Related Experiment Videos
Discourse about menopause in selected print media
1Women's Health Research Unit, Curtin University of Technology, Western Australia, Perth. A.Shoebridge@info.curtin.edu.au
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
|November 27, 1999
Summary
Media portrayals of menopause often reinforce negative stereotypes of ill-health and vulnerability. This study analyzed print media, revealing a discourse dominated by disease and medical management, impacting public perception of women
Area of Science:
- Sociology of Health and Illness
- Media Studies
- Gender Studies
Background:
- Menopause carries negative connotations in Western societies, affecting women during midlife.
- Popular print media significantly influences public perception and reinforces stereotypes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the power of menopause stereotypes by analyzing their depiction in popular print media.
- To quantify and identify dominant discourse surrounding menopause in media.
Main Methods:
- Content and discourse analyses were applied to 302 media items over ten years.
- Data from two daily newspapers and four women's magazines were quantified using SPSS and NUD.IST.
Main Results:
- Media reporting on menopause showed no consistent trends but had thematic peaks for 'menopause' and 'hormone replacement therapy'.
- Discourse predominantly reinforced themes of ill-health, psychological disturbance, vulnerability, decrepitude, biological determinism, and disease management.
Conclusions:
- Media discourse on menopause is characterized by illness, medical management, and fear.
- This public discourse reflects a perception that menopause negatively impacts women's midlife health and competence.
- Promoting awareness that menopause is not synonymous with dysfunction is crucial for a paradigm shift in public discourse.