New Books in Economics Lucia Soriano, "Embodying Normalcy: Women's Work in Neoliberal Times" (Lexington Books, 2024)
May 15, 2025
Lucia Soriano, an assistant professor specializing in women's studies and ethnic studies, dives deep into her book about women's unpaid work in neoliberal America. She discusses how societal beauty standards and the pressure to conform have evolved, particularly through reality TV and social media. Soriano unpacks the concept of 'normalcy' in women's labor and critiques cultural representations of women in neoliberal contexts. She also shares insights on navigating academia while emphasizing the importance of personal agency amidst societal expectations.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Lucia's Southern California Roots
- Lucia Soriano shares her Southern California upbringing near Hollywood.
- Growing up close to celebrity culture sparked her curiosity about celebrity bodies and beauty.
Embodying Normalcy Defined
- Embodying normalcy is an action-oriented process of constant bodily transformation.
- It captures women's continual work to alter their bodies to fit neoliberal cultural norms.
Why 2000s to 2020s Focus?
- The book focuses on US culture from 2000s to 2020s to capture the timeline of neoliberal normalcy.
- This period frames early reality TV makeovers through to current social media trends.