Feminist understandings of newcomer women's embodiment

Abstract

In recent years, numerous scholars have advocated for the concept of embodiment—defined as the experience of engaging one's body with the world (Allan, 2005; Piran & Teall, 2012)—as a valuable framework for understanding women's experiences of their bodies. However, there is a paucity of research on embodiment specifically among newcomer women (including immigrants, refugees, and non-permanent residents) who belong to racialized groups in Canada. This article presents findings from a feminist research study employing an Arts-Based Engagement Ethnography (ABEE) methodology to investigate the embodiment experiences of six racialized newcomer women in Canada. The study reveals several unique factors influencing embodiment in this demographic, suggesting that future research, clinical practice, and social justice efforts should consider these factors both conceptually and methodologically.

Keywords

• Embodiment
• Newcomer women
• Feminist research
• Arts-based engagement ethnography
• Reflexivity