[Showing skin (or not) on the hot Tunisian sand: an impossible version of Sea, Sex and Sun?].

Abstract

Beaches are places where human behavior is highly codified. The revealing or on the contrary concealing of one's body responds to complex cultural imperatives. Exposure of skin is never trivial, or harmless from a health point of view, and it always has repercussions in terms of social relations. This article is based on direct observations over several years in a small coastal town in Tunisia. The presentation of the body is described in particular with regard to the wearing of veils and in terms of relationships between men and women. Contact with water or sand and sun exposure play a role in the system of exchange of gestures observed. The strategies they use are presented in terms of the concept of social pollution and according to the beaches that distinguish between the different types of beachgoers.