Key feminist books published around 1970, by Betty Friedan, Kate Millet, Germaine Greer and Shulamith Firestone contained theorizing about bodies as socially constructed, not naturally given. Eva Figes’ (1978/1970) book Patriarchal Attitudes could also be included in this list, but has little to say about bodies, determinedly focusing on such social factors as constructing gender. These women are not sociologists and their books were bestsellers, not academic tomes. Their books were widely read, and although seldom directly acknowledged (but see Howson, 2005; Oakley, 1972; Spender, 1985; Sydie, 1987), I would argue that they were hugely influential in shaping the thinking of feminists scholars. In particular it is well worth examining what they have to say about bodies. Second-wave insights on bodies involve varying views of social construction. First there is the acknowledgement that women’s oppression within patriarchy impacts on, or is caused by, their bodies.
Secondly, the idea emerges that women and men have some agency in resisting gendered constructions of their bodies. Thirdly, there is work which discusses how bodies are ‘disciplined’ in line with patriarchal dictates about femininity and masculinity. The second and third viewpoints are very similar, but the utility of separating resisting bodies from disciplined bodies will become clear.