Freedom and pressure in self-disclosure

Today there is great openness about breast cancer, and the current ideology is that this is considered positive. This article draws upon sociological and philosophical theories to explore psychological practices. We ask: do women experience as much freedom to not talk about their illness as they do to talk about it? Do they experience that not being open is as favourably valued as openness is? The article is based on an ethnographic study in which women have given detailed accounts of how, to whom and in which situations they have been open or closed about their illness. It shows that breast cancer sufferers do not always experience a real choice between withholding and sharing information.…

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Symbols and Meanings in Breast Cancer Awareness Campaigns

This article examines symbols and meanings in breast cancer awareness campaigns, and the ways in which multifarious actors draw attention to the disease. We discuss what the various campaigns and initiatives can indicate, above and beyond creating breast cancer awareness. Our data stem from sources such as printed material, the Internet, and events. From these sources we have singled out and explored objects, text, and visual expressions, looking in particular for metaphors and symbolic aspects. In this article we present six “images” indicating the underlying patterns that we found. We have called the images Re-enchantment of femininity, Infantilization, Corporate profit-making, Objectific…

Adolescent boys with asthma – a pilot study on embodied gendered habits

Thomas Westergren,1 Ulla-Britt Lilleaas21Faculty of Health and Sport Science, Department of Health and Nursing Science, University of Agder, Grimstad, Norway; 2Faculty of Humanities and Education, Centre for Gender and Equality, University of Agder, Kristiansand, NorwayPurpose: Asthma is a common chronic disease with gender differences in terms of severity and quality of life. This study aimed to understand the gendered practices of male asthmatic adolescents in terms of living with and managing their chronic disease. The study applied a sociological perspective to identify the gender-related practices of participants and their possible consequences for health and disease.Patients and metho…