One size fails all : reconceptualizing eating disorders through an intersectional feminist lens

Abstract

This thesis employed an intersectional feminist lens to examine the multiple experiences of self-identified young women/non-binary individuals with eating disorders and the current discourse surrounding these disorders. Further, this research aimed to identify the symptoms and the social, political, and economic effects that individuals with eating disorders have experienced, and how these symptoms and effects have influenced social/personal life and institutional relations. The study provides both theoretical and methodological implications for understanding how eating disorders are a social justice issue. I argue that eating disorders are largely a symptom of dominant power systems that have been designed to control our bodies. I propose a more nuanced understanding of eating disorders rooted in lived experiences will provide the necessary space for creating ethical intervention. Further, I propose that, within therapeutic relationships, there needs to be a shift away from providing service and more emphasis on providing care.