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This thesis investigates how anorexia nervosa is constructed and deployed as a discursive social and psychological category, drawing critically on feminist psychoanalytic and Foucauldian theories of gender, subjectivity and discourse. The introduction provides a brief discussion of diagnostic criteria and the epidemiology of anorexia. It outlines the thesis as a whole, providing a brief explanation of the approach adopted in the thesis. Chapter 2 critically reviews recent research into anorexia nervosa. Chapter 3 sets out the theoretical framework of the thesis, discussing Foucauldian and psychoanalytic theory, particularly, feminist Lacanian theory. Chapter 4 provides a brief critique of empiricist methods in the social sciences and argues the need for a feminist post-structuralist approach to research. In the two empirical studies of this thesis I have adopted a discourse analytic methodology. Hence, Chapter 5 discusses the different forms of discourse analysis within psychology before setting out the specific form of discourse analysis and the methodology for the first study. Study One (chapters 6 and 7) examines the emergence of 'anorexia nervosa' as an object of medical discourse. It first provides an historical overview of Georgian and Victorian medicine and then presents a discourse-oriented history of the emergence of anorexia nervosa as a clinical disease entity. The study demonstrates firstly, an historical variability in discursive constructions of women's self-starvation and of anorexia nervosa and secondly, that these constructions interface with particular socio-historically specific constructions of femininity. The second study (chapters 8 to 12) is based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with women diagnosed as anorexic. Discourse analysis was used to analyze the interview transcripts to explore how anorexia, femininity, subjectivity and the body are discursively constituted. The analyses are discussed in relation to the theoretical framework of the thesis as well as previous psychological research into anorexia. The conclusion discusses the analyses of both studies, drawing out the implications of the research in terms of understanding anorexia nervosa, femininity, subjectivity and the body.

Background: Bulimia nervosa is defined as a clinically recognised disorder, the key diagnostic features of which are eating an 'abnormally' large amount of food within a short space of time and compensatory behaviours such as abusing laxatives, vomiting and excessive exercising. Research within the area of eating disorders has been mostly concerned with anorexia nervosa and studies have been primarily conducted with the female population. Predominant aims of this study were centred on understanding participants lived experiences of bulimia, drawing attention to the stigma associated with bulimia, exploring how this may impact on the process of seeking support, and highlighting the challenges found in the pathologizing of bulimia. Method: This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of seven female participants aged between 21-34 years old who identified with bulimia nervosa. The research utilised semi-structured interviews to facilitate participants to talk about their experiences and understandings of bingeing and purging processes, recovery from bulimia and the emotional impact of bulimia. The study also explored participants' relationships with food, body image and the role of bulimia specifically in relation to identity. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse to data. Findings: The findings of this study provides a rich source of material which details the participants' experiences and understandings of bulimia nervosa. Whilst participants' experiences varied, there were a number of commonalities evident throughout the analysis relating to the concept of control, the experience of feeling caught in a cycle, inner conflict and experiences of recovery. The analysis suggested that participants' experiences of bulimia introduced difficulties in emotion regulation, experiences of shame, and fears of being misunderstood. The concept of control was frequently highlighted throughout the analysis and was associated with experiences of feeling caught within a repeated cycle of bulimia. All participants spoke about the feeling of being caught in a cycle, emphasising the impact of secrecy in bulimia. Both fears of being misunderstood and secrecy in bulimia were seen as being partly a result of stigma and highlighted a need to move away from the pathologizing of bulimia. Bingeing and purging were both presented as behavioural attempts to cope with distress. The findings of this study contribute towards the existing literature in the area of eating disorders and to the field of Counselling Psychology by offering insights into how participants understand and experience bulimia nervosa. This understanding has the potential to inform practitioners when working therapeutically with clients experiencing eating disorders.