Managing the Menstrual Communication Taboo in Lithuania: Past and Present

The paper is based on anonymous questionnaire surveys and interviews of women. One sample involved 423 young women (mean age: 21.04) surveyed by means of an anonymous questionnaire in 2016–2018. The survey produced a collection of 896 words and phrases used to denote menstruation. These lexical find...

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Main Authors: Monika Balikienė, Jurgita Dečiunienė, Vytautas Navickas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: ELM Scholarly Press 2022-12-01
Series:Yearbook of Balkan and Baltic Studies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.folklore.ee/balkan_baltic_yearbook/YBBS/article/view/146/184
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author Monika Balikienė
Jurgita Dečiunienė
Vytautas Navickas
author_facet Monika Balikienė
Jurgita Dečiunienė
Vytautas Navickas
author_sort Monika Balikienė
collection DOAJ
description The paper is based on anonymous questionnaire surveys and interviews of women. One sample involved 423 young women (mean age: 21.04) surveyed by means of an anonymous questionnaire in 2016–2018. The survey produced a collection of 896 words and phrases used to denote menstruation. These lexical finds may be regarded as euphemisms/dysphemisms for taboo words representing an integral part of a secret language shared by women. Another sample involved 208 significantly older women (mean age: 73.66) interviewed individually in 2005–2012. The interviewing produced 117 lexical substituted for menstruation. This research is a part of a wider inquiry into the ways in which everyday practice, experience and knowledge affect the social and cultural constructions of menstruation. Seeking to record the widest possible range of popular knowledge and discourse about menstruation, including menstrual beliefs and practices, we shall try to interpret these data, focusing on how everyday experience, everyday knowledge, and encrypted language can shape behaviour, experience, and attitudes of contemporary people.
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spelling doaj.art-109a3d566dc546ec86c2a6b5172d1be32024-02-21T13:17:53ZengELM Scholarly PressYearbook of Balkan and Baltic Studies2613-78442613-78522022-12-01513615910.7592/YBBS5.06Managing the Menstrual Communication Taboo in Lithuania: Past and PresentMonika Balikienė0Jurgita Dečiunienė1Vytautas Navickas2Vilnius Institute for Advanced Studies (VILIAS), LithuaniaVilnius Crisis Prevention Center, LithuaniaVilnius Institute for Advanced Studies (VILIAS), LithuaniaThe paper is based on anonymous questionnaire surveys and interviews of women. One sample involved 423 young women (mean age: 21.04) surveyed by means of an anonymous questionnaire in 2016–2018. The survey produced a collection of 896 words and phrases used to denote menstruation. These lexical finds may be regarded as euphemisms/dysphemisms for taboo words representing an integral part of a secret language shared by women. Another sample involved 208 significantly older women (mean age: 73.66) interviewed individually in 2005–2012. The interviewing produced 117 lexical substituted for menstruation. This research is a part of a wider inquiry into the ways in which everyday practice, experience and knowledge affect the social and cultural constructions of menstruation. Seeking to record the widest possible range of popular knowledge and discourse about menstruation, including menstrual beliefs and practices, we shall try to interpret these data, focusing on how everyday experience, everyday knowledge, and encrypted language can shape behaviour, experience, and attitudes of contemporary people.https://www.folklore.ee/balkan_baltic_yearbook/YBBS/article/view/146/184lithuaniamenstrual communication taboosmenstrual euphemismsmenstrual taboosmenstruation
spellingShingle Monika Balikienė
Jurgita Dečiunienė
Vytautas Navickas
Managing the Menstrual Communication Taboo in Lithuania: Past and Present
Yearbook of Balkan and Baltic Studies
lithuania
menstrual communication taboos
menstrual euphemisms
menstrual taboos
menstruation
title Managing the Menstrual Communication Taboo in Lithuania: Past and Present
title_full Managing the Menstrual Communication Taboo in Lithuania: Past and Present
title_fullStr Managing the Menstrual Communication Taboo in Lithuania: Past and Present
title_full_unstemmed Managing the Menstrual Communication Taboo in Lithuania: Past and Present
title_short Managing the Menstrual Communication Taboo in Lithuania: Past and Present
title_sort managing the menstrual communication taboo in lithuania past and present
topic lithuania
menstrual communication taboos
menstrual euphemisms
menstrual taboos
menstruation
url https://www.folklore.ee/balkan_baltic_yearbook/YBBS/article/view/146/184
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AT jurgitadeciuniene managingthemenstrualcommunicationtabooinlithuaniapastandpresent
AT vytautasnavickas managingthemenstrualcommunicationtabooinlithuaniapastandpresent