摘要：It is commonly thought that breast cancer, li ke many other cancers, is an ill ness equivalent to a death sentence. T hough this may b e true in some cases, the majority of women diagnosed with breast cancer do survive this i llness. Breast cancer is a growing illness and is conti nuing to affect wome n worldw ide, in c lu din g de velop ing c ou n tr ies lik e S ou t h Af ric a. Fu r th er more, t h is c ou nt r y's medical syste m operate s in te rm s of a dualit y. Her e, hospitals and healt hcare ar e mainly situated in either state operated institutions or in privately run practices. This duality emphasizes the inequality within the so cio-economic classes, treatment regimens, and ethic-of-care. T hi s article deals with how women from the higher soc io-economic stratum of the deeply polarized South Africa deal with breast cancer. T he aim is to understand how eac h participant renegotiates and transforms her sel f-perception, her identity, and issues around femininity. In addition, the authors also seek to understand if this medical encounter influences the partic ipants' sense of embodiment, as wel l as how the medical encounter impacts on their everyday lifeworld.
关键词：Breast Cancer; South Afr ica; Private Hospitals; Identity; Femininity
