The thesis explores the matrilineal transmission of information and women's attitudes towards menstruation across generations within the family unit, to discover how these attitudes change over time. The central research questions focus on women's attitudes towards menstruation, the influence of public discourse on the formation of these attitudes, changes in public discourse over time, and the impact of these changes on the transmission of menstrual knowledge. The analysis also includes concepts such as self-objectification, self-control, menstrual shame and concealment. Furthermore, the thesis focuses on the menstrual communication taboo, which is analysed through the advertising of menstrual products, the different names given to menstruation and the ways in which the interviewed women talk about menstruation. Theoretically, the thesis draws on feminist theories, objectification theory and shame theory. The methodological approach includes interviews with representatives of three generations of women and autoethnographic recording. The interview findings show that despite changing attitudes towards menstruation across generations, the perpetuation of taboos still persists. Older generations often perceive menstruation as a taboo subject, while younger generations show more openness and less shame, although the pressure to conceal menstruation remains. The thesis calls for further efforts to destigmatise menstruation, which would contribute to a more supportive environment for the next generations, and encourage a more neutral attitude towards this bodily process.
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