3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions

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The role of the breast and the uterus in a woman's feminine self-concept: a cross-cultural investigation
(2015-07-02) Kuny, Hillary
The present study Investigated the role of the breast and the uterus in the feminine self-concept of black and white South African women. It was hypothesised that the loss of the breast would be more traumatic for the white woman than for the black woman. This rested on the belief that the role of the female breast as an erotic stimulus for the male and an assurance of femininity for the female appears to be more pronounced in Western society than in African societies. In addition, it was suggested that the loss of the uterus would be more traumatic for the black woman than for the white woman as the meaning of the uterus appears to go beyond that of a childbearing organ, in so far as it is linked wo the issue of sexual desirability* Two groups of black women undergoing mastectomy and hysterectomy and two groups of white women undergoing similar operations were assessed pre- and postoperatively. Women completed the Berscheid, Walster and Bohrnstedt Body Image Scale (1972) which elicited data on body image, self-concept and satisfaction with intimate relationships. The observed data were analysed using analyses of convariance. No significant differences between the black and white