Oxford - Shideler Hall 152
Wednesday, September 18, 2024, 4 – 6pm

Many of us have been told at some point in our lives to stand or sit up straight—and usually, with a sense of guilt or embarrassment, we unthinkingly comply. That good posture is beneficial and important to one’s health is a truism that we rarely examine or question. To critically analyze this belief, my talk explores the historical origins of the posture sciences in the early twentieth century. I explain how, despite a lack of physical evidence, upright posture became a widely accepted indicator of health and failures of form a sign of future disability and disease.

Event Title: Posture Myths and Truths: The Scientific Origins of Our Health Beliefs about Slouching
Event Locator: 2024-ACNBCX