View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by University of Birmingham Research Archive, E-theses Repository WATCHING OUR WEIGHT: AN EXPLORATION INTO THE POLITICS OF THE BODY USING INTERSECTIONS BETWEEN POST-STRUCTURALIST FEMINISM AND FOUCAULT’S DISCIPLINE AND PUNISH by AMELIA MORRIS A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Political Science and International Studies School of Government and Society College of Social Sciences University of Birmingham University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT In feminist theory, there is no greater site of contestation than that of the body. This thesis explores how, often, debates on the body become centred upon a dichotomy between oppression and liberation. There is a vast diversity of scholarship that challenges this binary ranging from post- colonial, post-structuralist and Marxist feminist work, nevertheless, the dichotomy is still in action. This thesis focuses in on this dichotomy through the lens of dieting, to argue that the ‘feminine’ body is not simply a site of oppression or liberation. Rather, I draw upon the meeting points between Foucault’s (1977) Discipline and Punish and post-structuralist feminist scholarship to suggest that power works ‘through’ the everyday language and actions used to construct dieting and fatness. Using Weight Watchers and Slimming World as case studies, I note how processes of self- surveillance discipline dieters bodies through the act of confession and the structuring of one’s time around weight-loss. The underlying aim of the thesis demonstrates the complexities that surround women’s relationship to the body; it is simplistic to suggest that dieting is a product of ‘oppression’ or a tool for ‘empowerment.’ In challenging this dichotomy, the thesis extends criticism of some post-structuralist feminist scholarship, which can occasionally ‘fall back’ into binary discussions of the body. Additionally, the thesis cements itself within the wealth of black feminist scholarship; by exploring the discourses surrounding Oprah Winfrey’s dieting ‘journey’, the thesis addresses the gaps on race and gender within Discipline and Punish. !2 This thesis is dedicated to the memory of Geoffrey Morris. Thank you for your love and support. !3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the Economic Social Research Council (ESRC) for believing in and sponsoring this project. A few years ago, I did not think that I would be capable of completing a PhD. Indeed, at points throughout this journey, I have felt certain that I would not. It is due to the fantastic support of a wide-range of people that I was able to cross the finish-line (somewhat) intact. To my supervisor, Dr. Nicola Smith. Thank you for your constant encouragement, the copious amounts of coffee and your ability to make me feel excited about my work. I feel very lucky to have worked with someone as enthusiastic, passionate and considerate as you. To my second supervisor, Dr. Megan Daigle. Thank you for coming onto this project at late notice and being incredibly supportive and approachable, as well as providing me with the opportunity to read your inspiring scholarship. To my long-suffering family: Anne, Neil, Odette and Louis Morris. Thank you for 25 years of financial and emotional support, for always believing in me and for reminding me that there is more to life than studying and worrying. To my Grandmother and Grandfather, John and Iris Hinton. As you would say, my “swotting” (hopefully) paid off. Thank you for being such a caring and humorous presence in my life, I like to think that your eccentric nature lives on within the pages of this thesis. To my Worcester friends: Jess, Rhianne, Sam, Cat, Rosie, Em, Leah, Louise, Jo, Paul and Jack. Thank you for the many years of wonderful friendship, laughter, support and rigidly organized fun. You have helped me in so many ways. To my friends and colleagues, Shardia and Frankie. Thank you for the endless support, for always making me laugh and for unknowingly changing much of my politics for the better. I feel honored to have spent this journey with such extraordinary women who I now hope will be friends for life. Thank you to Katie for the hot yoga, laughter and being my feminist hero. Thank you to Emma for the great chats, support and shame-spiral-sharing. To Emma, Emily and Beth. Thanks for the Sunday lunches that always made me leave with a smile. To the 10th floor gang: Kate, Melany, Darcy, Sam, Ken, Cherry and Tom. Thanks so much for the constant coffee and the community spirit. Thank you to some of the amazing teachers at Christopher Whitehead Language College who put up with my incredibly annoying behaviour in school and pushed me towards achieving good grades despite my precocious behaviour: Mrs Melville, Miss Palmer, Mrs Woods and Mr Wickham, thank !4 you so much for putting me on the right track and for teaching me that hard work pays off. Again, sorry for being so annoying. To my pets: Charlie, Bailey, Jake, Lola and Oscar. Thank you for always being pleased to see me. To David: for everything ♡ !5 CONTENT LIST 1. Introduction: The Body, Power and Dieting 1.1 Context: Feminist Debates on the Body 1.2 Introducing the Methodology 1.3 ‘I’m Not Your Data’: Doing Feminist Ethics 1.4 Who Do You Think You Are? Positionality of the Researcher 1.5 The Body is…? Findings of the Thesis 1.6 Follow the Breadcrumbs: Thesis Structure 2. The Dichotomy of Power: Feminist Debates on the Body 2.1 Introducing the Debates 2.2 A Man’s World: Oppression of the Body 2.3 Madonna’s World: Liberating the Body 2.4 A World of Constructs: Post-Structuralist Feminism and Foucault 2.5 The Body is Power: Conclusion 3. Body Discourse: A Post-Structuralist Feminist/Foucauldian Methodology 3.1 Introducing the Methodology 3.2 Exploring the Discourses of Dieting: Intersections between Post-Structuralist Feminism and Foucauldian Methodologies 3.3 Who and Why? The Choice of Case Studies 3.4 The Nuts and Bolts: Justifying Foucauldian Interviews 3.5 ‘It’s More than Reading’: Doing a Post-Structuralist Discourse Analysis 3.6 ‘Writing With a Face’: Justifying Feminist Positionality and Post-Structuralism 3.7 ‘I’m Not Your Data’: The Importance of Feminist Ethics 3.8 ‘The Devil’s in the Discourses’: Conclusion 4. The Dichotomy of Power in Dieting 4.1 Introducing the Dichotomy in Dieting 4.2 Oppression: Dieting as Violence upon the Body 4.3 Liberation: Dieting as an Empowering Choice 4.4 No (wo)Man’s Land: The In-between Nature of Panoptic Power in Dieting 4.5 ‘Here I Am, Stuck in The Middle With You!’ Conclusion 5. The ‘O’ Factor: Foucault, Race and Oprah’s Body Journey 5.1 Introducing Oprah 5.2 The Mammy and the Jezebel : Situating Oprah’s Weight-Loss Within Historical Representations of the Black Woman’s Body 5.2 Controlling Oprah: Racialized Beauty Standards in Dieting 5.3 Oprah as the Modern-Day Mammy? Neoliberalism and Soul Food 5.4 The Discourses of Oprah’s Body: What Can We Learn About Dieting and Power? 6. Fat Activism and Body Positivity: The Oppression and Liberation of the Fat Body 6.1 Introducing the Fat Body 6.2 The Oppressed Fat Body: Fat Bodies Under Patriarchy !6 6.2 The Liberated Fat Body: Self-love and Empowerment 6.3 Deconstructing Fatness: Post-structuralist Analysis of Fatness 6.4 The Fat Body is…? 7. The Body, Power and Dieting: Beyond the Binary 7.1 Introducing the Conclusion 7.2 An In-Between Body: Contributions of a Post-structuralist Feminist Discussion of Power 7.3 Picture Imperfect: Room for Improvement and Further Research 7.4 Watching our Weight? Reflecting on the Thesis Bibliography Appendix 1: Interview questions for members of Slimming World and Weight Watchers Appendix 2: Interview questions for members of the fat movement Appendix 3: Participant Information Sheet !7 Chapter 1 Introduction: The Body, Power and Dieting Ross: if things go well, I might be out with her all night. Chandler: dude, don’t do that to me! Monica enters. Ross: it’s OK, you can stay here with my parents. Chandler: no, it’s not that, I just don’t want to be stuck here with your fat sister. In this scene on the US sitcom Friends, the ‘fat sister’ to whom the men are referring, is a character called Monica Geller, a beautiful perfectionist with ‘OCD’ traits. However, throughout flashback scenes, the audience is repeatedly informed that “svelte and athletic” Monica was once fat (Richardson, 2016, p.83). Played by Courteney Cox in a fat-suit, the purpose of ‘Fat Monica’ (as she became known) was twofold. Firstly, she was there to be the punchline of a running joke, with quips about her weight being a constant across all ten series of the show (Harris-Moore, 2016, p. 93). Secondly, ‘Fat Monica’ provided substance to the character of Monica: haunted by her experiences as a fat child and young woman, Monica develops her trademark control-freak tendencies.