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"In The Hyper(in)visible Fat Woman, Jeannine A. Gailey argues that women of size in North America occupy a paradoxical social position: as "fat" women they receive exceptional (critical) attention, while simultaneously their subjectivity--in terms of their own needs, desires, and lives--is erased. In this way their experience veers painfully between the hypervisible and the hyperinvisible. Gailey seeks to explore this apparent paradox through a multidimensional analysis of in-depth interviews with 74 women of size, focusing on subjects such as dieting, health, sex and dating, and identity with the women's experiences and voices at the forefront. In doing so Gailey highlights the ways some women are able to successfully subvert the dominant discourse. Theresulting book fills a significant gap in the literature by emphasizing women's own experiences, and by developing a much-needed conceptual framework for analyzing marginalized bodies"--
List of contents
1. Hyper(in)Visibility and the Paradox of Fat 2. Fighting the Fat Self 3. Fixing the Fat Body 4. Fit and Fat 5. Ample Sex 6. Embracing Fat Pride 7. Shifting the Focus
Report
"The Hyper(in)visible Fat Woman is thought-provoking, well-written book and interesting read. ... This book would make an excellent addition to the library of anyone engaged in fat studies work or feminist or sociological research, particularly projects addressing stigma, deviance, or inequality. The book may also be used for courses focusing on fat studies, the sociology of health and wellness, social problems, or stigma." (Laura Jennings, Fat Studies, Vol. 5 (1), January, 2016)
"This book offers an important and timely intervention into the so-called obesity epidemic. In dialogue with the new fat studies scholarship yet firmly grounded in sociology, Gailey's analysis does something few other accounts do: give voice to the women who are more often talked about and around than enabled to speak for themselves. As much about the politics ofvisibility as it is about bodies and health, The Hyper(in)visible Fat Woman charts the psychological and social wreckage of fat phobia and discrimination. It is a poignant, compelling read, sure to be of wide interest." Monica J. Casper, Head of Gender and Women's Studies, University of Arizona, USA
