A sociological and anthropological reflection on the body in the menopause

THESES

A sociological and anthropological reflection on the body in the menopause

Marco Antonio Separavich

Dissertação (Mestrado em Saúde Coletiva), 2010; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Coletiva, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas; Universidade Estadual de Campinas. [e-mail]

Keywords: Anthropology of health. Menopause. Feminine body. Aging. Internet.

This study analyzed the construction of the feminine body in the menopause in a segment of the media, Menospausa – o site da Mulher Madura, as well as the climateric/menopause concept elaborated for the biomedicine, moreover explored the social representations and stories of experiences in it contained. It is observed that medias divulge information that stick out the biological or "natural" aspects, emphasizing negative points of this stage of feminine life, impoverishing, in this way, the complexity that coats the climateric/menopause process. The contribution of Social Sciences in Health has been shy, predominating studies that deal with the feminine reproductive phase, with the consequent implications in the subjects related to the proper reproduction, such as the sexuality, contraception, abortion, among others. Therefore, it justifies the interest and the importance of socioantropological analysis of the climateric/menopause process, still more when the Brazilian picture demographic, not differentiating itself of the world-wide one, points to the increasing population aging, with a contingent every larger time of women who enter in this phase, thus demanding larger attention of the Services of Health. It was used qualitative methodology, with socioantropological referencial, contemplating the quarrels on the social representations of the body and health-illness process; experience and narrative of the illness; gender; corporal changes, beyond mentioning the therapeutical options to it. Used biomedical literature was based on seminal texts for the biological knowledge of the climateric/menopause process, besides of manuals, such as the Manual of Attention to the Health of the Woman in the climateric/menopause, of the technical area of the Woman's Health, Ministry of the Health, for guiding professionals of health in the cares to the menopausal women. It was proceeded distribution from the subjects found in the site according to the classification knowing of them on the body, such as, somatic, psychic and social. They had been separate the forty eight interactive messages of site, being chosen those that if had shown units for the socioantropological interpretation. It was become fullfilled thematic analysis of the virtual environment by means of the following categories: menopause, body, aging, feminine body, cares and person. One thus searched to understand sociocultural representation of the menopausal body and the experience of the internautas with climateric/menopause process. Concluded that it does not have menopause, but menopauses, therefore do not have an only vision of this process, as they point the narratives of the experiences in the site. The experiences lived in this period are not homogeneous, nor necessarily negative.

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Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  27 Aug 2012
• Date of issue
  June 2010