Date of Award
5-2024
Document Type
Open Access Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Social Work (MSW)
Department
Social Work
First Advisor
Rachel Casey, PhD, MSW
Second Advisor
Natalie Gentles-Gibbs, PhD, MSW
Third Advisor
Donna Wampole, DSW, LCSW
Keywords
Social Work, Diet Culture, Communities, LGBTQIA+ Women
Abstract
Diet culture is a pervasive aspect of the sociocultural environment characterized by contradictory messages about food and health, and a moral imperative to attain thinness (Jovanovski & Jaeger, 2022). Hallmarks of diet culture include body dissatisfaction, lowered self-esteem, and adverse mental and physical health outcomes (Calogero et al., 2018; Kinavey & Cool, 2019; Puhl et al., 2021). While research suggests that LGBTQIA+ community involvement may play a role in safeguarding positive body image (Dahlenburg et al., 2021; Hanley & McLaren, 2015), studies on body dissatisfaction among queer women have yielded mixed, often contradictory results. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe how queer women encounter diet culture messaging within LGBTQIA+ communities. It aimed to investigate how individuals within this group internalize or resist these messages by asking, how do queer women encounter and experience diet culture when interacting with the queer community? A phenomenological, qualitative study was conducted with 10 women from the LGBTQIA+ community. Results suggest that LGBTQIA+ women’s communities are somewhatinsulated from diet culture messaging, compared to mainstream society.
Recommended Citation
Rush, Cait MSW, "A STUDY OF DIET CULTURE IN LGBTQIA+ WOMEN’S COMMUNITIES" (2024). All Student Scholarship. 443.
https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/etd/443
