| Abstract [eng] |
Menopause, marking the end of a woman’s reproductive age, is confirmed after 12 months after the last menstrual period. Most women experience menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, but physiological and psychological signs often begin earlier and can last for years or even decades. Research on menopause is important for raising public awareness, as well as for creating work environments and healthcare systems that are responsive to the needs of menopausal women. In Lithuanian social sciences, the topic of menopause has received limited scholarly attention. In studies conducted in other countries, limited understanding and discussion of menopause are mostly explained through the perspective of stigma theory. In this thesis, this is identified as the ignorance of menopause, and additional theoretical approaches are sought to explain it. The aim of this master’s thesis is to explore Lithuanian women’s experiences of menopause and how stigmatization and ignorance emerge within these experiences. In the theoretical part of the thesis, medicalized and feminist approaches to menopause are presented, as well as a sociocultural approach that emphasizes the broader context of middle age. The ignorance of menopause is presented as a complex phenomenon for which E. Goffman’s stigma theory is significant, yet insufficient. To achieve a deeper understanding of the topic, theoretical and empirical insights from other authors are drawn upon in this master’s thesis, drawing attention to the social significance attributed to women’s reproductive function (including M. Foucault’s concept of biopolitics), as well as to critical approaches to the insufficient attention paid to women’s health issues regardless of fertility. The empirical part of the thesis consists of 25 semi-structured qualitative interviews with women living in Lithuania who are at any stage of menopause. The findings emphasize the individuality of menopausal experiences and reveal the potential impact on daily life, work, social relationships, and one’s relationship with oneself and one’s body. Based on the participants’ experiences, menopause is perceived as a(n) (in)visible stigma. Drawing on stigma theory, the study explains how menopause becomes a taboo subject in everyday social interactions and in public. However, participants reported a lack of information and support from healthcare professionals, from whom “expert” knowledge is expected. Signs of the ignorance of menopause were also observed in labor market policies and work environments, as well as in school curricula. |
