Abstract
Theoretical, empirical, personal, and creative all accurately describe the Palgrave Handbook of Critical Menstruation Studies. The authors and editors are to be commended for their commitment to displaying the expansive nature of the field. In this volume, authors pave new paths of inquiry for menstrual studies across the lifespan while reminding the reader of the historical context of the field and acknowledging the complex entanglements of structural factors, cultural frameworks, and technological advancements in which the menstrual movement cannot overlook. Menstrual studies are not new—since 1977, and long before that informally, our feminist colleagues at the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research have been building a rich body of scientific and creative knowledge on the topic. This volume highlights diversity of scholarship in the field, as a movement of artists, activists, scholars, engineers, entrepreneurs, social workers, and more.
The 72 chapters are organized into six parts, with introductory text that situates the readings of each section. This is helpful given the deliberate choice of the editors to publish diverse forms of inquiry (i.e., narratives, research studies, opinion essays, etc.) and works from numerous fields (i.e., gender, water supply and sanitation, history, public health, etc.). The volume does not intend to standardize the presentation of knowledge but aims to allow diverse styles, voices, and approaches to be heard.
As menstrual studies is a field that includes a range of tools, with numerous stakeholders, so too does this handbook embrace multiple modes of inquiry. It highlights a range of empirical approaches, from longstanding and tested qualitative and quantitative methodologies to systematic reviews and theoretical essays. It invites lessons from practitioners and features the work of activists, whose courageous efforts remind us that menstruation is not just a personal experience but also a political one molded and shaped by the systems in which we live (Chapter 71). Artists and art scholars are included to discuss how menstruation and menstrual blood have been portrayed throughout history and challenge conventions about the menstruation cycle and blood as gendered. Finally, the inclusion of policy makers highlights the importance of wide-reaching structural change. The volume welcomes work by each critical stakeholder group, moving from the personal to the political, which is one of the handbook’s key strengths and reveals the cross-cutting nature of the field.
Readers would benefit from the inclusion of participatory approaches for researching menstruation. For example, community-based participatory research calls for approaches that involve a stronger integration of research and practice for increased community involvement (Israel et al., 1998). Participatory research, participatory action research, and participatory evaluation among others include participants throughout the research process and focus on putting findings into action (Baum et al., 2006; Macdonald, 2012). Unfortunately, these are largely missing from this handbook. Globally, many researchers have embraced community-partnered research—including zine-making, filmmaking, photography, mapping, and more—which are human and girl-centered. As author and editor Winkler states in the handbook, “We need more emphasis on the lived realities and experiences of all menstruators to inform policy-making, programming, innovation, and data collection to ensure that no menstruators are excluded” (p. 472). Embracing truly participatory approaches could help to address this gap.
Rarely does a volume span so many disciplines, contexts, countries, religions, and forms. The handbook is a celebration of, and a testament to, the creative, interdisciplinary, theoretically grounded approaches that are embraced in critical menstrual studies. It will be significant for readers interested in policy, art, fem tech, and beyond. The authors use the tools at their disposal to demonstrate via evidence and examples that this field is rich, developing, and continuously evolving.
