作者 ｜
鄭斐文（東海大學社會學系）
摘要 ｜
https://doi.org/10.6255/JWGS.202312_(53).01
由於罹患乳癌帶來汙名，女性病友大多選擇隱藏疾病與身體的損傷。為了對抗疾病汙名，歐美女性主義藝術家自1980年代後開始以攝影方式「證言」罹病經驗，企圖挑戰社會異性戀常規的理想女性氣質建構。本文以20世紀末三位女性主義者（Deena Metzger、Maxi Matuschka、Jo Spence）攝影的疾病自傳（photographic autopathography）為例，分析疾病傳記工作的敘事型態，並探討乳癌性別身體的再現、自我敘事與其「個人即政治」意涵。本文指出，三位病友藝術家反思疾病經驗並挑戰性別汙名的「衣櫃結構」，以攝影的疾病自傳與展演行動將身體損傷經驗，轉化為女性主義與病友政治實踐的動力。乳癌的疾病自傳分析可見以下三種女性主義病友敘事：（1）自然與生態主義式的生命力敘事：Metzger的另類療癒身體；（2）尊嚴與生存者敘事：衝破衣櫃的Matuschka與另類美感損傷的身體；（3）怪異身體的批判敘事：對抗醫學霸權與性別凝視的Spence。本研究指出，這三位女性主義乳癌病友的疾病敘事，對於醫療社會學與性別研究領域仍具有無可取代的啟示。
關鍵字 ｜
傳記工作; 疾病自傳; 性別身體政治; 女性主義; 乳癌病友攝影; 損傷身體
Title ｜
Autopathography, Images and Gender Body Politics: A Narrative Analysis of Euro-American Feminist Breast Cancer Patients
Author ｜
Fei-Wen Cheng (Department of Sociology, Tunghai University)
Abstract ｜
https://doi.org/10.6255/JWGS.202312_(53).01
Due to the stigma surrounding breast cancer, many female patients choose to conceal their illnesses and their damaged bodies. In an effort to resist this stigmatization, Euro-American feminist patients began to publicize photographic autobiographies after the 1980s, aiming to foster collective witness to breast cancer. They challenged the social construction of the ideal feminine body within heterosexual normative society. This research focuses on analyzing the visual representation of post-surgical bodies and narrative types in the biographical work of the three feminist artists from the late 20th century: Deena Metzger, Maxi Matuschka, and Jo Spence. Through an exploration of these artists’ photographic autopathography concerning their illness, this article investigates the representation of the gendered body, the narratives of illness, and the meanings of the feminist statement “The personal is political.” This research highlights the view that the three feminist patients reflected upon their experiences of illness and endeavored to break out of the structure of “the cancer closet” within mainstream breast cancer culture. In contrast to female artists who did not experience illness, patients with feminist ideals transformed their traumatic experiences into political action for patient empowerment. The narratives presented in the three autopathographies exhibit distinct characteristics: 1. The life-force of the narrative in a naturalistic environment: Metzger and her healing force; 2. The dignity of a survivor narrative: Matuschka, breaking the closet and creating a beautiful body out of damage; 3. The critical narrative and the grotesque body: Spence and her challenge to the medical and the male gaze. This research underscores the significance of life experiences represented in the artwork and suggests that the body politics in the autopathography works offer valuable insights for gender studies and medical sociology.
Keywords ｜
biographical work; autopathography; gender body politics; feminism; breast cancer patient photography; body impairment