The Dramaturgical Labour of Fat Embodiment

Richardson, DL ORCID: 0000-0002-4900-6943 (2026) The Dramaturgical Labour of Fat Embodiment. In: The 12th International Weight Stigma Conference, 13th Jun-14th Jun 2026, Oslo, Norway/Hybrid.

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Abstract

Research often treats stigma as isolated incidents rather than an ongoing social process. This study reframes fat stigma as ongoing labour: the continuous, effortful management of a morally stigmatised body across time and social context. Data were drawn from an eighteen-month longitudinal qualitative study with eight women living in fat bodies in the UK. Repeated interviews and asynchronous reflective correspondence enabled exploration of both public and private experiences. Analysis was informed by critical fat studies and Goffman’s dramaturgical theory, which conceptualises social life through the metaphor of performance. Within this framework, dramaturgical labour refers to the sustained work of managing how one is perceived when living in a socially stigmatised body. Three interrelated themes structured the analysis. First, fatness functioned as a visible stigma symbol that preceded participants into social space, Goffman’s “frontstage”, requiring ongoing impression management. Second, the “backstage,” or private sphere, offered limited respite; stigma was internalised, shaping relationships with food, embodiment, and self-worth. Third, stigma accumulated across the life course through formative relationships, repeated weight loss and regain, and conditional social acceptance.
The study argues that fat stigma operates as sustained, embodied identity work that is socially produced and emotionally exhausting.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Poster)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC1200 Sports Medicine
Divisions:	Sport and Exercise Sciences
Related URLs:	https://profiles.ljmu.ac.uk/4820-dr-lucinda-richardson
Date of acceptance:	17 June 2026
Date of first compliant Open Access:	29 July 2026
Date Deposited:	29 Jul 2026 12:35
Last Modified:	29 Jul 2026 12:35
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/28855

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