Sociological analysis of menstruation as a specifics of women`s daily life

V magistrski nalogi raziskujemo menstruacijo kot specifiko vsakdanjega življenja žensk. Pripravljen je pregled teoretičnih smeri, ki obravnavajo odnos in razlike med spoloma ter pregled dojemanja menstruacije in ženskega telesa s strani družbe in posameznic od obdobja antike do danes. Delo se dotakne ekonomskega položaja žensk in njegovega vpliva na potrošnjo sanitetnih izdelkov, povezanih z menstruacijo. Namen empiričnega dela naloge je predstaviti stališča študentk do razlik med spoloma in menstruacije ter njenega vpliva na vsakdanje življenje. Raziskava s pripravo, izvedbo in analizo ankete je bila izvedena na vzorcu 408 študentk iz različnih visokošolskih ustanov. Za analizo podatkov smo uporabili analitično sintetični pristop ter deskriptivno statistiko. Analiza podatkov je pokazala, so študentke ozaveščene o obstoju fizioloških in psiholoških razlik med spoloma in da menstrualne stigme in tabuji vplivajo na informiranje o menstruaciji. Študentke se o njej najlažje in najkvalitetnejše pogovarjajo z ženskimi sorodnicami ali prijateljicami oziroma sovrstnicami. Dojemanje menstruacije med študentkami ni negativno, kažejo pa se njene negativne posledice na njihovo vsakdanje življenje, saj se več kot polovica respondentk (51,5 odstotka) zaradi menstruacije občasno izogiba nekaterim aktivnostim in 39 odstotkov jih ima občutek, da morajo menstruacijo skrivati. Menstruacijo najbolj povezujejo z odsotnostjo nosečnosti, bolečinami, zdravjem ter kot dokazovanje reprodukcijske sposobnosti, kar kaže, da je njeno dojemanje močno povezano z opravljanjem reprodukcijske vloge ženske.In this master`s thesis, we study menstruation as a specific of women`s daily life. We tackle sex/gender segregation and a view on menstruation and a female body from antiquity to today and from different aspects. In the thesis, the economic status of women and its effect on consumption of menstrual hygiene products is also presented. The purpose of the empirical part of this thesis is to present the female students` standpoints on sex/gender differences, the period, and its influence on everyday life. The survey was conducted on a sample of 408 female students from different universities. To analyse the data, we used the analytic-synthetic approach and descriptive statistics. The results show the existence of awareness about physical and physiological differences between sexes/genders and the impact of period stigma and taboo on their conversations about menstruation among students. The students experience the most quality conversations and prefer to talk about the period with female family members and friends/colleagues. They do not think of the period as something negative, although it has some negative impacts on their everyday lives. More than half of the respondents (51,5 percent) sometimes miss out on different activities because of the period, and 39 percent of them feel that they must hide it. Their perception of the period is strongly linked with the reproductive role of women since they most often think of it as proof of non-pregnancy, health, womanhood, and pain.