Main content
Nudity
Nudity - Laurie Taylor explores its cultural history and changing meaning.
NUDITY – Laurie Taylor explores the cultural history of nudity and its impact on ideas about the body from the early twentieth century to the present. He talks to Sarah Schrank, Professor of History at California State University, about the unusual eras and locations in which it thrived - from Depression-era collectives to 1950s suburban nudist communities—as well as the more predictable beaches and resorts. They’re joined by Barbara Górnicka, Assistant Professor in Sociology at University College, Dublin, who asks why we find exposing bodies shameful and draws on her own participation in a nudist swimming club.
Producer: Jayne Egerton
Last on
Mon 10 Feb 202000:15
BBC Radio 4
Guests
Barbara Górnicka - Assistant Professor in Sociology at University College Dublin
Sarah Schrank - Professor of History at California State University, Long Beach
Sarah Schrank - Professor of History at California State University, Long Beach
Further Reading
Nakedness, Shame, and Embarrassment: A Long-Term Sociological Perspective by Barbara Górnicka
Free and Natural: Nudity and the American Cult of the Body by Sarah Schrank
Free and Natural: Nudity and the American Cult of the Body by Sarah Schrank
Broadcasts
- Wed 5 Feb 202016:00BBC Radio 4
- Mon 10 Feb 202000:15BBC Radio 4
Explore further with The Open University
Podcast
![]()
Thinking Allowed
New research on how society works



