Corporeal realism and victimology

Abstract

This article introduces corporeal realism to victimology and incorporates work on the sociology of the body to manifest a critical victimology focused on the body–society relationship. It reviews the current literature in the sociology of the body and situates corporeal realism within this oeuvre. This article challenges how the body has often been neglected or treated at the abstract level in victimology and how corporeal realism can provide a basis for analysis of the manifold elements within the purview of victimology. The significance of corporeal realism for victimology is shown by recognizing the role of structure and embodied agency in relation to victims and victimization. In addition, this article evinces epistemological implications of corporeal realism for victimological research.