Menopause: A Sociological Review

Menopause affects millions of individuals and is a sociologically compelling topic, cross-cutting the subfields of medicine, gender, body, family, and work. Yet to date, little sociological research examines the process. Indeed, menopause is the least studied female reproductive event among pregnancy, childbirth, and menstruation. Thus, in this article, we review the existing social scientific research on menopause in an effort to expose what remains to be studied. Our review begins with literature on the social construction of menopause. We then explore studies of how social meanings shape experiences of menopause. As our analysis reveals, sociologists have a clear picture of the medicalization of menopause and how medical meanings shape experiences. Yet the nuances of this construction are less clear, including how menopausal experiences vary and how menopause relates to the reproductive life course broadly. We conclude by highlighting these and other gaps in the sociological understanding of menopause.