Abstract
The social science focus on the body has had a growing influence in ageing studies. ‘Corporeality’ and ‘embodiment’ are terms used in exploring the relationship between the body and society. In this paper, we argue for making a clear distinction between these two terms. Corporeality, we suggest, is best used to refer to the role of the body as a structure whose identity and meaning is mediated by culture and society, while embodiment might best be used to refer to the use of the body by social actors in realising distinctions, identities and lifestyles. This distinction helps sharpen the difference between studies that address self and others’ reactions to physical changes in bodily function which can be attributable to ageing, age associated illness or impairment and studies that explore the ‘performances’ of ageing including the various realisations of identity and lifestyle in later life.