Institutional Control, Biopower, and Symbolic Stigma: Applying the Sociology of Deviance to Breastfeeding Refusal and Cessation in Spain

Abstract

Discourses on breastfeeding extend beyond simple scientific evidence, framed within a dialogue between diverse sociocultural perspectives throughout history. Building on this premise, this article aims to explore, from the perspective of the sociology of deviance, the maternal experiences of women who choose not to breastfeed or cease breastfeeding within the hospital setting. To this end, this qualitative and phenomenological study was conducted, using semi-structured interviews with mothers in the municipality of Lorca who had decided not to breastfeed or had discontinued breastfeeding as a data collection tool. The results indicate that breastfeeding is influenced by the repercussions of delivery room routines and a challenging learning process where complications often arise, contradicting the prevailing innatist discourse of maternal instinct. Within this framework, mothers feel pressured by professionals to breastfeed, and their identities are undermined by symbolic stigma when they express their decision not to breastfeed. We conclude that it is essential to propose clinical approaches and support models that genuinely consider the sociocultural, historical, and experiential factors influencing breastfeeding, moving beyond an exclusive focus on its biological or nutritional aspects.