`I Know My Own Body': Power and Resistance in Women's Experiences of Medical Interactions

Abstract

Theorizing resistance has been a particularly problematic enterprise in feminist thought. A wide variety of attempts to advance the feminist emancipatory project have been hindered, despite notable efforts, by the inability of feminist theory to surmount Cartesian thought (Colebrook, 2000). In terms of medicalization, feminist empirical efforts have commonly proceeded from theoretical orientations premised on unexamined dualisms. This has frequently resulted in the exaggeration of the power of medicine to inscribe particular patterns of feminine embodiment and precluded identification of resistance. In order to examine the nature of medical power relations, specifically the extent to and manner in which resistance occurs within such relations, rather than focusing exclusively on the corporeal it is necessary to address the 'imbrication of the corporeal and the incorporeal' (Colebrook, 2000: 42).In this article I examine women's experiences of patient-doctor interactions in order to discover what their embodied experiences can reveal about the nature of medical power and the ways in which resistance may be produced. In order to contextualize the findings, I begin by relating personal experiences that influenced Body & Society

Women’s experiences of perceived traumatic vaginal birth in Australian maternity settings

“…Past research and current knowledge indicates that women who had access to wider ranges of knowledge can negotiate, contest and resist medical control reducing the likelihood of trauma perceptions. [21,22] The findings from this research, however, indicate that access to knowledge did not support these women in negotiating, contesting or resisting medical control. Women reported being overwhelmed and lost, under prepared and under resourced for anything outside of "normal", "natural" childbirth.…”

Women’s experiences of perceived traumatic vaginal birth in Australian maternity settings

“…Past research and current knowledge indicates that women who had access to wider ranges of knowledge can negotiate, contest and resist medical control reducing the likelihood of trauma perceptions. [21,22] The findings from this research, however, indicate that access to knowledge did not support these women in negotiating, contesting or resisting medical control. Women reported being overwhelmed and lost, under prepared and under resourced for anything outside of "normal", "natural" childbirth.…”

The construction of power in family medicine bedside teaching: a video observation study

“…A final example of power construction refers to the use of laughter. The following comment from a clinical teacher demonstrates this as he teases a female medical student by withholding information from her: ‘He he he he he he he okay I’ll tell you what all might be revealed.’ 9 These findings are consistent with reports in the broader social science literature demonstrating that power can be enacted and resisted through questions, directives, pronominal talk and knowledge 25–28 …”

Heterosexual couples’ uses and meanings of ovarian stimulation: Relatedness, embodiment and emotions

“…The words used to describe the situations that may contribute to the cancellation of the ovarian stimulation are based on a negative terminology (Bowker, 2001;Ulrich and Weatherall, 2000), and may be seen as examples of gendered medicine which rationalizes female reproductive organs as pathological (Lorentzen, 2008). The use of medical jargon, such as the 'insufficiency', 'irregularity', 'inappropriateness' or 'inaccessibility' of the female gametes or of women's bodies, reflects the idea that women who do not meet medical expectations concerning an 'appropriate' ovarian response to ovarian stimulation protocols are inadequate.…”

“…In the case of ovarian stimulation in the context of IVF treatments, women's bodies are studied in situ, and their 'normality' is incorporated into the physicians' eyes and their medical expertise and authority within the manipulation of certain technological instruments (Latour, 1993;Lynch and Woolgar, 1990). The words used to describe the situations that may contribute to the cancellation of the ovarian stimulation are based on a negative terminology (Bowker, 2001;Ulrich and Weatherall, 2000), and may be seen as examples of gendered medicine which rationalizes female reproductive organs as pathological (Lorentzen, 2008). The use of medical jargon, such as the 'insufficiency', 'irregularity', 'inappropriateness' or 'inaccessibility' of the female gametes or of women's bodies, reflects the idea that women who do not meet medical expectations concerning an 'appropriate' ovarian response to ovarian stimulation protocols are inadequate.…”

Women’s experiences of perceived traumatic vaginal birth in Australian maternity settings

“…Past research and current knowledge indicates that women who had access to wider ranges of knowledge can negotiate, contest and resist medical control reducing the likelihood of trauma perceptions. [21,22] The findings from this research, however, indicate that access to knowledge did not support these women in negotiating, contesting or resisting medical control. Women reported being overwhelmed and lost, under prepared and under resourced for anything outside of "normal", "natural" childbirth.…”

The construction of power in family medicine bedside teaching: a video observation study

“…A final example of power construction refers to the use of laughter. The following comment from a clinical teacher demonstrates this as he teases a female medical student by withholding information from her: ‘He he he he he he he okay I’ll tell you what all might be revealed.’ 9 These findings are consistent with reports in the broader social science literature demonstrating that power can be enacted and resisted through questions, directives, pronominal talk and knowledge 25–28 …”

Heterosexual couples’ uses and meanings of ovarian stimulation: Relatedness, embodiment and emotions

“…The words used to describe the situations that may contribute to the cancellation of the ovarian stimulation are based on a negative terminology (Bowker, 2001;Ulrich and Weatherall, 2000), and may be seen as examples of gendered medicine which rationalizes female reproductive organs as pathological (Lorentzen, 2008). The use of medical jargon, such as the 'insufficiency', 'irregularity', 'inappropriateness' or 'inaccessibility' of the female gametes or of women's bodies, reflects the idea that women who do not meet medical expectations concerning an 'appropriate' ovarian response to ovarian stimulation protocols are inadequate.…”

“…In the case of ovarian stimulation in the context of IVF treatments, women's bodies are studied in situ, and their 'normality' is incorporated into the physicians' eyes and their medical expertise and authority within the manipulation of certain technological instruments (Latour, 1993;Lynch and Woolgar, 1990). The words used to describe the situations that may contribute to the cancellation of the ovarian stimulation are based on a negative terminology (Bowker, 2001;Ulrich and Weatherall, 2000), and may be seen as examples of gendered medicine which rationalizes female reproductive organs as pathological (Lorentzen, 2008). The use of medical jargon, such as the 'insufficiency', 'irregularity', 'inappropriateness' or 'inaccessibility' of the female gametes or of women's bodies, reflects the idea that women who do not meet medical expectations concerning an 'appropriate' ovarian response to ovarian stimulation protocols are inadequate.…”

Women’s experiences of perceived traumatic vaginal birth in Australian maternity settings

“…Past research and current knowledge indicates that women who had access to wider ranges of knowledge can negotiate, contest and resist medical control reducing the likelihood of trauma perceptions. [21,22] The findings from this research, however, indicate that access to knowledge did not support these women in negotiating, contesting or resisting medical control. Women reported being overwhelmed and lost, under prepared and under resourced for anything outside of "normal", "natural" childbirth.…”

The construction of power in family medicine bedside teaching: a video observation study

“…A final example of power construction refers to the use of laughter. The following comment from a clinical teacher demonstrates this as he teases a female medical student by withholding information from her: ‘He he he he he he he okay I’ll tell you what all might be revealed.’ 9 These findings are consistent with reports in the broader social science literature demonstrating that power can be enacted and resisted through questions, directives, pronominal talk and knowledge 25–28 …”

Heterosexual couples’ uses and meanings of ovarian stimulation: Relatedness, embodiment and emotions

“…The words used to describe the situations that may contribute to the cancellation of the ovarian stimulation are based on a negative terminology (Bowker, 2001;Ulrich and Weatherall, 2000), and may be seen as examples of gendered medicine which rationalizes female reproductive organs as pathological (Lorentzen, 2008). The use of medical jargon, such as the 'insufficiency', 'irregularity', 'inappropriateness' or 'inaccessibility' of the female gametes or of women's bodies, reflects the idea that women who do not meet medical expectations concerning an 'appropriate' ovarian response to ovarian stimulation protocols are inadequate.…”

“…In the case of ovarian stimulation in the context of IVF treatments, women's bodies are studied in situ, and their 'normality' is incorporated into the physicians' eyes and their medical expertise and authority within the manipulation of certain technological instruments (Latour, 1993;Lynch and Woolgar, 1990). The words used to describe the situations that may contribute to the cancellation of the ovarian stimulation are based on a negative terminology (Bowker, 2001;Ulrich and Weatherall, 2000), and may be seen as examples of gendered medicine which rationalizes female reproductive organs as pathological (Lorentzen, 2008). The use of medical jargon, such as the 'insufficiency', 'irregularity', 'inappropriateness' or 'inaccessibility' of the female gametes or of women's bodies, reflects the idea that women who do not meet medical expectations concerning an 'appropriate' ovarian response to ovarian stimulation protocols are inadequate.…”