American International Journal of Social Science

From Organic to Functional and Symbolic: Body Building in Civility Course Books in Portugal (1856-1919)
José Viegas Brás, Maria Neves Gonçalves, José Maria Hernandez Dias

Abstract
In this paper, we study the construction of the body through civility course books published in Portugal in the 2ndhalf of the19thcentury and beginning of the 20thcentury. The civility course books were a mechanism of powerknowledge relationship disciplinary of the rising bourgeoisie which printed a certain process of subjectivity. From the body a new order was set up, which raised the organic to functional and symbolic-in line with the growing bourgeois class–and guided each individual to establish him/herself as moral subject, giving him/her distinction and prestige.

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