A Philosophical Feminist approach to breast Cancer

Abstract

Breast cancer is a major public health issue and it can impact individual’s lives in different dimensions. Although women are the ones most affected by this illness, there are other minority groups, such as men and transgender people, that are also affected and frequently ignored in healthcare approaches. People affected by breast cancer can face societal oppressions that puts them into a vulnerable situation where they need to deal with the suffering involved in have a serious illness and the societal expectations of the body. This situation can negatively influence an individual’s sense of identity and views of the body. As a result, it becomes necessary to dismantle the monolithic constructions on this collective, since these groups not only carry their gender identity but also the identities forged by social and cultural experiences. Thus, this article is a philosophical reflection to critically examine conceptual understandings of the body for individuals affected by breast cancer, to understand the influence of social interactions in this process based on the feminist philosophy, and to explore how nurses and healthcare professionals can help tackling this issue. Feminist thinking has become a crucial component of both political and sanitary philosophy and theory, and it is promoting a real "refoundation" of the political, philosophical, and theoretical dimensions. Therefore, it is important to healthcare professionals to use a philosophical feminist approach to breast cancer to help empowering these individuals and disassemble the constructions on this collective.

Keywords

• Philosophy
• Feminism
• Breast Neoplasms
• Nursing
• Gender and Health