Sociología del olor

Abstract

SOCIOLOGISTS HAVE RARELY RESEARCHED THE SENSES; AND OF ALL THE SENSES, SMELL HAS BEEN AND PROBABLY STILL IS, THE LEAST VALUED. IN THIS PAPER WE CONSIDER SOME OF THE ROLES OF SMELL IN SOCIAL INTERACTION, PARTICULARLY THE SIGNIFICANCE IN THE MORAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE SELF AND THE OTHER, IN TERMS OF CLASS, ETHNIC AND GENDER RELATIONS. SUCH EQUATIONS ARE UTILIZED IN INTERGROUP RELATIONS TO LEGITIMATE POWER DIFFERENTIALS, AND ALSO TO CHALLENGE THEM, IN A MOST INTIMATE WAY.