Markauskienė, Edita

The article aims at revealing experiences of women who had eating disorders from the feminist perspective (S. Beauvoir, S. R. Bordo, S. Orbach, N. Wolf, etc.). Eating disorders are described as a specific women’s experience disclosing characteristics of power relations, control, oppression and consumer society. The authors of the article present a qualitative narrative research employing a semi-structured interview. Research results reveal that considerations of the research participants reflect not only psychological, personality development but also social-cultural factors of eating disorders emphasised by feminist authors. Women’s narrations constructed by them during the process of “healing” highlight a critical attitude towards “femininity” and ideals, questioning and criticising social constructs and social processes taking place in the media and determined by consumerism and power over women. On the ground of the principles of feminist social work (Dominelli, 2002), supportive means for women having eating disorders are discussed.