exploration of the meaning of menopause among ghanaian-canadian women
abstract
in spite of its biological universality, menopause is a complex
phenomenon influenced by gender, identity and culture. the meanings of
menopause and what it signifies for women vary considerably. they are shaped
by social attitudes about aging and women’s roles over the life course. utilizing
in-depth interviews, this study examines the meanings and experience of
menopause for ten ghanaian-canadian women living in the city of toronto.
for these women, the understanding of menopause transcends the
narrow biomedical definition of menopause as a deficiency disease requiring
pharmaceutical intervention. instead, they view it as part of a normative aging
process and recognize that it is accompanied by changes in health, social role
and status.
this research contributes to the growing body of literature on women’s
health and aging as well as to our understanding of culturally-diverse approaches
to menopause and midlife.
collections
- retrospective theses [1604]