Academic Scientific JournalsFeminity, Consumptionism and Illness
Keywords:
IIdentity, Social Exclusion, Cancer, Consumption, Well BeingAbstract
The article is a reflection on the impact of the social construct of femininity on individual identity, examining what it means to be a woman for individuals and for the society (observers). There are more cosmetic procedures and aesthetic medicine, that promises ‘being beautiful’ and ‘feeling beautiful’ as the norm and a woman’s duty. This obligation to be beautiful is increasingly present in mass media when individuals struggle with cancer. More campaigns are supporting the individual’s fight against cancer by offering metamorphoses. Similarly, more websites focused on helping cancer patients place focus on the correct skin care or applying makeup during and after anti-cancer therapy, promising to enhance the well-being of patients. Thus, we observe both criticism of the pressure associated with the constant construction of femininity, and the support for women diagnosed with cancer by offering them ways to look attractive while fighting the disease.
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