Resisting Restrictive Feminine Molds and Promoting Embodied Well-Being Among Breast Cancer Survivors

Abstract

This chapter explores the resistance to restrictive feminine molds as a protective factor that facilitates positive embodiment among young breast cancer survivors. The chapter reviews the empirical evidence on cancer survivors’ gendered lived experience in the body and the role of restrictive feminine molds on cultivating experiences of (dis)embodiment. A novel mixed-method research program is discussed that examined whether the internalization of values that counteract feminine molds among breast cancer survivors, utilizing the Experience of Embodiment Scale, predicted embodied well-being. The program also considered women`s reflections about their values and beliefs, cultural heteronormative ideas of attractiveness, and role demands on women`s connection to their post–medically treated bodies. The chapter concludes with suggested intervention strategies that aim at fostering resistance to restrictive feminine molds and, through that, enhancing the quality of embodied lives among women entering the survivorship stage of their breast cancer journey.