Stockholm university
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Petra Roll BennetSenior lecturer

Research projects

Body and Relationships

Cosmetic surgery is a current phenomenon that can raise many questions about the body, identity and relationships where the decision to undergo a surgical breast augmentation can raise concerns about how it is received and what consequences may follow in relationships with family and friends.

Läkare mäter bröst på kvinna i behå.

Publications

A selection from Stockholm University publication database

  • Parts of Me-Relational Risks and Possible Outcomes When Sharing the Decision to Have a Breast Augmentation: A Study of a Swedish Online Forum

    2022. Petra Roll Bennet. Journal of contemporary ethnography 51 (3), 435-458

    Article

    A female body part that gains much attention is breasts, and globally, the image of women’s breasts is a “perfect breast.” In order to attain this “perfection,” and for personal reasons, women can decide to augment their breasts by surgery. Despite the cosmetic industry’s increasing popularity, sharing this decision with family and friends can be associated with doubts and worries. This study aims to identify anticipated outcomes when telling close persons about the surgery. Analysis of posts on a Swedish online forum suggests that anticipated reactions include hopes of being accepted and fears of being viewed differently. Aligning with Cooleys “looking-glass self,” it is argued that women see themselves through the imagined eyes of others, and judgment creates feelings of either pride or shame. Breast augmentation seems to be associated with double oppression: first, from surrounding ideals about the perfect breast, and second, from associated shame manifested in social relationships.

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  • A mother's work is never done

    2018. Petra Roll Bennet. Families, Relationships and Societies 7 (3), 399-413

    Article

    Migrant mothers' kin work is an important and growing research field. This article takes migrant women's experiences of bringing up their children as a departure point to describe the strategies utilised by mothers to care for their children. With findings drawn from eight interviews with migrant mothers in Sweden whose children are now teenagers, the analysis focuses on the mothers' supporting strategies in caring for their children in present and future lives. Identified supporting measures involving kin work included being attentive to their children's schooling, taking care of their families and giving their children time and intimacy. An additional theme concerning mothers' own 'life projects' and the 'sacrifice' of their own education and opportunities is discussed.

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  • Displaying parental responsibility for childhood obesity

    2015. Petra Roll Bennet, Helena Bergström. Families, Relationships and Societies 4 (1), 19-33

    Article

    Childhood obesity is a much-debated health issue in Sweden as well as worldwide. Considerable emphasis is given to the prevention of excessive weight gain and obesity in early childhood, for example by providing lifestyle advice to parents. Based on interviews with Swedish parents of obese children aged between eight and 12, in this article parent narratives of everyday practices in relation to children’s diet and exercise habits are analysed as acts of ‘displaying normality’. The results show that explanations as to why it is difficult to manage the child’s weight appear to be connected to avoiding the risk of the child receiving negative attention and issues relating to the child’s own responsibility. These findings are discussed in terms of ‘displaying family normality’.

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