The Thin Woman: Feminism, Post-Structuralism and the Social Psychology of Anorexia Nervosa

The First Edition of The Thin Woman, first published in 1998, provides an in-depth discussion of anorexia nervosa from a critical feminist social psychological standpoint.

In the original text, the author argues that the notion of ’anorexia’ as a medical condition limits our understanding of anorexia and the extent to which we can explore it as a socially and discursively produced problem. The book now has a new introduction that discusses some of the major cultural and academic developments that have occurred since its first publication. In considering our changing cultural landscapes, the introduction goes on to discuss the so-called ’obesity crisis’; the emergence of post-feminism; the massive global expansion of digital and social media and, most recently, the Covid-19 pandemic. Turning to academic developments, it focuses on the increasing recognition of intersectional feminism and reflects on how intersectional perspectives are now beginning to shape critical feminist research and theory in this field. The new introduction also highlights the significant growth in the last 25 years of critical feminist research on eating disorders, which has brought with it a greater awareness of intersectional theory and a more inclusive agenda; an expansion of research foci; a diversification of methodologies and the emergence of more egalitarian models of research in which those with lived experience of eating disorders are becoming valued research team members who help to shape research aims, designs and processes.

Based on original research using historical and contemporary literature on anorexia nervosa and a series of interviews with women who identified as ’anorexic’, this book offers critical insights into this problem. It is an invaluable read for anyone interested in eating disorders and gender, developments in feminist post-structuralist theory and discourse analytic research in psychology.

Helen Malson is an Associate Professor in Social Psychology and a supervisor and tutor on the Graduate Diploma in Psychology Advanced program at Monash University, Australia. She is a former Consulting Editor of Feminism & Psychology, a Past Chair of the Psychology of Women and Equalities Section of the British Psychological Society and, until 2022 when she moved from the UK to Western Australia, a Co-Director of the Bristol Eating Disorders Health Integration Team.