Carnal Languages

This edited volume explores the multifaceted dimensions of sexuality and its expressions through a range of social contexts. The authors investigate language(s) and bodies as vessels for research as postulated by carnal sociology (Wacquant, 2005), exploring the intricate relationship between language, sexuality and the mediatisation of the latter (De Ridder, 2017) and focusing on how these elements intertwine to shape our understanding of sexual narratives, sexual health, sex positivity, and sexual identities. Questions raised in this volume include: What are contemporary forms of gatekeeping in translation and ethnographic practices when dealing with sexual content? How does censorship in communication affect the representation of sexualities? How is sexuality presented in translation and ethnographic studies? Which innovative methods are being used in translation and ethnography when studying bodies and Others? The authors explore how sexuality and desire manifest, along with their potential biases and resulting knowledge gaps, through practical methods, established best practices and lived-experience testimonies from diverse backgrounds. They examine the translation of sexual terms across several loci of expression (e.g. audiovisual translation, literature, digital sexual identities); discriminatory uses of language and censorship; and ethnographic experiences concerning sex, gender, desire and intimacy. This book will be relevant to professionals and researchers in the fields of Translation/Literary Studies and Ethnography/Social Sciences.