The Politics of Weight by Amelia Morris

Author:Amelia Morris
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783030136703
Publisher: Springer International Publishing

“Here I Am, Stuck in the Middle with You!” Conclusion

This chapter has demonstrated the complicated, often messy, relationship that women have with dieting and the body. Although there is a tension in feminist theory between the notion of “oppression” and “liberation”, which plays out in dieting, this chapter explored how power exists in the everyday practices of doing “femininity” (Bartky 1990, 1997; Bordo 1997; Sedgwick 2014; Rothblum 1994; Deveaux 1994). In this sense, the chapter drew upon the intersections between post-structuralist feminist scholarship and Foucault’s Discipline and Punish (1977) to “get past” the dichotomy of power within dieting.

In section “Oppression: Dieting as Violence Upon the Body” of the chapter, I set out the “oppression” book: for some radical feminists, dieting is an act of violence committed against the body that is a direct result of patriarchal power (Jeffreys 2005; Dworkin 1975; MacKinnon 1982; Johnson 1989). Rather than viewing dieting as a choice that can benefit the individual, these scholars argue that we should consider it an act of self-mutilation, on par with female genital mutilation (Jeffreys 2005). Here, I explored some of my interviews with dieters in which they suggested that their experiences of the programmes were oppressive (Dworkin 1975, p. 33). For example, both Amanda and Shelley contended that being members of slimming clubs made them feel deeply ashamed about their bodies, leading them to damaging behaviours. Thus, these scholars would suggest that dieting is not about weight-loss per se, rather, it is about making women’s bodies weak and passive to male structures (Johnson 1989). In stark contrast, some post-feminist scholars view dieting and other beauty practices as a form of individualized empowerment for women (Sommers 1995; Paglia 1990; Lumby 1997). Instead of viewing women as victims of an oppressive form of power, they contend that femininity should be embraced and enjoyed; women should be allowed to choose to modify their bodies (Walters 1999). For example, Laura’s dieting journey suggested that women are able to feel powerful via dieting, repeatedly contending that weight-loss gave her a “confidence boost”. In this sense, these scholars agree that power is a force that can be wielded to embolden the individual.

Nevertheless, this chapter drew upon the “meeting points” between Discipline and Punish (1977) and post-structuralist feminist work on the body to explore the everyday practices of dieting (Foucault 1977). The body becomes an object of power that is transformed through self-surveillance (Grosz 1994; Stinson 2001; Heyes 2007). Here, I noted that many of my participants engaged in disciplinary acts, through the monitoring of their food and changing bodies, as well as the “confession” of such “progress” during the slimming meetings (Stinson 2001). For example, as Shelley noted, the process involved the constant monitoring of one’s food intake and planning for potential engagement with “bad” food. This structuring of time around food is important in establishing routines that work to discipline one’s movements and thoughts (Foucault 1977, p. 151).

However, the final part of the chapter followed Deveaux’s (1994) criticism of Bartky (1990, 1997), which

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