Gendered Bodies and Leisure

Drawing on empirical research, fieldwork, and interviews with participants, this book investigates the social world and small group cultures of American belly dance, examining the various ways in which people use leisure to construct the self and social relationships. A fascinating study of identity work and the reproduction and challenging of gender norms through a gendered leisure activity, Gendered Bodies and Leisure: The Practice and Performance of American Belly Dance will be of interest to students and scholars researching gender and sexuality, the sociology of leisure, the sociology of the body and interactionist thought.

Rachel Kraus is Professor of Sociology at Ball State University, USA.

1. The Social World of Belly Dance 2. Performing Gender 3. The Belly Dancing Body 4. Friendship and Community 5. A Spiritual Dance 6. A Belly Dance Identity 7. "There's Enough Drama in Belly Dance" 8. Negotiating Erotic Images of Belly Dance 9. The Finale Appendix