The Ideal Woman: How Ancient Medical Beliefs Have Influenced Modern American Women's Health and Place in Society

Authors

Evelyn Polovich, Binghamton University--SUNY

Publication Date

2024

Document Type

Book

Description

Scholars often consider Ancient Greek and Roman gynecology the basis of the modern medical field. However, there are other ways that this field has bled into facets of the modern woman’s life in often toxic ways. This research used feminist theories and the idea of male domination to look at the ways in which ancient thoughts on gynecology have influenced modern American society. By looking at ancient medical texts and more modern analysis of women’s medicine and place in ancient society, a clearer path to modern thought can be seen. This research can then introduce some parallels that we see in women’s expected looks, domesticity, lack of bodily autonomy, and sexual repression. By drawing these comparisons and showing connections this research can show that there are still parts of society relying on outdated ideas and barriers that have created the idea of the “ideal woman.”

Files

Recommended Citation

Polovich, Evelyn, "The Ideal Woman: How Ancient Medical Beliefs Have Influenced Modern American Women's Health and Place in Society" (2024). Research Days Posters 2024. 139.
https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/139