Identity, Health and Women: A Critical Social Psychological Perspective

242 Pages·2010·3.036 MB·English

by  Jacqueline Ann Christodoulou

Identity, Health and Women
A Critical Social Psychological Perspective
Jacqueline Ann Christodoulou
Identity, Health and Women
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10.1057/9780230292512 - Identity, Health and Women, Jacqueline Ann Christodoulou
Identity, Health and
Women
A Critical Social Psychological Perspective
Jacqueline Ann Christodoulou
Ph.D., CPsychol.
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10.1057/9780230292512 - Identity, Health and Women, Jacqueline Ann Christodoulou
© Jacqueline Ann Christodoulou 2010
Foreword © Judith Sixsmith 2010
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this
publication may be made without written permission.
No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted
save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence
permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency,
Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS.
Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication
may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
The author has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work
in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published 2010 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN
Palgrave Macmillan in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited,
registered in England, company number785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke,
HampshireRG21 6XS.
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Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of St Martin’s Press LLC, 3-
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Panaldg rhaavse c Momacpmanilileasn aisn dth ree pgrloesbeanl taactaivdeesm tihcr iomugphrionut to tfh teh ew aobrlodv.e companies ect -
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Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States, Co
the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries ve
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ISBN 978-0-230-24179-4 hardback algr
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This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully o -
managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing ms
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processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the Tr
country of origin. et i
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A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ot
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data bi
s
Christodoulou, Jacqueline Ann, 1961– et
Identity, health and women : a critical social psychological ersit
perspective / Jacqueline Ann Christodoulou. niv
p. cm. U
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ISBN 978-0-230-24179-4 (hardback) d t
1. Women–Health and hygiene–Psychological aspects. se
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2. Women–Health and hygiene–Social aspects. 3. Women–Identity. ce
I. Title. m - li
RA564.85.C487 2010 co
613’.04244–dc22 2010027509 ct.
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Printed and bound in Great Britain by pal
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10.1057/9780230292512 - Identity, Health and Women, Jacqueline Ann Christodoulou
I dedicate this book to my children and their children, for the
times when life has been difficult but the thought of them has
made it all worthwhile and especially to my partner Eric who
has changed my life for the better.
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10.1057/9780230292512 - Identity, Health and Women, Jacqueline Ann Christodoulou
Contents
List of Figures xi
Foreword by Judith Sixsmith xii
Acknowledgements xiv
Chapter 1 Introducing Health and Psychology 1
Introduction 1
Deconstructing health – Early notions of health 3
Health and psychology 5
Health psychology and social constructions: 6
The biopsychosocial model of health
What is critical health psychology? 9
Embodiment in critical health psychology 12 9
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Health and the social world – The politics of 14 03-
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women’s health 01
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Women’s health today – Overview and structure 20 ct -
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of this book nn
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Part I Theory 23 gr
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Chapter 2 Understanding Women’s Health: Health 25 o -
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Perspectives o
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What is women’s health? 25 et i
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Gendered health: Women’s health 27 ote
Non-reproductive health in women 30 bli
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Mental health and women 31 et
Reproductive health – Periods, pregnancy and 33 ersit
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childbirth Uni
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Reproductive health – The menopause and the 36 d t
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perimenopause ns
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TUhned epresrtiamnedninogp awuosme en’s health – Women doing 4424 om - lic
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health ct.
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Chapter 3 Identity Theory and an Interactive Health Identity 47 co
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Introduction 47 gra
What is identity? 47 pal
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How is identity formed? 48 w
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Personal perspectives of the self 49 m
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10.1057/9780230292512 - Identity, Health and Women, Jacqueline Ann Christodoulou
viii Contents
Social perspectives of self 52
Social construction and the postmodern self 54
Why health identity? 57
Embodiment and health identity 59
The narrative self 63
Social theory and locating identity in society 67
Conclusion: The story so far 67
Chapter 4 Feminist as Far as Possible – The Feminist Health 69
Identity and Critical Realism
Introduction 69
Woman as ‘other’ 69
Working backwards – Historical aspects of feminist 71
theory
Feminism, postmodernism, and the development 72
of the feminist standpoint 9
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Relational gender identity politics 75 03-
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Women’s lives in today’s society: Theory into 77 01
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practice – or not? ct -
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Critical realist philosophy of science – Neither 81 nn
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realism nor relativism eC
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Critical realist health psychology 82 gr
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Critical realism and social science research 82 o - P
Feminism as identity ontology 83 ms
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Societal discourses as competing ontology? 85 Tr
What do these competing ontologies mean for 86 ket i
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women’s health identity? ot
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Critical realism, truth and the lived experience 89 bi
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Critical realism, postmodernism, reflexivity and 90 sit
narrative psychology: Historical fiction? ver
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Chapter 5 Investigating Women’s Health: The Story So Far 95 ed t
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Introduction 95 en
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Why use qualitative methodology? 95 m - li
What is narrative psychology? 97 co
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How the work was carried out 102 ne
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Interviewing women 103 co
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The research site 108 a
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The participants 108 pal
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Ethical considerations 109 w
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Chapter summary 109 m
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Contents ix
Part II Voice 111
Chapter 6 Narrative Touchstones of the Storied 113
Perimenopausal Health Identity
Introduction 113
Strong women, fragile health – Tones of narrative 116
The storied health identity 118
Introduction to the personal health identity 120
Health beginnings – Stories of growing up 120
healthily
Becoming a healthy woman – What health means 121
to me
Building health – Constructing womanhood 124
Changing health – Who am I now? 132
Generating health – Who will I be? 139
Conclusion 140
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Chapter 7 Reaching Out – Interpersonal Narratives of the 141 1-0
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Perimenopausal Health Identity 20
Narratives of interpersonal health experiences 141 ct -
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– He said, she said on
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Remembering health 142 ve
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Relating health – Family matters 143 algr
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Coping with health – Understanding and support 148 o -
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Performing health – Getting on with it 154 m
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Predicting health – Ending up like my parents 157 et i Tr
Health and relational identity – Images and 159 k
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metaphors as signposts and interactive themes bli
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Chapter 8 Stories of Societal Health – The Impact of 161 sitet
Narrated Positional, Situated and Ideological ver
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Health Representation o U
Belonging and health – A time and place 161 ed t
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Social deprivation and personal identity 165 en
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Informing health – Mediated health in society 172 m - li
Television programmes – Comedy and the 176 co
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perimenopausal women e
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Fighting for health – Us and them 182 co
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Controlling health – If I am good then I will be 190 a
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well, that is what I believe pal
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Returning to past health experiences – Back to 196 w
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the future m
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