Paper short abstract:

This presentation addresses (bio)enhancement practices as specific forms of DIY self- and body- making, grounding the analysis of the material and symbolic dimensions of body transformations and self-construction with the inquiry into the multiple and shifting economies that they constitute.

Paper long abstract:

Present times are marked by the rapid development of low-tech bio-interventions that are starting to revolutionize the way people live, the kind of person they can be, and the future that they imagine. "Self-improvement" procedures - such as hormonal menstrual suppression, anti-ageing testosterone replacement, performance-enhancing drugs consumption, skin bleaching treatments and plastic surgery - are booming and are becoming common - cheaper, less invasive, more accessible and affordable than ever. The democratization of 'wish-fulfilling medicine' and 'enhancement biotechnologies' is exported globally as a will to improve and aspiration to become healthier, smarter, stronger, happier, longer-lived and altogether 'better' individuals. 

Drawing from the research project "EXCEL. In pursuit of excellence - Enhancement biotechnologies and body capital", in this presentation we address these "autopoietic" practices and their increase in Portugal during the last ten years, articulating the recourse to enhanced body capital and self-construction projects with the socio-economic fluctuations in times of global recession and financial disquiet.

We suggest that anthropological inquiry offer a privileged ground to better understand the baffling phenomenon that economists have called the "lipstick effect", referring to the increased desire for - and use of - lifestyle, performance-enhancing and appearance-enhancing items during times of economic recession. Approaching (bio)enhancement practices as specific forms of DIY self and body making, we aim to cross the analysis of the material and symbolic dimensions of body transformations and self-construction with the inquiry into the multiple and transforming economies that they constitute.