognomy, phrenology and the temporality of the body. Body and Society, 8(1), pp. 67-88. (doi: 10.1177/1357034X02008001004)

Abstract

In the sociology of the body, the analysis of physiognomy is a neglected topic. The idea that one can judge the character of another from their facial or bodily characteristics is a pervasive phenomenon. However, its historical and cultural spread does not entail that we inevitably tie it to notions of human essence. This study focuses upon a particular periodic resurgence of physiognomic discourse in the West, at the end of the 18th and the entirety of the 19th century. In contrast to previous arguments, I argue that physiognomic discourse was able to exploit 19th-century phrenology as a conduit for its own perpetuation. I point out that the perception of the other that physiognomy promotes is largely based upon an atemporal view of the body. I suggest that this physiognomic perception remains an entrenched but changeable component in contemporary relations between self and other.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Twine, Dr Richard
• Authors: Twine, R.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences
• Journal Name: Body and Society
• ISSN: 1357-034X
• ISSN (Online): 1460-3632