Unpacking Gender for Flat Breast Cancer Survivors Assigned Female at Birth: A Methodological Application of Visually Informed, Critical Discursive Psychology

Abstract

Given the high prevalence rates of breast cancer and mastectomy as recommended treatment, a large number of breast cancer survivors assigned female at birth may face contradicting messages about whether to pursue reconstruction. Survivors desire information outside of standard biased pro-reconstruction messages, with an increase in utilization of online social platforms to learn of the lived experiences of survivors who have gone flat. As breasts are socially constructed symbols connected to femininity, fertility, motherhood, and (hetereo)sexualization, the application of visually informed, critical discursive psychology holds promise as a method for analyzing how survivors “do” gender after going flat. This paper summarizes prior research on messages around reconstruction before diving into how breasts hold sociocultural meanings in relation to gender performance. A preliminary reading of a photo posted on Twitter by Tig Notaro, a comedian who has been public about breast cancer, and a photo posted on Instagram by entrepreneur Jamie Kastelic were analyzed using a visually informed, critical discursive psychology lens. Our preliminary analysis illustrates the utility of this method for understanding how flat survivors assigned female at birth construct gender for both themselves and a social media audience. This paper challenges assumptions regarding what a “healthy” breast cancer survivor looks like and aims to encourage future inquiries into how social media functions as a space where survivors can perform gender online after going flat themselves.