Becoming a Woman: Subjective Experiences and Meanings of Female Identity in Adolescence

Introduction: Identity is a “paradoxical property”, both individual and collective. From a bio-psycho-social perspective, the individual psyche and the social environment intersect, giving form to the complexity of the self. Gender norms and stereotypical representations are deeply embedded in this process, especially during adolescence. Recent literature, emphasising the intrinsic mind-body interrelation, sheds light on the embodied nature of gender, a biosocial sediment that both shapes the body and takes form through it - as the body itself is a social entity. The interplay between intrapsychic and cultural dimensions in contemporary subjectivation remains significantly unexplored in psychodynamic research. The present study aims to begin bridging this gap. Methods: The study involved 20 interviews with 10 male cisgender adolescents and 10 female cisgender adolescents aged 16-19 years. The semi-structured interview consisted of three areas: (1) bodily experience; (2) internalisation of gender beliefs and ideals; (3) future self-image. Only female participants’ interviews were analysed, using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results: Transcripts were analysed applying the following research question: ‘What are the lived experiences and personal meanings associated with female identity?’. While preserving the uniqueness of each narrative, three primary common themes emerged: (1) the gaze of the other; (2) relationship with the ideal; (3) conscious and unconscious mechanisms of regulation and control. Several sub-themes were identified, including the body as an observed object, the unattainability of the ideal, sexuality, hyperconformity and defensive responses, dysfunctional eating behaviours. Discussion: It is not easy to outline the role of gender norms and representations in subjectivation, as well as the internalisation of related attitudes. By analysing the experiences of inhabiting one’s own (social) body, the results of the study aim to explore the boundaries of what it means to ‘become’ a woman, investigating meanings that, both in everyday life and in the therapy room, are often kept out of reflection, remaining ‘unformulated.’ The explosion of images occurring in contemporary times, challenging the feminine as traditionally understood, highlights the need to reflect on the encounter between subjectivation and cultural meanings. Finally, the study aims to make a comparison between female and male identity themes and subthemes.