An obese woman's stories: positioning theory and the discursive (re)construction of identity

Abstract

Oriented by the interpretive paradigm in social sciences, especially ethnographic work, this article results from the analysis of an individual interview audio recorded in an NGO which assists morbid obese patients in Rio de Janeiro. Taking into account positioning theory and its presuppositions about the transient nature of meaning, we aim at investigating identity construction through the analysis of the stories an obese woman tells during an interview with one of the authors of this article. We argue that the way the body is understood nowadays is responsible for stigma towards fat individuals. In this sense, we have observed how such a situation is ratified or contested by means of discursive positions people take in interaction. We believe this movement is exactly where the transformative potential of language rests.

Keywords:
Body; Obesity; Stigma; Positioning; Identity construction.