Rhetorical Investigations of the Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Body in Media: Countering a Wicked Problem examines the power of hegemonic institutions and their impact on bodies. Marissa C. McKinley focuses on how women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) employ rhetorical strategies to resist mass media and clinical discourses that seek to define them. The lack of PCOS diagnostic consensus, the complexity of the illness, and the limited knowledge about PCOS makes it generally and clinically misunderstood and, therefore, difficult to manage by providers. This book rhetorically examines three PCOS artifacts-a television episode, an online popular culture forum, and an online health forum. Findings reveal that while women with PCOS have limited agency in constructing and representing their identities and ontologies in traditional media, by networking in participatory new media, these women can reclaim their agency. Scholars of communication, rhetoric, feminist studies, and medical humanities will find this book of particular interest.
Marissa C. McKinley is assistant teaching professor of English at Quinnipiac University.
Preface Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations Chapter 1: Hegemonic Institutions and Discourses and the Subjugation of the Female Body Chapter 2: RHM Contributions, Edifications, and Feminist Positions About the Body Chapter 3: Studying PCOS in Digital and Mass Media Through the Feminist Communitarian Model Chapter 4: Constructing, Representing, and Responding to PCOS in Mass Media: Enforcing and Offering Alternatives for the Hairlessness Norm and Performing Disidentification and Identification Chapter 5: Fulfilling Rhetorical Needs in Cyberspace: Health Advocacy and Patient Empowerment in myPCOSteam Chapter 6: Conclusion and Looking Toward the Future of PCOS Rhetorical Work Appendix Works Cited About the Author
"In this groundbreaking monograph, Marissa C. McKinley seamlessly weaves personal experiences with rigorous academic analysis to rhetorically explore PCOS through the lens of feminist epistemologies. The book offers a compelling exploration of the construction and portrayal of the PCOS body in both digital and mass media. This generative work not only contributes to discussions on femininity, women's health challenges, and advocacy, but also serves as a vital addition to RHM scholarship and related fields." -- Bryna Siegel Finer, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
