The sexual politics of pre-menstrual tension

Whose voice? Whose experiences? Women's qualitative accounts of general and private discussion of premenstrual syndrome

“…In conclusion, this study confirms the picture proposed earlier that media descriptions of the experiences of women reflect male views rather than women's experiences (5, 37). The study adds to the picture that women base discussion about their own experiences on those same experiences but base their talk about other women's experiences on negative, stereotypical, male‐based, views of the premenstrual woman.…”

“…Can this apply to the experiences of PMS? Laws (5) interviewed 14 British men aged 21–40 years about their views concerning menstruation, including PMS. In considering the influence of men on society as a whole, she found it very revealing to explore their views and attitudes towards menstruation.…”

Whose voice? Whose experiences? Women's qualitative accounts of general and private discussion of premenstrual syndrome

“…In conclusion, this study confirms the picture proposed earlier that media descriptions of the experiences of women reflect male views rather than women's experiences (5, 37). The study adds to the picture that women base discussion about their own experiences on those same experiences but base their talk about other women's experiences on negative, stereotypical, male‐based, views of the premenstrual woman.…”

“…Can this apply to the experiences of PMS? Laws (5) interviewed 14 British men aged 21–40 years about their views concerning menstruation, including PMS. In considering the influence of men on society as a whole, she found it very revealing to explore their views and attitudes towards menstruation.…”

2007 Presidential Address: Fear of Losing Control: Power, Perfectionism, and the Psychology of Women

“…When I hear women say that they cannot resist the Siren call of cookies and ice cream or that they cannot help screaming at their children when they are premenstrual, I wonder if they are experiencing negative illusions or an illusory loss of control. Feminist scholars (e.g., Chrisler & Caplan, 2002; Cosgrove & Riddle, 2003; Laws, 1983) have suggested that one reason why women diagnose themselves with PMS is that it allows them to express unacceptable thoughts and emotions and to do, or refuse to do, things they otherwise would not. Blaming the unfeminine aspects of the self on PMS makes it possible for women to hold on to the self‐definition of a good/proper woman who can usually uphold her standards (Laws, 1983; Ussher, 2004).…”

“…Feminist scholars (e.g., Chrisler & Caplan, 2002; Cosgrove & Riddle, 2003; Laws, 1983) have suggested that one reason why women diagnose themselves with PMS is that it allows them to express unacceptable thoughts and emotions and to do, or refuse to do, things they otherwise would not. Blaming the unfeminine aspects of the self on PMS makes it possible for women to hold on to the self-definition of a good/proper woman who can usually uphold her standards (Laws, 1983; Ussher, 2004). Louise Lander (1988) has suggested that PMS is a metaphor for the common inability of women to control their life situations, and this is interesting to consider in light of Dalton's (1977) observation that women who live alone are less likely than women who live with men to suffer from PMS.…”

Conceiving Time? Women who do or do not conceive

“…Although there may be some ambivalence towards the medical profession many women turn to medicine in the mistaken belief that doctors can control everything (see Darke 1996, Franklin and Ragone 1998, Letherby 2003). In many ways the medical profession often appears to collude with this view, for example, as Laws (1983: 20) points out: ‘The only way to deal with female experience is to put it in the category which is easy to recognise – sickness’. This is often compounded by the fact that a woman with no physical problem, but with an ‘infertile’ male partner, can be medically recorded as ‘suffering’ from male factor infertility (Pfeffer 1993).…”

Whose voice? Whose experiences? Women's qualitative accounts of general and private discussion of premenstrual syndrome

“…In conclusion, this study confirms the picture proposed earlier that media descriptions of the experiences of women reflect male views rather than women's experiences (5, 37). The study adds to the picture that women base discussion about their own experiences on those same experiences but base their talk about other women's experiences on negative, stereotypical, male‐based, views of the premenstrual woman.…”

“…Can this apply to the experiences of PMS? Laws (5) interviewed 14 British men aged 21–40 years about their views concerning menstruation, including PMS. In considering the influence of men on society as a whole, she found it very revealing to explore their views and attitudes towards menstruation.…”

2007 Presidential Address: Fear of Losing Control: Power, Perfectionism, and the Psychology of Women

“…When I hear women say that they cannot resist the Siren call of cookies and ice cream or that they cannot help screaming at their children when they are premenstrual, I wonder if they are experiencing negative illusions or an illusory loss of control. Feminist scholars (e.g., Chrisler & Caplan, 2002; Cosgrove & Riddle, 2003; Laws, 1983) have suggested that one reason why women diagnose themselves with PMS is that it allows them to express unacceptable thoughts and emotions and to do, or refuse to do, things they otherwise would not. Blaming the unfeminine aspects of the self on PMS makes it possible for women to hold on to the self‐definition of a good/proper woman who can usually uphold her standards (Laws, 1983; Ussher, 2004).…”

“…Feminist scholars (e.g., Chrisler & Caplan, 2002; Cosgrove & Riddle, 2003; Laws, 1983) have suggested that one reason why women diagnose themselves with PMS is that it allows them to express unacceptable thoughts and emotions and to do, or refuse to do, things they otherwise would not. Blaming the unfeminine aspects of the self on PMS makes it possible for women to hold on to the self-definition of a good/proper woman who can usually uphold her standards (Laws, 1983; Ussher, 2004). Louise Lander (1988) has suggested that PMS is a metaphor for the common inability of women to control their life situations, and this is interesting to consider in light of Dalton's (1977) observation that women who live alone are less likely than women who live with men to suffer from PMS.…”

Conceiving Time? Women who do or do not conceive

“…Although there may be some ambivalence towards the medical profession many women turn to medicine in the mistaken belief that doctors can control everything (see Darke 1996, Franklin and Ragone 1998, Letherby 2003). In many ways the medical profession often appears to collude with this view, for example, as Laws (1983: 20) points out: ‘The only way to deal with female experience is to put it in the category which is easy to recognise – sickness’. This is often compounded by the fact that a woman with no physical problem, but with an ‘infertile’ male partner, can be medically recorded as ‘suffering’ from male factor infertility (Pfeffer 1993).…”

Whose voice? Whose experiences? Women's qualitative accounts of general and private discussion of premenstrual syndrome

“…In conclusion, this study confirms the picture proposed earlier that media descriptions of the experiences of women reflect male views rather than women's experiences (5, 37). The study adds to the picture that women base discussion about their own experiences on those same experiences but base their talk about other women's experiences on negative, stereotypical, male‐based, views of the premenstrual woman.…”

“…Can this apply to the experiences of PMS? Laws (5) interviewed 14 British men aged 21–40 years about their views concerning menstruation, including PMS. In considering the influence of men on society as a whole, she found it very revealing to explore their views and attitudes towards menstruation.…”

2007 Presidential Address: Fear of Losing Control: Power, Perfectionism, and the Psychology of Women

“…When I hear women say that they cannot resist the Siren call of cookies and ice cream or that they cannot help screaming at their children when they are premenstrual, I wonder if they are experiencing negative illusions or an illusory loss of control. Feminist scholars (e.g., Chrisler & Caplan, 2002; Cosgrove & Riddle, 2003; Laws, 1983) have suggested that one reason why women diagnose themselves with PMS is that it allows them to express unacceptable thoughts and emotions and to do, or refuse to do, things they otherwise would not. Blaming the unfeminine aspects of the self on PMS makes it possible for women to hold on to the self‐definition of a good/proper woman who can usually uphold her standards (Laws, 1983; Ussher, 2004).…”

“…Feminist scholars (e.g., Chrisler & Caplan, 2002; Cosgrove & Riddle, 2003; Laws, 1983) have suggested that one reason why women diagnose themselves with PMS is that it allows them to express unacceptable thoughts and emotions and to do, or refuse to do, things they otherwise would not. Blaming the unfeminine aspects of the self on PMS makes it possible for women to hold on to the self-definition of a good/proper woman who can usually uphold her standards (Laws, 1983; Ussher, 2004). Louise Lander (1988) has suggested that PMS is a metaphor for the common inability of women to control their life situations, and this is interesting to consider in light of Dalton's (1977) observation that women who live alone are less likely than women who live with men to suffer from PMS.…”

Conceiving Time? Women who do or do not conceive

“…Although there may be some ambivalence towards the medical profession many women turn to medicine in the mistaken belief that doctors can control everything (see Darke 1996, Franklin and Ragone 1998, Letherby 2003). In many ways the medical profession often appears to collude with this view, for example, as Laws (1983: 20) points out: ‘The only way to deal with female experience is to put it in the category which is easy to recognise – sickness’. This is often compounded by the fact that a woman with no physical problem, but with an ‘infertile’ male partner, can be medically recorded as ‘suffering’ from male factor infertility (Pfeffer 1993).…”