UniGR-CBS Wo king Pape Vol. 22
Towa ds a New Depa u e in Bo de S udies?
A Commen on he Inc easing Talk o Complexi y
Ch is ian Wille
2
Ch is ian Wille
Uni e si y o Luxembou g
Depa men o Geog aphy and Spa ial Planning
ch is [email protected]
UniGR-CBS 2025
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.14748751
P elimina y ema k
This ex is no an empi ical s udy, a majo con ibu ion o he ield, o a classical ull pape . I is, howe e , a
scien i ic commen om he pe spec i e o a cul u al bo de s udies schola on a cu en end in bo de
esea ch which will s imula e u he deba e. This ex is no mo e and no less han ha .
3
Towa ds a New Depa u e in Bo de S udies? A Commen on he
Inc easing Talk o Complexi y
Ch is ian Wille
Abs ac – Since he mid-2010s a he la es , he e has been discussion o he bo de as a complex phe-
nomenon, aimed a a mo e comp ehensi e and di e en ia ed unde s anding o b/o de ings. Howe e , he e
seems o be an imp ecise use o he e m ‘complexi y’ in he academic deba e, and some imes, s ill, an
e e yday unde s anding o complexi y p e ails. To sha pen he deba e a ound a bo de ’s complexi y, in his
commen , in a i s s ep, I show wha bo de schola s cu en ly conside complex and ques ion which ana-
ly ical and concep ual de elopmen s in he wake o he bo de ing u n ha e encou aged he inc easing alk
o complex bo de s. In he second s ep, I sugges how bo de esea ch can be inspi ed by complexi y heo-
ies, in ocusing on pe o ma i e in e ela ions and hei eme gen dis/o de s ha become spa ially and
socially e ec i e.
Bo de S udies, Bo de ing Tu n, Complexi y Shi , Bo de Complexi ies, Complexi y Theo y
Ve s une éo ien a ion en é udes su les on iè es ? Un commen ai e su le discou s
éme gean su la complexi é
Résumé – Depuis le milieu des années 2010 au plus a d, on discu e la on iè e comme un phénomène
complexe, isan à une comp éhension plus complè e e di é enciée des p ocessus de on ié isa ion. Ce-
pendan , il semble que la no ion de « complexi é » soi u ilisée de maniè e imp écise dans le déba acadé-
mique, e pa ois, c'es enco e une comp éhension quo idienne de complexi é qui p é au . A in d'a ine le
déba su une complexi é de la on iè e, nous mon ons dans ce commen ai e dans un p emie emps ce
que les che cheu s en é udes su les on iè es considè en ac uellemen comme complexe e nous nous
demandons quels dé eloppemen s analy iques e concep uels, sui e au « bo de ing u n », on encou agé
le discou s éme gean su les on iè es complexes. Dans un deuxième emps, nous suggé ons commen
les é udes su les on iè es peu en s'inspi e des héo ies de la complexi é, en se concen an su les
in e ela ions pe o ma i es au sein des p ocessus de on ié isa ion e leu s dés/o d es éme gen s qui de-
iennen spa ialemen e socialemen e icaces.
Reche che su les on iè es, bo de ing u n, complexi y shi , bo de complexi ies, héo ie de la complexi é
Hin zu eine Neuo ien ie ung in den Bo de S udies? Ein Kommen a zu au kommen-
den Rede on Komplexi ä
Zusammen assung – Spä es ens sei Mi e de 2010e -Jah e wi d die G enze e s ä k als komplexes Phä-
nomen disku ie , um zu einem um assende en und di e enzie e en Ve s ändnis on B/O de ing-P ozes-
sen zu gelangen. Alle dings schein de Beg i „Komplexi ä “ in de Fachdiskussion unp äzise e wende
zu we den, und eilweise is noch ein all agssp achliches Ve s ändnis on Komplexi ä auszumachen. Um
die Deba e übe eine Komplexi ä de G enze zu schä en, wi d in diesem Kommen a in einem e s en
Sch i au gezeig , was G enz o schende ak uell als komplex quali izie en, und ge ag , welche analy ischen
und konzep uellen En wicklungen im Zuge des Bo de ing Tu n die au kommende Rede on komplexen G en-
zen be ö de haben. Im zwei en Sch i wi d disku ie , wie sich die G enz o schung on Komplexi ä s heo-
ien inspi ie en lassen kann, indem sie sich au die pe o ma i en Wechselbeziehungen in B/O de ing-P o-
zessen und de en eme gen e Un/O dnungen, die wiede um äumlich und sozial wi ksam we den, kon-
zen ie .
G enz o schung, Bo de ing Tu n, Complexi y Shi , Bo de Complexi ies, Komplexi ä s heo ie
4
5
1 In oduc ion
Since he mid-2010s a he la es , discussion o he bo de as a complex phenomenon has inc easingly
p e ailed (Bossong e al. 2017; Ge s e al. 2018; Coope and Tinning 2020; B ambilla 2021; Wille 2021; Sco
2021; Laine 2022; Bonin e al. 2024; Wille e al. 2024). A majo impe us o he o ien a ion on complexi y,
which is s ill-young, is he need o gain a deepe unde s anding o b/o de ing p ocesses. In a “wo ld o
bo de s” (Nail 2020, 203) cha ac e ized inc easingly by populism, neo-na ionalism, new acism, (clima e)
mig a ion, and social inequali ies, his need is e y u gen . Looking a bo de s h ough he complexi y lens
should o e come a simplis ic-dualis ic idea o bo de s and d aw a di e en ia ing-comp ehensi e pic u e,
conside ing he socially, spa ially, and empo ally dispe sed elemen s o b/o de ing p ocesses in hei dy-
namic in e play and he b/o de ing e ec s ela ed o i . Wi h his in en ion, many ini ia i es in bo de s udies
ha e been implemen ed ha deal p og amma ically wi h bo de s and complexi y. These include, o exam-
ple, he con e ence
Complex Bo de s: Dimensions – Dynamics – Technologies
(No embe 3–4, 2016) o -
ganized by he Viad ina Cen e B/ORDERS IN MOTION o he Eu opean Uni e si y Viad ina F ank u (Ode ).
Following his con e ence, he special issue
Complex Bo de s. Pe spec i es o Cu en Bo de S udies
(Ge s e al. 2018), was published, which a emp ed o iew “bo de ings no as a simpli ied and simpli ying
ela ionship, bu as a p oduc and p oduce o a complex mix u e” (2018, 3). In addi ion, he
Bo de Com-
plexi ies P ojec
(2019–2022) ini ia ed by he UniGR-Cen e o Bo de S udies should be men ioned, in
which schola s aimed o s udy b/o de ings as eme gen p ope ies o complex ex u es (Wille e al. 2024).
The inc easing alk o a bo de ’s complexi y is also ela ed o mo e in e nal bo de iews (G een 2012; Mez-
zad a and Neilson 2013; Rum o d 2014; Ge s and K äme 2017; Weie e al. 2018; Conno 2023), as a me h-
odological end ha aims o unde s and “bo de s hemsel es a e in insic complex o de s” (Bossong e al.
2017, 77).
The ini ia i es and obse a ions show ha he idea o bo de s as a complex phenomenon has become
es ablished in bo de s udies, and schola s a e dealing wi h i . Howe e , he e is s ill li le e lec ion on wha
exac ly can be conside ed complex abou bo de s, and wha me hodological and epis emological conse-
quences a complexi y lens implies. Ra he , complexi y o en seems o be s a ed casually wi hou se iously
conside ing he main ideas o complexi y hinking. The la e can be summed up as he unde s anding o
“ he way hings a e wo en oge he ” (B ambilla 2023, 1000) and o he unde lying eme gen o de s ha a e
e ec i e o i . The e a e only a ew wo ks ha deal in mo e dep h wi h complexi y hinking and i s possible
links o bo de s udies (Bossong e al. 2017; Ge s e al. 2018; B ambilla 2023; Wille e al. 2024). This com-
men p esen s he cu en deba e a ound ‘complex bo de s’ o add ess complexi y heo ies and hei possi-
ble inspi a ions o bo de esea ch. To his end, in he i s s ep, I iden i y examples o wha bo de schola s
cu en ly quali y as complex, and I ques ion which analy ical and concep ual de elopmen s encou aged he
inc easing alk o a bo de ’s complexi y. In he second s ep, I ocus on he no ion o complexi y and make a
sugges ion abou how bo de s udies can be inspi ed by complexi y heo ies in ocusing on pe o ma i e
in e ela ions and hei eme gen dis/o de s as key ca ego ies. Finally, I e lec on how bo de complexi ies
can be app oached empi ically, and how complexi y hinking can p o ide he s imulus o a new depa u e
in bo de s udies.
6
2 Wha Bo de Schola s Quali y as Complex
Bo de schola s a ely explain wha exac ly is unde s ood as complex abou bo de s. Howe e , in he aca-
demic deba e, bo de s a e inc easingly quali ied as complex phenomena. To open he ield, I iden i y exam-
ples o wha bo de schola s cu en ly quali y as complex. I can be s a ed ha an a gumen o complexi y
is o en made when he bo de is conside ed o econs uc ed as a speci ic con igu a ion. The bo de is
hen p ojec ed as a unique s uc u e o poli ical, cul u al, his o ical, and o he condi ions, which s ands o
a singula exp ession. The conside a ion o such a “s ong con ex ual de e mina ion o bo de s” (Coope
and Tinning 2020, 2) o he his o ically unique “complex mix u e o di e en ypes o powe ” (Nail 2021,
477) should help o p e en simpli ica ion and ensu e ha bo de s a e unde s ood ‘adequa ely’ in hei spe-
ci ic con ex . The e m ‘complexi y’ is also o en used when he mul i ude o elemen s ha a e in ol ed in
b/o de ing p ocesses is o be aken in o accoun . These include, o example, he mul i ude o ac o s in he
bo de , o i s di e en ma e ial and symbolic o ms. In his con ex , Bü kne (2017, 90) and Laine (2017, 6)
speak o a “mul ile el complexi y o bo de s” and hus e e o he social and spa ial di usion o b/o de ing
p ocesses. Based on he mul i ude o a ious ‘bo de wo ke s’ (Rum o d 2012) o he “polyphony o he
bo de ” (Ge s e al. 2021, 17), e e ence is also made he e o he pe spec i al cha ac e o he bo de (B am-
billa 2015, 22). This add esses he a iable cons ella ions o ac o s, dimensions, and o ms o he bo de ,
which a e (made) ele an in b/o de ing p ocesses and can be analyzed om and h ough mul iple pe spec-
i es. Complexi y is also o en men ioned wi h ega d o he a ious dimensions acco ding o which bo de s
can be analy ically di e en ia ed. He e, he spa ial dimension is o en o conside able in e es , which seems
o ha e become mo e complex due o i s di usion, as al eady men ioned. The “mul i-dimensional ma ix o
bo de ing” (Kon ad and B une -Jailly 2019, 5) is also used o add ess di e en poli ical-adminis a i e
scales (and some imes hei in e play), o en discussed as a (c oss-bo de ) “mul i-le el go e nance”
(Hooghe and Ma ks 2012; Ul ich and Sco 2021). Finally, i should be no ed ha some o he dimensions
conside ed a e hemsel es unde s ood as complex s uc u es: o example, Pö zsch (2021, 287) shows ha
o he echnological dimension o b/o de ing p ocesses “people and machines ac hand in hand” and
me ge in o “complex socio- echnical ne wo ks.”
Fu he mo e, he complexi y a gumen a ion is o en used ega ding a ela ional cha ac e o bo de s. In his
way, he ela ions be ween he socially, spa ially, o empo ally dispe sed ac o s, ma e ial, and symbolic
o ms, o be ween he ele an dimensions and scales o b/o de ing p ocesses, a e add essed. The ocus
on hese ela ionships ep esen s he conce n o de ine bo de s as “complex ela ional spaces” (B ambilla
2021, 12) consis ing o nume ous elemen s. Finally, b/o de ing p ocesses a e o en quali ied as complex
whe e cul u al o de has allen in o diso de , o hegemonic no ms a e con es ed and al e na i e exis ences
un old: “Bo de s can be aken as ei he simpli ying he wo ld (di iding i in o boxes) o making he wo ld
mo e complex (c ea ing in-be ween spaces o encoun e and hyb idi y)” (Schimanski and Nyman 2021,
249). This quo e add esses ela ions beyond bina y dis inc ions ha p oduce phenomena o he in-be ween
o he hyb id. They challenge hegemonic o de s, p o e o be esis an , and c ea e complexi y: “complexi y
by gi ing con adic ion” (2021, 244). The con es a ional o sub e si e cha ac e o he bo de is seen he e
as a complexi ica ion ha gi es ise o al e na i e o de s.
These aspec s, which a e quali ied by bo de schola s as complex, should su ice o show ha cu en com-
plexi y-o ien ed a gumen a ion calls up e y di e en cha ac e is ics o b/o de ing p ocesses. The poly-
semy o he e m ‘complexi y’ is due o he mul idisciplina y cha ac e o bo de s udies, he mul iple modes
o ope a ionaliza ion o b/o de ing p ocesses, and, ul ima ely, he widesp ead use o ‘complexi y’ as a
buzzwo d (Ge s 2024, 83). Rela ed o he la e , he e some imes seems o p e ail an e e yday unde s and-
ing o complexi y wi hin he academic deba e, which p ema u ely equa es he e m wi h mul i ude and com-
plica edness.
3 De elopmen s Encou aging he Complexi y O ien a ion
The inc easing alk o complexi y is also due o some analy ical and concep ual de elopmen s in bo de
s udies. They include, basically, he bo de ing u n ( an Hou um and an Nae ssen 2002) ha has o e come
he idea o he bo de as a gi en objec in a o o he unde s anding ha he bo de is bo h a p oduc and
7
a p oduce o social p ac ices. This u n inspi ed by di e en cul u al u ns (Bachmann-Medick 2007), im-
plies a wo ld as social ab ics and, consequen ly, con inuous social ( e)p oduc ion o he bo de , i s change-
abili y, i s his o ici y, i s o de edness, and how i c ea es dis/o de (Wille 2021). Bo de ing as a majo me h-
odology has unde gone a ious app op ia ions and implemen a ions in ecen decades. These a e e lec ed
in u he de elopmen s which encou aged he equen use o he e m ‘complexi y’ in bo de s udies and
a e ou lined in he ollowing.
Analysis o b/o de ing p ocesses a e usually guided by speci ic esea ch in e es s, leading o en o analy i-
cal dis inc ions, and ocusing on one o mo e speci ic dimensions o such p ocesses. Fo example, he
spa ial dimension o b/o de ing p ocesses, which ocuses on symbolic spa ial p oduc ions, ela ional spa-
ial cons ella ions, o issues o poli ical coope a ion and spa ial de elopmen , is o en o in e es (Wille 2015;
Ul ich and Sco 2021; Pallags and Blase 2024). Fu he mo e, he empo al dimension can be men ioned,
which is no limi ed o linea conside a ions in ime, bu also includes powe ul en anglemen s o empo al-
i ies and hei unde lying ch onopoli ics (Hi schhausen e al. 2015; Donnan e al. 2017; Leu lo -G andi s
2021; Aub y and Schapendonk 2023). In addi ion, a ma e ial dimension o bo de s can be dis inguished
which inc easingly also add esses he ole o animals, plan s, o i uses in a mo e- han-human pe spec i e
(Aub y and Amilha Sza y o hcoming, Ozguc and Bu idge 2023). Rela ed o his is he echnological di-
mension o bo de s (Pö zsch 2021), which no only includes digi al and au oma ed con ol p ac ices as
ma e ial in as uc u e, bu also he physical dimension om a biopoli ical pe spec i e (Amoo e 2006, 2024;
Dijs elbloem 2021). I can be added he mul i alen dimension o b/o de ings, which add esses bo de in-
jus ices and he o de ing logics ha a e e ec i e o hem (Amilha Sza y and Gi au 2015; Mau 2023; Wille
e al. 2023). This is by no means a comple e di e si ica ion in o possible dimensions, which, howe e , o en
s ill e lec s he classical disciplina y in e es s in dealing wi h bo de s. Whils he di e si ica ion shows di -
e en ia ed e lec ion on b/o de ing p ocesses, hese only o e ini ial en y poin s o complexi y hinking in
bo de esea ch. This is because he analy ical disen anglemen o he bo de acco ding o dimensions in-
e i ably emains a he le el o he mul i ude o dimensions and p o ides no insigh s in o hei possible
complex in e play om which b/o de ings could eme ge.
Ano he de elopmen is he endency o hink abou and s udy b/o de ing p ocesses inc easingly in hei
e i o ial, ac o - ela ed, and scala sp ead o dispe sion. This is due o he empi ical obse a ion ha b/o -
de ing p ocesses di use in space and ake place ac oss di e en p ac ices wi hin and/o ou side na ion-
s a es. Acco dingly, he bo de is inc easingly ega ded as a phenomenon embedded in di e en social a e-
nas, which occu s in di e en places (simul aneously) and in di e en cons ella ions. Examples o his a e
con ol and egula o y p ac ices ha a e no exclusi ely loca ed a he e i o ial edges bu a e spa ially
mobile and ubiqui ous (Baliba 2002; Amilha Sza y and Gi au 2015; Shacha 2020). Connec ed o his is
he plu ali y o (non-)human agen s in ol ed in b/o de ing p ocesses, which is inc easingly aken in o ac-
coun , as can easily be seen in he example o mig a ion managemen (Rum o d 2012; Elleb ech 2020;
Kaspa ek 2021). Also he e, ega ding he bo de ’s dispe sion, ad anced ope a ionaliza ion o b/o de ing
p ocesses can be claimed, which, howe e , unde lies he mul i ude o elemen s in ol ed and masks ou
hei possible complex in e play om which b/o de ings could eme ge.
Ano he de elopmen in he wake o he bo de ing u n can be seen in he ex u aliza ion o bo de s. This
s ands o a endency ha is pa icula ly widesp ead in Cul u al Bo de S udies (Fellne and Wille 2025) o
hink mo e comp ehensi ely abou b/o de ing p ocesses and o g asp he pa icipa ing p ac ices, dimen-
sions, ac o s, and o ms in hei in e wo enness in space and ime. Fo his, he p e iously men ioned ela-
ional idea o he bo de has p e ailed, which goes beyond he bo de as an o de ed o o de ing eali y p o-
duced in a s aigh o wa d p ocess limi ed o only ce ain places, scales, o social ields (Bü kne 2017).
Ra he , ela ional hinking ansla es he bo de in o a ans- e i o ial, ans- empo al, and ans-scala di -
used ex u e ha s ands o powe ul en anglemen s o p ac ices, dimensions, ac o s, and o ms, and ha
is held oge he by ela ionships be ween hese elemen s. Concep s ha ollow a ex u al bo de on ology,
and hus i wi h basic ideas o complexi y hinking, conside dimensions, ac o s, as well as symbolic and
ma e ial o ms o he bo de in i s composi e and in e wo en cha ac e . Such concep s include app oaches
like he e hnog aphic bo de egime analysis (T ansi Mig a ion Fo schungsg uppe 2007), which a emp s
o iew he bo de “as a s uc u e made o a mul i ude o ac o s, ins i u ions and o he human and non-
human ac o s and p ac ices, wi hou simpli ying he a ious in e es s and a ionali ies o hese o ces in o
a simple linea logic o a hidden agenda” (Hess and Schmid -Sembdne 2021, 201). The bo de scapes ap-
8
p oach (B ambilla 2015; B ambilla e al. 2015) should also be men ioned he e, which builds on A jun Appa-
du ai’s “Scapes o Globaliza ion” (1996) and de ines bo de s as “space[s] o nego ia ing ac o s, expe iences,
and ep esen a ions a icula ed a he in e sec ion o compe ing and e en con lic ing ensions” (B ambilla
2015, 29). The idea o space used he e, which is ague and o en misunde s ood by bo de schola s, s ands
o he bo de as a polymo phic ex u ed scape, which can also be desc ibed as a ela ional, di used, epi-
sodic, pe spec i al, and con es ed o ma ion o i s elemen s (Wille 2022). In addi ion, he bo de ex u es
app oach joins he impe us owa ds complexi y hinking and g asps he bo de as a ex u e ‘in becoming’
cons i u ed by ac i i ies, discou ses, objec s, bodies, and knowledge, which in hei pe o ma i e in e play
cause dis/o de s o a ise o challenge i (Weie e al. 2018). In addi ion o he analysis o e e yday cul u al
bo de en anglemen s, his app oach opens „ways o concei ing bo de s as ex u( )al h eads […] ha allow
Li e a y and Cul u al S udies c i ics o disen angle he bo de /aes he ics nexus.“ (Fellne in p ess, 11).
Finally, he e is a sugges ion o concep ualize bo de s om he pe spec i e o social ab ics and in e wo-
enness g ounded in he assemblage deba e (Deleuze and Gua a i 1980; Ong and Collie 2005; DeLanda
2016). Acco dingly, Ch is ophe Sohn unde s ands he bo de as an assemblage, i.e., as “a he e ogeneous
and open-ended g ouping o elemen s ha do no o m a cohe en whole” (2016, 188). This concep ion
allows o hink o he ela ional cons ella ions o he elemen s o b/o de ing p ocesses as being con inu-
ously in he p ocess o becoming, dynamically changeable and—a a ce ain ime and/o in a ce ain con-
ex —as speci ic socio-spa ial o ma ions.
4 Complexi y Theo ies and Bo de Complexi ies
The de elopmen s in he wake o he bo de ing u n ha e led o a mo e di e en ia ed unde s anding o
bo de s and pa ed he way o he idea o a bo de ’s complexi y. The e o e, in he ollowing, I ocus on he
complexi y no ion and show how bo de s udies can be inspi ed by complexi y heo ies o o e come he
inconsis en unde s anding o complexi y ca ed ou abo e. To cla i y wha complexi y is, schola s o en
i s d aw a en ion o he ac ha complexi y is no o be con used wi h complica edness (Cillie s 1998, 3;
Mo in 2007, 6). They dis inguish complica ed s uc u es (o sys ems) on he one hand, which consis o a
mul i ude o elemen s and unc ion in a egula manne , and complex s uc u es on he o he hand. Al hough
he la e also consis o a la ge numbe o elemen s, hei unc ioning changes o e ime and is unp edic -
able; hey ‘in insically’ b ing o h o de s ha a e ola ile and elusi e (Cillie s 1998; Nowo ny 2005). Such
sel -dynamic s uc u es a e b ough in o ocus wi h complexi y esea ch o he pu pose o s udying hei
con ingen cha ac e is ics, and e ec s. Complexi y heo ies, which p i ilege ela ionships, con ingency, and
eme gences, we e ini ially es ablished in he na u al sciences and ha e subsequen ly ound hei way in o
he social sciences and cul u al s udies (Th i 1999). In his con ex , we unde line he dis inc i e in e es o
complexi y esea ch in pa e ns and dynamics o social o de s, which we e also discussed as social physics
wi h he ad en o big da a (U y 2005). No single heo y o complexi y has p e ailed as a mas e e e ence;
a he , complexi y esea ch s ands o a mul i-pa adigma ic ield ha deals wi h ma e ial and/o social
s uc u es ha a e cha ac e ized by sel -dynamic o ms o agency o dis/o de ing (Manson and O’Sulli an
2006).
The ques ion o complexi y leads o he undamen al insigh ha he la e does no s and o an on ological
p ope y o a s uc u e. Ra he , he unp edic able dis/o de s o pa e ns ha a ise om he con ingen in e -
play o he s uc u e’s elemen s a e wha s and o complexi y as an
eme gen
p ope y: “The complexi y
eme ges as a esul o he pa e ns o in e ac ion be ween he elemen s” (Cillie s 1998, 4–5). Rega ding he
bo de , his means o e coming he idea ha bo de s a e complex esea ch objec s pe se, and asking by
means o which unp edic able logics which dis/o de s eme ge om he pe o ma i e in e play o he ele-
men s ‘in play’ in b/o de ings, and how hey become socially and spa ially e ec i e. The linkage o complex-
i y hinking wi h he bo de ing concep leads he e o wha is p oposed as
bo de complexi ies
: a concep
ha sees bo de s as in e ela ional en anglemen s and ocuses on he con ingen in e play o hei elemen s
and he dis/o de s esul ing om i . Thus, bo de complexi ies build on he bo de ing u n and i s u he
de elopmen s, ake an in e nal bo de iew, and go u he analy ically han jus asking which dimensions
play a ole in b/o de ing p ocesses o can be dis inguished analy ically, o o wha ex en he elemen s in-
9
ol ed cons i u e a e i o ial, scala , ac o - ela ed o empo ally di used ne wo k. Thus, b/o de ing p o-
cesses, which a e assumed o be complex, canno —as is o en p ac iced in bo de s udies—be explained
only by he mul i ude o he he e ogenei y o elemen s conside ed and hei complica ed ne wo k-like in e -
ac ions. In o he wo ds, bo de complexi ies s and o mo e han jus he sum o hei pa s— hey add ess
he dis up i e momen ha ma e ializes in pe o mances o dis/o de eme ging om he in e play o he
elemen s ‘in play’ in b/o de ings. Bo de complexi ies hus ollow he meaning o
complexus
in a wo old
manne : on he one hand, he concep add esses “wha is wo en oge he ” (Mo in 2007, 6) and he sel -
dynamic in e ela ions be ween he in e wo en elemen s; on he o he hand, i add esses he eme gen
dis/o de s ha become spa ially and socially e ec i e.
Consequen ly, app oaching bo de complexi ies empi ically means conside ing he elemen s ‘in play,’ hei
pe o ma i e in e play, and he esul ing b/o de ings. Acco ding o complexi y heo ies, bo de complexi ies
a e no composed o a andom assembly o elemen s bu o elemen s ha a e ‘meaning ul’ o hei cha -
ac e is ics and e ec s. This meaning, howe e , is no insc ibed in he elemen s, as Cillie s (1998, 11) ex-
plains, bu a ises in he con ingen in e play wi h o he elemen s: “[T]he elemen s o [bo de complexi ies,
C.W.] ha e no ep esen a i e meaning by hemsel es, bu only in e ms o pa e ns o ela ionships wi h
many o he elemen s.” The e o e, bo de complexi ies wi h hei dynamically en angled elemen s, canno
be de e mined in ad ance o he analysis; a he , hey mus be ca ed ou in si u as a complex ex u e ia
explo a o y p ocedu es. These explo a ions a e o be unde s ood as ac ile and acen ic mo emen s ac oss
ime and space, sea ching o elemen s ha gain meaning empi ically in b/o de ing p ocesses. These ex-
plo a i e mo emen s om o h ough he bo de (Coope e al. 2014; No ak 2017) as an ongoing “linking
and con ex ualizing” (Mo in 2007, 18) should iden i y and ace in e ela ions o p ac ices, discou ses,
knowledge, ac i i ies, bodies, o objec s ha ins iga e b/o de ing pe o mances, and hus a e cha ac e ized
by a b/o de ness (G een 2012). The empi ical in es iga ion o bo de complexi ies is hus cha ac e ized by
a undamen al openness as o which nume ous elemen s and in e connec ions a e ‘in play’ o b/o de ings
and a e o be included in he analysis acco dingly. He e, ia explo a i e p ocedu es— o example, di ac i e
e hnog aphy (Gullion 2018; Aub y 2023), di ac i e eading (Mu is and Bozalek 2019; Fellne in p ess),
bo de p axeologizing (Conno 2023, 2024; Ge s and K äme 2027), linking (Schank and Fellne 2024), bo -
de ex u ing (Weie e al 2018; Fellne in p ess)—empi ical esea ch can g asp he “o de o he bo de i sel ”
(Ge s and K äme 2021, 131), and make he complex in e play o speak. These app oaches ollowing he
me hodological p inciple o “bo de -analy ical indi e ence” (Ge s and K äme 2017, 3) help o a oid o e -
gene alizing complexi y and o unco e he eme gen and powe ul ‘mo e’ han jus he sum o he bo de ’s
elemen s.
5 Towa ds a New Depa u e in Bo de S udies
Wi h his commen , an a emp has been made o discuss an ongoing end in bo de s udies o aim a a
mo e comp ehensi e unde s anding o bo de s and ela e i o complexi y hinking o u he deba e. Bo de
complexi ies and hei cha ac e is ics o in e ela ionali y, con ingency, and pe o ma i i y (eme gence)
ha e been used o highligh hose analy ical aspec s o bo de s ha a e p omising o a complexi y lens bu
s ill ecei e li le and inconsis en conside a ion in bo de s udies. This can be explained, on he one hand,
by he complexi y o ien a ion s ill being young, and he c oss-disciplina y deba e wi hin bo de s udies s ill
being insu icien . On he o he hand, he aspi a ion o complexi y-o ien ed esea ch no only o iden i y he
elemen s ‘in play’ in b/o de ing p ocesses and o analyze hem mo e o less in isola ion om one ano he ,
bu o g asp hem om o h ough he bo de in hei sel -dynamic in e play as a complex ex u e wi h eme -
gen b/o de ing e ec s, seems o be pa icula ly challenging o empi ical wo k. The e hnog aphic app oach
sugges ed by B ambilla (2023, 1011) “ o explo e and in es iga e he social eali y o he bo de om he
pe spec i e o bo de people and bo de si es, cap u ing he complex socio-cul u al ex u e and a enas o
li e […] in […] he bo de ” is a p omising pe spec i e he e. Ne e heless, he e is s ill some wo k o do o
de eloping and es ing sui able esea ch designs and me hods o cap u e he di icul - o-g asp in si u-mo-
men s o complex eme gence o dis/o de s, hei unde lying logics, and bo de ing e ec s.
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