| dc.description.abstract | The aim of the research was to explore women’s experiences of their bodies
after undergoing a mastectomy due to breast cancer treatment and choosing not
to have reconstruction. A qualitative study was carried out to gain a deeper
understanding into women who took on a counter-cultural approach of
choosing to live without breasts in a society that views breasts as the epitome
of womanhood and a symbolic representation of femininity. Purposive
sampling was used to meet two criteria, that is, to recruit the women who
underwent mastectomies because it was part of a treatment plan to remove the
cancerous tumours from their breast/s, which entailed losing one or both
breasts and secondly who chose not to have reconstructive surgery after the
mastectomy. In-depth interviews revealed a range of shared experiences of
having breast cancer, undergoing a mastectomy and living without breasts.
Data analysis was conducted using the phenomenological approach. Three
leitmotifs emerged from the data: (1) Pressure for a “normal” body; the
leitmotif highlighted the pressure the women experienced to conform to having
two breasts. (2) Experiencing the body as transitional. Many of the women
described various transitions that occurred from the time of being diagnosed,
going through treatment and living with one or no breasts. (3) Exhibiting
agency, the women described the various things they did to help deal with the
changes they encountered. The research identifies that in the face of social
pressure, perceptions of the body are transitional and that exhibition of agency
is crucial amongst breast cancer survivors. | en_US |
