Body as Responsibility and Independence: Women’s Experience of Transition into Adulthood

Abstract

This article focuses on bodily dimension of becoming an adult. Transition into adulthood is often seen as a social process in which bodily practices play a limited role. Some scholarship sees the bodies of young people and especially young women as objects of concern that require constant monitoring. In addition, research often focuses on the negative bodily experiences of transition into adulthood where young women are presented as victims of objectification, sexualization, and dissatisfaction with their appearance. This article is based on 37 in-depth semistructured interviews with women aged 18–35 years. These interviews revealed that young women feel their agency in making decisions regarding their body and are actively involved in construction of their own embodiment, and such categories of adulthood as responsibility and independence play an important role in this process.

Article in Russian