Breast Surgery as a Gender Technology: Analyzing Plastic Surgeons’ Discourses

This article explores the role of breast surgery as a gender technology by considering the discourse of plastic surgeons. We analyze the gender discourses that come into play when surgeons are asked to distinguish between 3 cases of breast surgery: breast implantation for transsexual women, postmast...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Coll Planas, Gerard, Cruells, Marta, Alfama, Eva
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2017
País:España
Institución:UVic-UCC
Repositorio:RiUVic. Repositori institucional de la UVic-UCC
OAI Identifier:oai:dspace.uvic.cat:10854/8481
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10854/8481
https://doi.org/10.1080/15240657.2017.1349504
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Mama -- Càncer -- Cirurgia
Mastoplàstia
Dones transsexuals
Estudis de dones
Descripción
Sumario:This article explores the role of breast surgery as a gender technology by considering the discourse of plastic surgeons. We analyze the gender discourses that come into play when surgeons are asked to distinguish between 3 cases of breast surgery: breast implantation for transsexual women, postmastectomy breast intervention, and breast augmentation for aesthetic reasons. In the surgeons’ discourses, the 3 interventions are situated in the reconstruction/cosmetic divide. However, we can see that this boundary is profoundly influenced by cultural conceptions of gender. These gendered conceptions affect what is labeled normal/abnormal, what demands are considered legitimate, and which bodies are deemed able to possess certain attributes.