Re-imagining the Menopausal Narrative
The research study Re-imagining the Menopausal Narrative through a Photo Elicitation Strategy is a two-year pilot project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Development Grant. Under the leadership of the Principal Investigator, Dr. Ginette Lafrenière, this study explores contemporary narratives of menopause which seek to challenge the bio-medical discourse through documenting and acknowledging women, non-binary, and trans voices telling their own stories and experiences of menopause. This study was also dedicated to shifting the focus towards developing resources informed by the lived experiences of menopausal individuals.
Our specific objectives included:
- To explore, using qualitative and arts-based methods, the language used by people of diverse backgrounds to commmunicate lived experiences of menopause;
- To document, using arts-based methods, menopausal narratives to validate and normalize those lived experiences.
Moreover, we wished to understand the messages that people are receiving about menopause, where the gaps may lie in the dominant discourse, and how people experiencing menopause internalize societal messaging relative to menopause.
Within a series of consultations with individuals experiencing menopause during all stages (perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause), we captured personal stories through focus groups and individual interviews.
An excerpt from the graphic field notes recorded from a focus group.