An Intersectional Case Study Analysis of Malaysian Indian Women with Endometriosis: Coping with Discrimination

The onset of menarche is associated with physical maturity and the ability to marry and reproduce. However, a culture of silence surrounds menarche in the Indian community. It is a common belief among the Indian community that menstruation is associated with taboos and restrictions on work, sex, food, and bathing, and these taboos are associated closely with discrimination women face in their own gender and ethnic group. Using qualitative interviews and drawing on case studies of three urban Indian women who were patients of endometriosis, our study uses an intersectional framework to explore the experiences of Malaysian Indian women who cope with endometriosis. These Malaysian Indian women were influenced by an interplay of gender, racial and religious taboos. Their relationships with friends and family members were characterised by a deep sense of silence and isolation. Finally, we highlight an important intervention, which is the use of social media to connect with women facing a similar condition and to disseminate information on the condition, thereby lessening women’s sense of shame and isolation. Access this chapter Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout Purchases are for personal use only Similar content being viewed by others Notes - 1. It is worth noting that the researchers are members of the association and hence would be classified as emic researchers. Emic researchers have a unique perspective on patients’ experiences and are the greatest judges of the study and analysis (Morey & Luthans, 1984). Even if a direct correlation exists, emic viewpoints do not always mean that the researcher is familiar with the cultures of the patients. Researchers for this study also followed the rules and regulations of the association in order to maintain responsibility for the patients in the case study.

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Case study research: Design and methods (3rd ed.). Sage Publications. Author information Authors and Affiliations Corresponding author Editor information Editors and Affiliations Rights and permissions Copyright information © 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. About this chapter Cite this chapter Wilson, S., Mogan, S., Kaur, K. (2022). An Intersectional Case Study Analysis of Malaysian Indian Women with Endometriosis: Coping with Discrimination. In: Karupiah, P., Fernandez, J.L. (eds) A Kaleidoscope of Malaysian Indian Women’s Lived Experiences. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5876-2_8 Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5876-2_8 Published: Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore Print ISBN: 978-981-19-5875-5 Online ISBN: 978-981-19-5876-2 eBook Packages: Literature, Cultural and Media StudiesLiterature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)