Spins and Dips Through Body Language

Abstract

This thesis explores body language in the context of culture. A year-long participant observation of one recreational pole dancing small business involved 42 women participants in the pole dancing classes in two of the studio locations. The participants’ ages range from 20s to 50s, gender-identified as female, lived in the District of Columbia-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) metropolitan area during the time of the study. Recreational pole dancers are aware or unaware of their body performance constructing from structure and agency of social norms. Recreational pole dancers’ body language communicates through cultural body norms within a tempero-spacial system.