July 26, 2021 EXPO 2021 Poster

Homeless Menstruation: A Construction of Embodied Experiences and a Breakdown of Psychosocial Issues

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”3.22.6″][et_pb_fullwidth_post_title author=”off” comments=”off” featured_image=”off” _builder_version=”3.23.3″ title_font=”Standard||||||||” title_text_color=”#ffffff” title_font_size=”61px” title_line_height=”1.3em” meta_font=”Standard2||||||||” meta_text_color=”#ffffff” background_color=”#000000″ custom_padding=”||60px” title_font_size_tablet=”39px” title_font_size_phone=”28px” title_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone”][/et_pb_fullwidth_post_title][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.23.3″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.23.3″ max_width=”1221px”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”3.23.3″][et_pb_image src=”https://thenurj.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/MeghnaGaddam_photo-Meghna-Gaddam.png” align_tablet=”center” align_last_edited=”on|phone” module_id=”circle-image” _builder_version=”3.23.3″ width=”40%” width_tablet=”26%” width_last_edited=”on|desktop”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.23.3″ text_font=”Standard2||||||||” text_font_size=”27px” min_height=”40px” custom_padding=”18px||”]Meghna Gaddam[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.23.3″ inline_fonts=”Times New Roman”]

Adviser: Dr. Rebecca Seligman
Subject: Social Sciences
DOI: 10.21985/n2-jdng-ze55

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Meghna is a senior who graduated with a minor in Global Health and major in Cultural Anthropology. She has experience with clinical research related to cardiology and has spent her final year as an undergrad working on menstrual equity research and advocacy. She founded and lead Menstrual Equity Activists at Northwestern and was inspired through her advocacy work to address the gap in research surrounding homeless menstruators. Meghna hopes that her senior thesis on Homeless Menstruation: A Construction Of Embodied Experiences And a Breakdown Of Amplified Psychosocial And Structural Issues, will educate people on this overlooked population and help low-income menstruators who endure much stigma and burdens, especially during COVID. Furthermore, Meghna is passionate about gender equity overall and outside of menstrual equity, she has also worked with the Women’s Center, Girl Up, ASG, and developed Equity and Awareness workshops to fight for gender equity at Northwestern during her time as an undergrad.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”3.23.3″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.23.3″ text_font=”Standard2|600|||||||” text_font_size=”25px”]Abstract[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.23.3″ text_font=”Times New Roman||||||||” text_font_size=”19px” text_line_height=”1.5em”]Homelessness and menstruation are constructs and processes that are plagued with stigma. For decades, academics have researched menstruation and homelessness as separately stigmatized experiences. However, in the process, scholars have overlooked the converging and intersectional nature of the stigma surrounding homeless menstruation.
Through library research and records, this paper analyzes in what ways menstrual stigma and homeless stigma have come about, coincide, and are reinforced to exacerbate detrimental psychosocial and structural issues faced by homeless menstruators. The result was the identification of three converging theoretical frameworks that encompass psychosocial and structural issues: phenomenology and embodiment, objectification, and capitalistic and political structures and reinforcement. By comparing, contrasting, and analyzing these overlapping stigmas, this paper will paint a basic picture of the experience and causes of homeless menstruation.
Stigma, at its root, is a construct that sets people apart from the status quo and brands people as disgusting (Goffman, 1990). Therefore, an understanding of the social degradation endured due to the amplified stigma surrounding this vulnerable group would allow communities to start taking the needed steps to alleviate the social alienation of homeless menstruators. In other words, the amplified stigma experienced by homeless menstruators drives their day-to-day life and societal placement; therefore, comprehension of this converging stigma is crucial for enacting systemic social change that improves the lives of homeless menstruators.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.23.3″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.23.3″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.23.3″][et_pb_code _builder_version=”3.23.3″][/et_pb_code][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.23.3″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.23.3″][et_pb_code _builder_version=”3.23.3″][/et_pb_code][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]