以物化理論看乳癌婦女切除乳房後的身體經驗

The Experience of Women After Breast Cancer Mastectomy: Objectification Theory Perspective

女性在當前被社會建構所謂標準身體的文化脈絡下，乳房隱含的意義少能擺脫社會價值的影響。女性的身體在無形中逐漸被視為客體般看待與評價，而此種對女性身體關注的模式也深深影響罹患乳癌的婦女。本文從「物化理論」的觀點分析乳癌婦女切除乳房與接受乳房重建手術的身體經驗，發現不僅醫療科技將女性的身體物化，由乳癌婦女的手術經驗也證實，乳癌婦女自己也同時物化其身體。乳癌婦女受主流社會文化對女性乳房觀點的影響，以致於罹病接受治療後，除了必須重新調整對自我的評價，也會擔心社會對自己的評價，因而增加女性面對乳癌疾病的困境。藉由本文的論述，除了協助醫療照護人員了解乳癌婦女接受乳房切除後身體被物化的現象，也針對乳癌婦女的照護議題進行反思，期能幫助醫護人員發展更符合乳癌婦女需求之照護服務。

The female breast is intimately tied to social values that define the ideal body standard for women. As such, women’s bodies are regarded as objects to be evaluated and judged. This paper analyzed the experience of women with breast cancer after mastectomy from the perspective of objectification theory. The authors found that not only medical technology but women themselves objectified the female body. The process of patient-physician communication also strengthened the objectification phenomenon for post-mastectomy women. We found that women with breast cancer worried about facing critical evaluation from the public after losing their breasts and needed to cope with the stress of losing a part of their physical self. Social and cultural antecedents that regard breasts as “objects” strongly influence the perspectives of women facing breast cancer. We hope this analysis may assist healthcare professionals to understand how women’s bodies are objectified after mastectomy and consider how to care for this population more appropriately.