1
|
de Groot A, Brown B, Lindsay D, Gall A, Hewlett N, Hickman A, Garvey G. 'How Your Spirit Is Travelling'-Understanding First Nations Peoples' Experiences of Living Well with and after Cancer. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 21:798. [PMID: 38929044 PMCID: PMC11203506 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21060798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 06/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
As the number of people living with cancer increases, it is important to understand how people can live well with and after cancer. First Nations people diagnosed with cancer in Australia experience survival disparities relating to health service accessibility and a lack of understanding of cultural needs and lived experiences. This study aimed to amplify the voices of First Nations individuals impacted by cancer and advance the development of a culturally informed care pathway. Indigenist research methodology guided the relational and transformative approach of this study. Participants included varied cancer experts, including First Nations people living well with and after cancer, health professionals, researchers, and policy makers. Data were collected through online Yarning circles and analysed according to an inductive thematic approach. The experience of First Nations people living well with and after cancer is inextricably connected with family. The overall themes encompass hope, family, and culture and the four priority areas included the following: strength-based understanding of cancer, cancer information, access to healthcare and support, and holistic cancer services. Respect for culture is interwoven throughout. Models of survivorship care need to integrate family-centred cancer care to holistically support First Nations people throughout and beyond their cancer journey.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anneliese de Groot
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4006, Australia; (B.B.); (D.L.); (A.G.); (N.H.); (A.H.); (G.G.)
- Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney 2113, Australia
| | - Bena Brown
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4006, Australia; (B.B.); (D.L.); (A.G.); (N.H.); (A.H.); (G.G.)
- Southern Queensland Centre of Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care, Queensland Health, Brisbane 4077, Australia
| | - Daniel Lindsay
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4006, Australia; (B.B.); (D.L.); (A.G.); (N.H.); (A.H.); (G.G.)
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane 4006, Australia
| | - Alana Gall
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4006, Australia; (B.B.); (D.L.); (A.G.); (N.H.); (A.H.); (G.G.)
- National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine, Southern Cross University, Lismore 2480, Australia
| | - Nicole Hewlett
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4006, Australia; (B.B.); (D.L.); (A.G.); (N.H.); (A.H.); (G.G.)
| | - Amy Hickman
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4006, Australia; (B.B.); (D.L.); (A.G.); (N.H.); (A.H.); (G.G.)
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide 5042, Australia
| | - Gail Garvey
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4006, Australia; (B.B.); (D.L.); (A.G.); (N.H.); (A.H.); (G.G.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Palfreyman A, Vijayaraj K, Riyaz S, Rizwan Z, Sivayokan S, Thenakoon THS, Dayabandara M, Hanwella R, Devakumar D. What Women Want: Mental Health in the Context of Violence Against Women in Sri Lanka-A Qualitative Study of Priorities and Capacities for Care. Violence Against Women 2024:10778012241230326. [PMID: 38400515 DOI: 10.1177/10778012241230326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Insufficient evidence guides mental health service development for survivors of violence against women in Sri Lanka. Provider and survivor perspectives on (1) what constitutes mental health, (2) quality of care, and (3) priority areas and stakeholders for intervention were identified through framework analysis of 53 in-depth interviews. Desired care is chiefly psychosocial-not psychological-prioritizing socioeconomic, parenting, and safe environment needs in non-clinical community settings. Our evidence points strongly to the need to strengthen non-mental health community-based providers as "first contacts" and reassessment of health system-centric interventions which neglect preferred community responses and more holistic approaches accounting for women's full circumstances.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Raveen Hanwella
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - Delan Devakumar
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Phillips G, Kendino M, Brolan CE, Herron LM, Kὃrver S, Motofaga S, Cox M. Women on the frontline: exploring the gendered experience for Pacific healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. WESTERN PACIFIC 2024; 42:100961. [PMID: 38022711 PMCID: PMC10658397 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2023.100961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Background Women comprise 90% of patient-facing global healthcare workers (HCWs), yet remain underpaid, undervalued, and under-represented in leadership and decision-making positions, particularly across the Pacific region. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these health workplace inequalities. We sought to understand Pacific women HCWs experience from the COVID-19 frontline to contribute to policies aimed at addressing gendered gaps in regional health systems. Methods Our interpretative phenomenological study used critical feminist and social theory, and a gendered health systems analytical framework. Data were collected using online focus groups and in-depth interviews with 36 Pacific regional participants between March 2020 and July 2021. Gender-specific content and women's voices were privileged for inductive analysis by Pacific and Australian women researchers with COVID-19 frontline lived experience. Findings Pacific women HCWs have authority and responsibility resulting from their familial, biological, and cultural status, but are often subordinate to men. They were emancipatory leaders during COVID-19, and as HCWs demonstrated compassion, situational awareness, and concern for staff welfare. Pacific women HCWs also faced ethical challenges to prioritise family or work responsibilities, safely negotiate childbearing, and maintain economic security. Interpretation Despite enhanced gendered power differentials during COVID-19, Pacific women HCWs used their symbolic capital to positively influence health system performance. Gender-transformative policies are urgently required to address disproportionate clinical and community care burdens and to protect and support the Pacific female health workforce. Funding Epidemic Ethics/World Health Organization (WHO), Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office/Wellcome Grant 214711/Z/18/Z. Co-funding: Australasian College for Emergency Medicine Foundation, International Development Fund Grant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Georgina Phillips
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Emergency Department, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Claire E. Brolan
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Lisa-Maree Herron
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sarah Kὃrver
- TB Elimination, and Implementation Science, Burnet Institute, Papua New Guinea and Australia
| | - Silina Motofaga
- Clinical Services Program, Public Health Division, Pacific Community, Suva, Fiji
| | - Megan Cox
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Australia
- The Sutherland Hospital, NSW, Australia
- NSW Ambulance, Sydney, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Jamieson MK, Govaart GH, Pownall M. Reflexivity in quantitative research: A rationale and beginner's guide. SOCIAL AND PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY COMPASS 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/spc3.12735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Michelle K. Jamieson
- School of Health and Social Care Edinburgh Napier University Edinburgh UK
- School of Social and Political Sciences University of Glasgow Glasgow Scotland
| | - Gisela H. Govaart
- Department of Neuropsychology Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig Germany
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin Berlin Germany
- Humboldt‐Universität zu Berlin Faculty of Philosophy, Berlin School of Mind and Brain Berlin Germany
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Coletti JT, Kerwin S, Martin LJ. Lone girls: exploring the experiences of girls who play on boys’ sports teams. MANAGING SPORT AND LEISURE 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/23750472.2022.2138515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Shannon Kerwin
- Sport Management, Brock University, St. Catherine’s, Canada
| | - Luc J. Martin
- Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Sapountzis A, Figgou L, Michos I. Conspiracy theories in online deliberation on gender identity legislation: Dilemmas of prejudice and political partisanship and implications for LGBTQI+ claims. FEMINISM & PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/09593535221113648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Conspiracy theories have recently come under the scrutiny of social psychology. While some theorists have treated them as a deficient way of thinking, others have considered them as a form of political rhetoric with important social implications. We focus on conspiracy theories in the context of online public deliberation on legislation allowing registration of self-defined gender in Greece. Employing the tools of Critical Discursive Psychology, we analyse comments posted on the Ministry of Justice's website created for public consultation about the law change. We focus on the mobilization of conspiracy theories by people who oppose Law 4491/2017 (“Legal Recognition of Gender Identity – National Mechanism for the Development, Monitoring and Evaluation of Action Plans on Children's Rights and Other Provisions”). These commentators often argued that powerful groups are behind the proposed legislation, aiming at decreasing Earth's population, disrupting moral order, and violating humanness. We demonstrate how these constructions helped participants to perform various tasks, such as delegitimizing the legislation while at the same time avoiding the stigma of prejudice, promoting far-right political practices, and rebutting accusations of political partisanship. The results are discussed in relation to conspiracy theories’ role in countering “gender ideology” and in promoting cisgenderism and heteronormativity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lia Figgou
- Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Ustunel AO. Dating Violence in an Urban Turkish Context: Listening to Young People from an Intersectional Perspective. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2022; 37:NP11652-NP11682. [PMID: 33618574 DOI: 10.1177/0886260521997441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Intersectional approaches have challenged the field of domestic violence to pay more attention to diversity in women's experiences and highlighted the significance of their social contexts and positions, such as class, race, religion, in shaping their understanding of and responses to violence. In the dating violence (DV) literature, a similar call has been made to develop contextualized accounts of DV and to address the heterogeneity of young people through DV prevention programs. Nevertheless, to date, intersectional thinking has not been fully utilized in DV research. The present study aims to address this gap in the literature and investigate how young people make sense of and experience DV from an intersectional perspective in an urban Turkish context. The data for the current study came from individual interviews conducted with 39 college students, aged 18-25. The interviews inquired into how young people understood, explained, and experienced DV. The interviews were analyzed thematically, culminating into four main themes: (a) DV as control, (b) DV as resulting from traditional gender norms, (c) DV as women's fault, and (d) DV-related socialization processes. Some of these main themes were interpreted and experienced differently by the participants depending on their gender and the impact of traditional, Islamic, and egalitarian discourses on their accounts. The result demonstrated nuanced differences in young people's meaning-making perspectives, needs, and vulnerabilities to DV. In the Turkish context, these results are intended to inform the burgeoning field of DV research and to guide the development of diversity-informed, culturally tailored, and context-sensitive prevention practices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anil Ozge Ustunel
- Istanbul Bilgi University, Eski Silahtarağa Elektrik, Santralı Kazim Karabekir Eyupsultan, Istanbul, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Astudillo-Mendoza P, Cifuentes-Zunino F. Mothering on the web: A feminist analysis of posts and interactions on a Chilean Instagram account on motherhood. FEMINISM & PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/09593535221094251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This article is temporarily under embargo.
Collapse
|
9
|
Ryan S, Ussher JM, Hawkey A. Mapping the abject: Women's embodied experiences of premenstrual body dissatisfaction through body-mapping. FEMINISM & PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/09593535211069290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Women's body shame and body dissatisfaction increase in the premenstrual phase of the cycle, associated with premenstrual distress. However, the meaning and consequences of premenstrual body dissatisfaction remain underexplored. The aim of this study was to explore how women who report premenstrual body dissatisfaction construct and experience their bodies, using qualitative arts-based methods. Four hundred and sixty women completed online open-ended survey questions and 16 women took part in body-mapping and an interview. Thematic analysis identified three major themes: construction of the premenstrual body as abject, manifested by positioning of the body and self as fat, leaking and dirty; self-policing and self-regulation through increased scrutinising and concealment of the premenstrual body; and resistance of cultural constructions of idealised femininity. These findings emphasise the need to acknowledge changes in body dissatisfaction across the menstrual cycle, and the implication for women's feelings about the self. Internalisation of negative constructions of the female body plays a role in women's experience of premenstrual change and distress. There is a need for further research to examine the role of body management behaviours in premenstrual body dissatisfaction and distress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Ryan
- Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Australia
| | - Jane M Ussher
- Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Australia
| | - Alexandra Hawkey
- Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Abstract
In the United States, school shootings are a common social problem and frequently occur on both K-12 and college campuses. High profile school shootings have resulted in a growing number of state governments legalizing “concealed carry” on college campuses, increasing the presence of guns in classrooms. This research study employs qualitative autoethnography to present the author's experiences teaching on a campus where concealed carry was implemented in 2014. Through autoethnographic narratives, the author describes her lived experiences. This paper analyses these narratives using intersectional feminist theory and situates the narratives within the broader socio-cultural context of gun culture in the Pacific Northwestern USA. The author spent four years immersed in the culture of concealed carry, and has written multiple narratives detailing these experiences. Two narratives are presented in this work. Important findings in this work include examinations of: how the presence of guns in college classrooms shapes power dynamics; the use of fear-based curricula in active-shooter survival trainings; the cultural construction of the “good guy with a gun”; and the implications of the author's positionalities within gun culture. This research study encourages the reader to engage with and learn from the lived experiences of the author.
Collapse
|
11
|
Enlander A, Simonds L, Hanna P. “I want you to help me, you’re family”: A relational approach to women's experience of distress and recovery in the perinatal period. FEMINISM & PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/09593535211047792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Theoretical approaches have tended to understand perinatal distress through either individual or socio-cultural factors. In contrast, Natasha Mauthner proposed a relational model that understands perinatal distress in the context of interpersonal relationships. This study aims to build on Mauthner's work to explore how women speak about their relationships in connection to their stories of perinatal distress and recovery. Eight women were interviewed for the study. All women had at least one child under the age of three and self-identified as having experienced distress in the perinatal period. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using Voice Centred Relational Analysis. Four broad themes were identified: (i) the role of practical support, (ii) the role of emotional support, (iii) relational dynamics, and (iv) the role of socio-cultural norms. Whilst some women experienced practical and emotional support in their relationships, those who did not linked a lack of support to their feelings of distress. Relationships were also found to reinforce unhelpful social norms around motherhood and mental health, as well as offering a space to resist norms and create wider discourses about what it means to be a mother. This study suggests that organizations supporting women in the perinatal period should focus on women's relational needs and consider the cultural discourses of motherhood that they perpetuate.
Collapse
|
12
|
Managing the premenstrual body: a body mapping study of women's negotiation of premenstrual food cravings and exercise. J Eat Disord 2021; 9:125. [PMID: 34627402 PMCID: PMC8501588 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-021-00478-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Women's eating behaviours and exercise patterns have been found to fluctuate across the menstrual cycle, manifested by premenstrual food cravings and reduced exercise. However, the meaning and consequences of premenstrual changes in eating and exercise behaviours remains underexplored. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore how women who feel negatively about their premenstrual bodies construct and experience premenstrual changes to eating and exercise practices, which disrupt their usual patterns of body management. METHODS Four hundred and sixty women aged 18-45 completed an online survey in response to a Facebook advertisement targeted at women who feel negatively about their bodies during the premenstrual phase of the cycle. Participants reported moderate premenstrual distress, high body shame and high risk of disordered eating attitudes using standardised measures. Sixteen women reporting rich accounts of premenstrual body dissatisfaction were invited to participate in body-mapping, involving visually illustrating experiences on a life-sized outline of the body, followed by a telephone interview. Thematic analysis was used to explore qualitative survey, interview, and body-mapping data. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Results found that outside of the premenstrual phase these women engaged in restrictive eating and intensive exercise behaviours, which were disrupted by premenstrual cravings, hunger, fatigue, pain and feeling physically uncomfortable. For a minority of the women, this facilitated self-care in reducing the strict management of their bodies during the premenstrual phase. Others experienced feelings of guilt, shame, self-disgust and pushed their bodies physically through increased exercise. CONCLUSIONS These findings emphasise the need to acknowledge changes in body management across the menstrual cycle, with implications for women's mental health and feelings about the self. Internalisation of pressures placed on women to manage their bodies through restrictive eating behaviours and rigorous exercise plays a role in women's premenstrual body dissatisfaction and distress. The current study aimed to explore how women who feel negatively about their premenstrual bodies construct and experience premenstrual changes to eating and exercise practices. Outside of the premenstrual phase these women engaged in restrictive eating and intensive exercise behaviours which were disrupted by premenstrual cravings, hunger, fatigue, pain and feeling physically uncomfortable. Some women allowed themselves to take a premenstrual break from their usual strict eating and exercise behaviours, whereas others felt guilt, shame, self-disgust and physically pushed their bodies through increased exercise. These findings emphasise that changes to eating and exercise behaviours across the menstrual cycle and pressures placed on women to manage their eating and exercise behaviours have implications for women's premenstrual distress and body dissatisfaction.
Collapse
|
13
|
Samardzic T, Soucie K, Schramer K, Katzman R. “I didn’t feel normal”: Young Canadian women’s experiences with polycystic ovary syndrome. FEMINISM & PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1177/09593535211030748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which affects 8 to 13% of reproductive-aged women, is a highly gendered disorder whose symptoms disrupt Western conceptions of femininity. This may be especially debilitating for young women, who are targeted by societal discourses governing how they “should” be. We interviewed 10 young Canadian women, aged 18 to 22, about how PCOS has influenced and/or conflated their conceptions of identity and (ab)normality within the current socio-cultural context. Using reflexive thematic analysis through a critical feminist lens, we present three themes: justifying abnormality, pathologizing the abnormal, and fear of failure in pregnancy. Young women described feeling “weird” and “not normal” as a result of their symptoms and expressed worries about their ability to adhere to gendered expectations. We argue that the blanketing of these desirable states as “normal” has pervasive implications for women’s lives and leaves them feeling defective and/or inadequate, which was further reinforced by implicit, gender-based power dynamics in medical institutions when women sought care. We suggest the need for engagement with discomfort and leveraging PCOS as a unique entryway into an analysis of intersectional issues to capture complexities in lived experience.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kendall Soucie
- University of Windsor, Canada
- University of Windsor, Canada
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Macleod CI, Capdevila R, Marecek J, Braun V, Gavey N, Wilkinson S. Celebrating 30 years of Feminism & Psychology. FEMINISM & PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1177/09593535211027457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Feminism & Psychology ( F&P) was launched in 1991 with a sense of possibility, enthusiasm and excitement as well as a sense of urgent need – to critique and reconstruct mainstream psychology (theory, research methods, and clinical practice). Thirty years have now passed since the first issue was produced. Thirty volumes with three or four issues have been published each year, thanks to the efforts of many. On the occasion of F&P’s 30th anniversary, we, the present and past editors, reflect on successes, changes and challenges in relation to the journal. We celebrate the prestigious awards accruing to the journal, its editors, and authors, and the significant contributions the journal has made to critical feminist scholarship at the interface of feminisms and psychologies. We note some of the theoretical and methodological developments and social changes witnessed over the last three decades. We highlight challenges facing feminist researchers in academia as well as international feminist publishing. We conclude that the initial enthusiasm and excitement expressed by the then editorial collective was justified. But, there is still much work to be done.
Collapse
|
15
|
Stelzl M, Lafrance MN. “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t”: Women’s accounts of feigning sexual pleasure. FEMINISM & PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1177/0959353520963967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Faking orgasm has been identified as a common practice among women and feminist scholars have probed the connections between the socio-cultural meanings associated with faking and heterosex. Expanding on this line of inquiry, feigning sexual pleasure was explored in interviews with 14 women who reported having sex with men. Using a feminist critical discourse analytic approach, we attend to the dilemma that was frequently evoked in women’s accounts. Participants explained that feigning sexual pleasure was done in order to protect their partners’ ego. However, participants also talked about faking orgasm as being problematic in the sense that it was “deceitful” and “dishonest”. These contrasting discursive patterns created a dilemma whereby faking was situated as “necessary” but “dishonest”. As a way of negotiating this dilemma, participants made a distinction between exaggerating sexual pleasure and faking orgasm. We posit that exaggeration can be interpreted as a form of material (during the sexual encounter) and discursive (during accounting of the encounter) disruption of dominant discourses of heterosex such as the orgasmic imperative. Drawing on Annamarie Jagose’s and Hannah Frith’s problematizations of the prevailing tendency to position orgasm as either “authentic” or “fake”, we discuss women’s negotiation of the limited constructions of “real” pleasure.
Collapse
|