Changing Women: An Analysis of Difference and Diversity in Women’s Accounts of their Experiences of Menopause

Abstract

The stage of menopause is often associated with a variety of physical and social changes which will impact upon women in a range of ways. The defining characteristic of menopause is obviously the cessation of menstruation and the subsequent loss of fertility and reproductive ability. This may be a time of particular significance for childfree women as well as those who are mothers. The hormonal changes occurring at this time have been linked with numerous other physical changes including hot flushes, mood swings and the development of a number of medical conditions (for example, osteoporosis, heart disease and Alzheimer’s). Again women will experience, understand and respond to these changes in a range of ways. In addition, the stage of midlife, during which menopause most usually occurs, may also coincide with transitions in family roles, at a time when relationships with ageing parents and older children are changing. Caring for teenage children, grandchildren or ageing parents may become responsibilities which women need to incorporate into their daily lives. All of these changes will have an impact upon women’s sense of self and identity. This chapter explores some of the identity transitions of menopause and midlife in greater detail. We present findings from a qualitative research project which explores the ways in which menopausal women themselves make sense of the changes that they experience.