Date of Award
6-2023
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Organizational Unit
College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, Communication Studies
First Advisor
Elizabeth A. Suter
Second Advisor
Ramona Beltran
Third Advisor
Mary Claire Morr Loftus
Fourth Advisor
Joshua Hanan
Keywords
Counter-narrative, Eating disorder, Embodiment, Master narrative, Narrative, Women
Abstract
Eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder, affect approximately 20 million women in the United States (National Eating Disorders Association, 2022d). The dominant approach to studying eating disorders is based on the master narrative of biomedicine. The present dissertation examines the existing master narrative by investigating the meaning that women themselves ascribe to their eating disorder experiences. Drawing upon notions of embodiment, the present dissertation proposes narrative theorizing as an appropriate lens through which to view women’s narrative sense-making processes and employs narrative research methods. Using a modified version of McAdams’ (2008b) life story interview protocol, I interviewed 21 women and analyzed their eating disorder life stories according to two analysis techniques – Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analytic method and Yamasaki et al.’s (2014) approaches to narrative analysis. In narrating their eating disorder life stories, women offer an important counter-narrative to the master narrative of biomedicine. Five themes emerged from analysis, including it’s not an individual illness, nor a sociocultural sickness, it’s a feminine fable; it’s not what you (don’t) eat, it’s what eats you; it’s not one size fits all, it’s one size fits one; it’s not about being sick enough, it’s about being sick; and it’s not eradicable, it’s ineradicable. In presenting these themes and their corresponding tenets, I develop a more comprehensive story of women’s eating disorder experiences. Finally, I discuss the present dissertation project by summarizing the main conclusions drawn, including enhancing diversification of eating disorder research, highlighting complexities of studying counter-narratives, and supporting women’s efforts to counter-narrate their own eating disorder experiences.
Copyright Date
6-2023
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
All Rights Reserved.
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Rights Holder
Kelsea V. Schoenbauer
Provenance
Received from ProQuest
File Format
application/pdf
Language
English (eng)
Extent
213 pgs
File Size
13.0 MB
Recommended Citation
Schoenbauer, Kelsea V., "It’s Not What You (Don’t) Eat, It’s What Eats You: Countering the U.S. Eating Disorder Master Narrative" (2023). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2320.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/2320
Discipline
Communication, Women's studies
Included in
Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons, Health Communication Commons, Women's Studies Commons