Pathologizing Black Bodies: The Legacy of Plantation Slavery

Pathologizing Black Bodies explores how race has been pathologized in America, focusing on works by African American authors from the 20th and 21st centuries. It examines how plantation ideology has been metaphorically inscribed on black bodies, highlighting the legacies of plantation slavery. The study explores the politics of eugenic corporeality, including social Darwinism, mass incarceration, food apartheid, and USDA practices. It aims to use literature to examine the problematic relationship between race and the body and stress that black lives matter in the United States.

Format: Hardback
Length: 198 pages
Publication date: 05 May 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Pathologizing Black Bodies: A Re-examination

In reconsidering the black body as a site of cultural and corporeal interchange, this study delves into the complex dynamics of violence, oppression, and the enduring imprint of memory and trauma within cultural conventions, political arrangements, social institutions, and materially and symbolically engraved upon the body. The concept of "the self" is often deprived of agency and sovereignty, highlighting the profound impact of race on individual experiences.

The study is divided into three parts, each exploring different aspects of the pathologization of black bodies in twentieth- and twenty-first-century fiction and cultural narratives by predominantly African American authors. Through a focused examination of these works, the study seeks to highlight the diverse ways in which race has been pathologized in America and examine the metaphorical inscription of plantation ideology on black bodies.

The variety of analytical approaches and thematic foci with respect to theories and discourses surrounding race and the body provide a rich framework for exploring this sensitive and complex terrain. By delving into this thorny territory, the volume aims to gain perspectives on how African American lives continue to be shaped and haunted by the legacies of plantation slavery. Furthermore, it offers insights into the politics of eugenic corporeality, engaging in an illustrative dialogue with the lasting carceral and agricultural effects of life on a plantation.

Tracing the degradation and suppression of the black body, both individual and social, the study includes an analysis of the pseudo-scientific discourse of social Darwinism and eugenics, the practice of mass incarceration and the excessive punishment of black bodies, and food apartheid and USDA practices that deprive black farmers of individual autonomy and collective agency. By engaging with such an interplay of discourses, methodologies, and perspectives, the volume seeks to utilize literature as a means to further examine the problematic relationship between race and the body.

In conclusion, Pathologizing Black Bodies offers a thought-provoking exploration of the complex interplay between race, the body, and cultural narratives. Through its multidisciplinary approach, the study provides valuable insights into the ongoing legacies of oppression and the ongoing struggle for racial justice. By examining the pathologization of black bodies, this volume contributes to a broader understanding of the multifaceted challenges faced by African Americans and highlights the urgent need for transformative change.

Weight: 540g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032409627