The Effect of Commercialization, Militarization, and Stigmatization of the Breast Cancer Awareness Movement on Breast Cancer Patients Public
Beniwal, Pamela (Spring 2023)
Abstract
The purpose of the current study was to investigate the impact of symbols, vernacular, and discourse associated with and used regarding the Breast Cancer Awareness Movement as well as how these social devices impact breast cancer patients. An initial Likert Survey was used to assess general knowledge and criticism of the BCAM in N=161 female breast cancer patients. An additional ethnographic interview was conducted with eight of the survey respondents two weeks post-survey to further understand the involvement of the BCAM and to gain a deeper understanding of the patient experience with Breast Cancer Awareness, including its strength, pitfalls, and areas for improvement. The interviews were conducted on Zoom and MaxQDA was used to analyze the Zoom-generated audio transcripts for outstanding themes. According to the Likert survey, all respondents were aware of the BCAM, 89% indicated that it provided them a source of social support, and 86% indicated that they have purchased pink ribbon merchandise. 80% of respondents indicated that they believed “pink ribbon” themed merchandise is helpful and 79% of respondents indicated that they were at least partially critical of the Breast Cancer Awareness Movement. The results of the ethnographic interviews indicated that the women with breast cancer interviewed were critical of the use of the pink ribbon as a marketing tool for products that may contain carcinogens and products that have little to no palliative benefit. Patients diagnosed with more aggressive and difficult-to-treat cancers appear more critical of militant terminology used in BCA discourse. All patients interviewed were critical of the representation of breast cancer patients in advertisements and the BCA hyperfeminine narrative. These results indicate that there are several problem areas associated with the discourse and funding distribution of the BCAM, and that surveying the populations for which the movement advocates may illuminate solutions and improvements such that the needs of breast cancer patients are better addressed.
Table of Contents
1. Personal Statement and Motivations………………………………………………………1
2. Introduction
a. Rationale and Relevance…………………………………………………………..4
b. Background and Literature Review……………………………………………….5
c. Experimental Approach………………..………………………………...………17
3. Methods
a. Study Design…………………………………………………………..…………19
b. Quantitative Measures: 5 Point Likert Survey……………………….….……….19
c. Qualitative Measures: Interviews……………………………………….……….21
4. Results
a. Quantitative Data Analysis (Figures 1-14)………………………………………24
b. Qualitative Data Analysis (Table 1)……………………………………………..33
5. Discussion
a. The Commercialization of the Pink Ribbon and Capitalist Influence on the BCAM…………………………………………..………………………….…….52
b. The Militarization of Terminology Used in Breast Cancer Discussions and Discourse…………………………………………………………………………55
c. Stigmatization due to the Breast Cancer Awareness Movement…….…………..57 d. Solutions……………………………………………..……………..……………59
e. Study Limitations………………….…………………………………………..…62
6. Concluding Remarks……….…………………...……………………………………..…65
7. Works Cited………………………………….…………………………………………..67
8. Appendix………………………………………….…………………………………...…70
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