{"id":809,"date":"2019-10-02T08:00:26","date_gmt":"2019-10-02T13:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/?p=809"},"modified":"2019-10-01T13:21:41","modified_gmt":"2019-10-01T18:21:41","slug":"the-politics-of-pink","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/2019\/10\/02\/the-politics-of-pink\/","title":{"rendered":"The Politics of Pink"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Ben<\/a>
Ben Ostrowsky\/\/Flickr CC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Originally posted October 13, 2015.<\/em><\/p>\n

October brings cozy sweaters, Pumpkin Spice Lattes, and <\/span>lots of pink<\/span><\/a> for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It\u2019s a worthy campaign: approximately 1 in 8 women will receive a breast cancer diagnosis in her lifetime. But how has breast cancer gained such visibility when others—even other forms of cancer—plague the population at even higher numbers?<\/span><\/p>\n

Breast cancer awareness campaigns have branded breast cancer through pink ribbons and other merchandise, making the disease not only highly visible, but also a commodity. The signature pink color connects breast cancer to traditional ideas of femininity, beauty, and morality, and allows family and friends to show support. \u00a0Color aside, merchandise and freebies like cosmetics and small home appliances reinforce breast cancer\u2019s symbolic ties to beautiful, domestic, heterosexual women as the primary sufferers. This is breast cancer\u2019s \u201cdisease regime,\u201d a system of institutional practices and styles of speech that shapes how patients experience it (Klawiter 2004, 851). \u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n