Body and senses: The sociological analysis of perception

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to show the context in which the contemporary ‘sociology of the senses’ is embedded. Within this framework, the author argues the importance of a sociological analysis of perception and takes up previous sociological lines of work in conjunction with contemporary sociological proposals. The article explores these contributions on the basis of two analytical levels for the sociological analysis of perception: interactional and individual dispositional. The former makes it possible to observe the role of the senses in the mutual perception performed in interactions. The second makes it possible to observe how forms of perception are constructed and learned. Particular emphasis is placed on the role played by gender at both analytical levels.