Changes in the discourse of menstruation: between tabooization and emancipation

Authors

  • Milena Szulik-Szarecka Uniwersytet Warszawski

Keywords:

menstruation, discourse, expert systems, women's corporeality

Abstract

This article aims to show the transformations in the Polish discourse of menstruation. It attempts to reconstruct two antagonistic narratives around the topic of menstruation. It examines how menstruation has been and continues to be tabooed, and the feminist movements’ impact on its becoming a part of the public discourse. The article demonstrates a radical shift that has occurred in the discourse around menstruation and menstruating persons by depicting the moment when the menstruating subject had been moved from the private sphere to the public arena. The article consists of three parts. The first characterizes the ways in which the menstrual taboo is still present in the polish discourse. The second analyzes the emancipating narratives, and the third focuses on the main social actors responsible for creating the space for a public debate about menstruation.

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Published

2023-12-29

How to Cite

Szulik-Szarecka, M. (2023). Changes in the discourse of menstruation: between tabooization and emancipation. Rzeszowskie Studia Socjologiczne, 16, 137–146. Retrieved from https://journals.ur.edu.pl/rss/article/view/9351

Issue

Section

Articles