The Human Bios in the Social System. the Sociological Relevance of the Organic Body. Part II

Friday, 11 July 2025: 11:00-12:45
Location: FSE004 (Faculty of Education Sciences (FSE))
RC51 Sociocybernetics (host committee)

Language: English

Biotechnological advancements in reproductive and regenerative medicine, cutting edge discoveries in the neurosciences and epigenetics, as well as the globalisation of biomarkets across the entire planet, are exploiting the human bios with unprecedented intensity. Human organs, cells, tissues and fluids are transferred in the realm of new social and economic relationships as commodities, which are also increasingly relevant in policies of social control.

Social processes of healthism and medicalisation revolve more and more around tracking and managing the human bios. Supported by technology, both medicine and the natural sciences are contributing to deeply changing our knowledge of the organic body, and how it impacts on our social body.

In this session, we welcome both theoretical and empirical presentations that contribute to understanding the new relations between the human organic body and changes in technology, health and the social system.

We invite papers on the following topics (among others): How do we define today the anthropos and the human bios, and how are they related to the social world? How do we make sense of the social practices of exchange and manipulation of the human bios? What new forms of vulnerability are emerging from this scenario? How does sociology account for the gender dimensions of biomarkets and biovulnerabilities? How are traditional categories (i.e. sex vs. gender, youth vs. old age, health vs. illness) redefined by the sociological relevance of the organic body?

Session Organizers:
Prof. Consuelo CORRADI, MA, PhD, Lumsa Universita, Italy, Barbara SENA, University of Bergamo, Italy and Daniela BANDELLI, University of Salerno, Italy
Chair:
Prof. Consuelo CORRADI, MA, PhD, Lumsa Universita, Italy
Oral Presentations
The Organic Body in the Health System: Between Biocapital and Biovulnerability
Barbara SENA, University of Bergamo, Italy; Daniela BANDELLI, University of Salerno, Italy
Biotech and the Redefinition of Old Age: Successful Ageing As a New Challenge for Social Justice
Maria Carmela AGODI, University of Naples Federico II, Italy; Ilenia PICARDI, University of Naples Federico II, Italy
Reproductive Technologies and Female Bio-Capital: Medicines, Nutraceuticals and Ambivalence between Naturalness and Artificiality.
Irene STRAZZERI STRAZZERI, Italy; Sara FARIELLO, Università degli studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Italy; Annamaria RIZZO, University of Salento, Italy; Maria Chiara SPAGNOLO, Università del Salento, Italy
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