Exploring Sociocultural Embodiment: LGBTQ+ Body Care Practices and Norm Negotiation in Poland

This article examines how societal norms, cultural values, and societal strains shape body care practices within Poland’s cisgender nonheterosexual community. Using Esther Rothblum’s biculturality theory as a foundation, the study explores the influence of class, societal homophobia, and Catholic-influenced gender norms on daily routines, hygiene, adornment, and identity expression. It investigates how these practices reflect societal trends, navigate heteronormative expectations, and intersect with socio-economic and gendered pressures, particularly for working-class LGBTQ+ women. The article draws on an ethnographic study of 21 cisgender nonheterosexual couples in Poland, incorporating participant observations and over 120 thematic interviews. It introduces sociocultural embodiment as a new concept, building on Rothblum’s biculturality framework to explore how localized cultural and systemic forces uniquely influence intimate daily practices and identity negotiations in non-Western contexts. By situating body care practices within Polish sociocultural realities, the study emphasizes the need for geographically informed approaches to LGBTQ+ research. Sociocultural embodiment contributes to embodiment studies by demonstrating how systemic pressures, cultural norms, and subcultural strategies influence self-presentation and identity formation. This work advances global understanding of LGBTQ+ body experiences through a focus on localized dynamics.