Menopause and Productive Identity

• In Event: Sociology of the Body and Embodiment Section Open Call Paper Session

Abstract

This study examined the menopause experiences and productive identity among Canadian women at mid-life to contribute to better understandings of how individuals narrate their menopausal transition in the context of their ethnocultural, personal, social, and professional lives. More specifically, this study explored ways that perceptions about aging influence the menopause experience and perceptions about productivity. For this qualitative study, I conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 18 women based in Toronto, Canada following an approach informed by narrative gerontology. Three themes have emerged from which include: 1) Negotiating the Body within Work Cultures; 2) Value and Aging; and 3) The Reconstruction of Self. This study re-conceptualizes menopause as a rich, developmental life-stage by unpacking how a subset of Canadian women experience this life transition in relation to notions of productivity and social identity. Findings from this study shed new light on personal and social identity in relation to the menopause experience by integrating theoretical work from embodiment theory, highlighting the value of sharing stories, and demonstrating that drawing strength from loss and from generative desires for social engagement can be fundamental experiences.

Author

• Michelle Pannor Silver, University of Toronto