Abstract
Many contemporary arguments about agency rely on implicit psychologies or conceptions of human mental functioning even as they attempt to direct attention away from the idea of a freely acting, completely autonomous individual. This article argues that even when the concept of agency is ‘displaced’ or reinterpreted away from the liberal subject, the concept always draws on such a psychological base whether those debts are hidden or declared. Drawing on literature from feminist theory, anthropology, and sociology on women's decisions to undergo elective cosmetic surgery, the first section of the article explores ways that agency has been conceptualized with regard to beauty culture and disciplinary bodily technologies in a US context. The second section of this article takes up women's religious practice in Saba Mahmood's Politics of Piety (2005).
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
