Women's troubles: The impact of gendered assumptions in women's experiences of diagnosis and stigma.

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Study objective: To explore the extent to which the gendered framework in which diagnostic categories are operationalised influences the nature of lived experience in conditions that contravene normative femininity. Methods: Working within the theoretical overlap of social constructionist and critical realist thought, this research will further develop understandings of how diagnostic categories are interpreted in gendered contexts, in ways that may influence lived experiences of illness. Two under-researched groups - women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and women with high-functioning autism (ASC) - are case studies of intrinsic interest, and form the basis of an in-depth sociological analysis of chronic illness as a gendered experience. A discourse analysis of medical and cultural representations of PCOS and ASC (in the MA dissertation) supports the doctoral level exploration of women's experiences, in particular, experiences of diagnosis and stigma. A mixed-methods approach (quantitative surveys and qualitative photo-diary interviews) will enable the selection of a diverse sample and will accommodate anticipated diversity in communication preferences. Alongside statistical analysis, a genealogical approach to qualitative data analysis will draw on Foucault and Goffman to offer insight into how interpersonal exchanges and institutional power shape women's experiences of diagnosis and stigma. Contribution: Analysing two conditions which could be considered to contravene normative femininity, this research will generate knowledge that contributes to long-standing debates about healthcare experiences as a gendered phenomenon. It will extend sociological knowledge relating to possible healthcare inequalities among women with PCOS and ASC, and add to our understanding at the intersection between gender, health and identity.