Abstract
This chapter uses a feminist material-discursive theoretical framework to examine how women adopt the subject position of ‘monstrous feminine’ via the role of premenstrual embodiment. In this examination, Ussher and Perz draw on interviews they conducted with women who self-diagnose as ‘PMS sufferers.' They theorize that this self-positioning is subjectification, wherein women take up cultural discourse regarding idealized femininity and the stigmatized fat body; according to the authors, this results in distress, self-objectification, and self-condemnation. However, they argue that women can reduce premenstrual distress and resist negative cultural constructions of premenstrual embodiment and fat bodies through women-centered psychological therapy, which increases awareness of embodied change and leads to greater self-care and acceptance of the premenstrual body.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Menstruation Studies |
| Editors | Chris Bobel, Inga T. Winkler, Breanne Fahs, Katie A. Hasson, Elizabeth A. Kissling, Tomi-Ann Roberts |
| Place of Publication | Singapore |
| Publisher | Palgrave Macmillan |
| Pages | 215-231 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9789811506147 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9789811506130 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2020 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© The Author(s) 2020 C. Bobel et al. (eds.), The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Menstruation.
Open Access - Access Right Statement
This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0/), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.Keywords
- feminism
- menstruation
- premenstrual syndrome
- self-care, health
- women