Human Identity and Identification

Description

Few things are as interesting to us as our own bodies and, by extension, our own identities. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the relationship between the body, environment and society. Reflecting upon these developments, this book examines the role of the body in human identification, in the forging of identities, and the ways in which it embodies our social worlds. The approach is integrative, taking a uniquely biological perspective and reflecting on current discourse in the social sciences. With particular reference to bioarchaeology and forensic science, the authors focus on the construction and categorisation of the body within scientific and popular discourse, examining its many tissues, from the outermost to the innermost, from the skin to DNA. Synthesising two, traditionally disparate, strands of research, this is a valuable contribution to research on human identification and the embodiment of identity. Cover Human Identity and Identification Title Copyright Dedication Contents Acknowledgements 1 Introduction 1.1 Introduction and some historical context 1.2 Human identification: historical context and modern applications 1.2.1 Human identification disciplines 1.2.2 Biometric identification 1.3 Boundaries of identity and identification 1.4 Structure of the book 2 Categories of identity and identification 2.1 Sex, gender, the body and science 2.2 Ageing, the perception of age and the body 2.3 Race, ethnicity and the body 2.4 Socio-economic status 2.5 Conclusion 3 The skin 3.1 The structure of the skin 3.2 Skin and identification 3.2.1 Fingerprints 3.2.2 Palmprints 3.2.3 Footprints 3.2.4 Earprints 3.3 Skin and identity 3.3.1 Age 3.3.2 Gender 3.3.3 Class 3.3.4 Ancestry 3.3.5 Defective skin 3.3.6 Border disputes: one body = one individual 3.4 Conclusion 4 Blood and guts 4.1 The vascular system 4.2 Blood 4.2.1 Blood and identification 4.2.2 Blood and identity 4.2.3 Blood and religion 4.3 The eye 4.3.1 The eye and identification 4.4 Body fat 4.4.1 Body fat and identity 4.4.2 Body fat and identification 4.5 Organ transplantation 4.6 Conclusion 5 The skeleton 5.1 The structure of the skeleton 5.2 Skeletal aspects of identity and identification 5.2.1 Biological sex 5.2.2 Sex, identity and the skeleton 5.2.3 Age-at-death 5.2.4 Skeletal age and identity 5.2.5 Ancestry 5.2.6 Ethnicity and the skeleton 5.2.7 Health, stature and the skeleton 5.2.8 Traumas and pathologies 5.3 Identifying individuals 5.4 Conclusion 6 Biomolecular identification and identity 6.1 DNA 6.1.1 DNA-related aspects of identification 6.1.2 DNA and past populations 6.1.3 DNA-related aspects of identity 6.1.4 Genetic cloning and identity 6.1.5 DNA, ethnicity and geographical origins 6.1.6 Body boundaries and DNA 6.2 Bacterial communities 6.3 Stable isotopes 6.4 Conclusion 7 Intentional modification of the phenotype 7.1 Dermal modifications 7.2 Skeletal modifications 7.3 Surgical implants 7.4 Virtual bodies 7.5 Conclusion 8 Conclusions: identity and identification 8.1 The construction of identity and identification 8.2 The use of the biological and social body 8.3 Issues with the disciplines 8.4 Human identity and identification References Index