8th International Conference on Gender Studies: Gender & Art and Other Gender Studies, Gazimagusa, Kıbrıs (Kktc), 12 Mayıs 2022
The aim of this study is to discuss
certain concepts and issues of health social science with reference to the
novel “Mahrem/Intimate” written by Elif Şafak. The concepts are mainly body
perception, medicalization and stigmatization of the female body. The issues
are mainly diet and eating disorders.
Stigmatization is traced in the
narratives about “too fat”, “too short”, “too ugly”, and “too beautiful” as
well as about the concept of being seen.
The heroine's stories of overeating
and vomiting are interpreted not only basing on her eating disorder, but also
basing on her self-perception, which has been damaged by the sexual abuse she
has experienced in her childhood.
The heroine's attempt to transform
the appearance of her body with today's beautification and slimming trends such
as diet, gymnastics, aerobics, acupuncture and hypnosis is interpreted with
reference to medicalization.
This novel written on
women, female body and the gaze over the female body uses a semi-realistic,
semi-surrealistic fairy-tale language while also telling the stories of people
who are being overlooked by society. It also reminds us of the existence of
identities that are stigmatized as dwarf, fat, ugly, unnoticeable or
undesirable.
Keywords: Eating Disorder, Female
Body, Gender, Medicalization, Stigmatization, Visibilty