[Last modified: November, 1 2024 08:43 PM]
In my pilot research project, I plan to explore how women’s illness narratives reveal their feelings of powerlessness within the medical system and patriarchal society. Obviously, this research approach includes a political stance that criticizes gender biases in current medical practices and social structures. By deeply analyzing women’s narratives about gynecological diseases, I aim to show that their absence in public discussions is not only a medical oversight but also a reflection of gender inequality. These illness narratives are often not seen as the core part of medical research but are marginalized or ignored, reflecting the patriarchal society’s control over women’s bodies and suppression of their voices. Kleinman’s theory of illness narratives provides a theoretical foundation for my research. He highlights that illness narratives not only help individuals express and deal with their disease experiences but also turn these personal experiences into visible social discourse, challenging the imbalances of power in traditional medical models. By bringing these often-ignored narratives into academic and public view, my research also seeks to give these women a voice and power.
As an Asian woman, my marginal status in Western society may give me a more sensitive insight into gender and racial inequalities in the healthcare system. My research focuses not only on gender discrimination but also on how racial and cultural differences affect medical experiences. For example, a major challenge faced by non-Western women is that their medical needs and expressions of illness are often ignored or misunderstood, usually due to healthcare decision-makers and providers’ ignorance or misunderstanding of cultural differences. Women from certain cultural backgrounds may express pain or symptoms in a more subdued way, which might be misinterpreted by medical staff unfamiliar with these expressions as the condition being mild or not serious. My position makes me pay more attention to those voices that are marginalized in mainstream medical narratives, especially those groups ignored due to both racial and gender marginalization.
At the beginning of planning this project, I thought about the political risks and challenges that might affect my research methods and results. For example, social stigma and misunderstandings about women’s diseases might lead to misinterpretation of my findings or be used to reinforce existing gender biases. Therefore, I plan to use qualitative research methods such as in-depth interviews and participant observation. These methods can deeply explore participants’ personal experiences and feelings, helping me understand and reveal gender and cultural biases in medical processes. Especially as a researcher, I must critically examine the potential political meanings and social impacts of my results. When collecting data, I need to try to include women from different cultural, racial, and socio-economic backgrounds to show the diversity of illness narratives among different groups. Moreover, I realize the need to adopt a reflective stance in my research, regularly examining my own biases and assumptions to ensure that my personal views do not affect the interpretation and presentation of the data.