Browsing by Author "Laurila, Aino"

Objectives The goal of the research was to examine what role the fat body plays in the working life stories of fat women. Previous studies have shown that the position of fat women in the labour market is weaker than normal-weight or slender women. The healthy, fit, and athletic body has recently become an increasingly important part of success in working life. Fat bodies carry extra weight in working life because the fat body is perceived as morally lower. In addition, a fat body is thought to represent a testimony to a person’s mental abilities. I decided to study fat women’s work-life because several studies have found that women are more vulnerable in work-life than fat men. Methods The research material was collected by interviewing six women. The interviews were carried out as semi-structured theme interviews. The material was analysed by using methods of thematic narrative analysis. Results and conclusions Three typologies were formed based on what role the fat body plays in the working life stories of fat women. In the first typology own fat body was seen as opposite to a person's professional skills. Being fat was a harmful person's career and she had encountered appearance discrimination during job interviews. The second typology was about how accepting your own fat body in part of your professionalism took a lot of identity work. In the third typology fat body was part of professional self-image.