Breasts as Materialities in Life Transitions: Negotiating Age, Identity, and Embodiment in Mastectomy Experiences

• In Event: 20820 - Section on Medical Sociology Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 8. The Life Course and Health I

Abstract

This study explores mastectomy as a material-discursive transition, analyzing how the removal of breasts shapes self-perception, identity, and social belonging across different life phases. Breasts, as both biological and symbolic entities, are central to femininity and embodiment, making their absence a significant disruption in lived experiences. Drawing on qualitative phenomenological research conducted in Punjab, Pakistan, this study examines the narratives of mastectomy patients to understand how bodily changes are negotiated in personal and social contexts.

Mastectomy is not merely a medical procedure but an embodied experience with deep psychosocial and cultural implications. Younger women often struggle with body image, intimacy, and societal expectations, while older women tend to frame the transition within broader narratives of resilience and aging. The study identifies four key themes: (a) Embodied Disruptions & Identity Struggles, (b) Aging & Breast Materiality, (c) Prostheses, Scars & Cultural Stigma, and (d) Lack of Social & Psychological Support. Findings reveal that many patients experience a sense of bodily fragmentation, with some opting for prostheses while others reject reconstruction due to financial, cultural, or emotional reasons. Stigma, lack of awareness, and limited psychological support exacerbate these challenges.

By situating mastectomy within the material-discursive framework, this research highlights the entanglement of biomedical, cultural, and social narratives in shaping post-mastectomy identities. It calls for patient-centered medical interventions, enhanced psychosocial support, and broader societal awareness to facilitate inclusive care. The study contributes to critical discussions on body politics, gendered aging, and the sociocultural dimensions of health, underscoring the need for a nuanced understanding of embodied transitions in medical sociology.

Keywords: Mastectomy, embodiment, identity, aging, body image, materiality, Pakistan, gender

Author

• Tauheed Zahra, Goethe University Frankfurt