This psychobiographical case study examines the life and lobotomy of Rosemary Kennedy through the lens of feminist psychology, with a focus on how systemic forces – particularly within the mid-20th-century American health-care system – shaped her trajectory. This paper aims to contextualize her story within the oppressive structures of her time, including patriarchal medical practices, ableist eugenic ideologies and gendered expectations around behavior and emotional expression. Rosemary’s prefrontal lobotomy, performed without her consent and concealed by her father, exemplifies how power imbalances within the family and medical establishment disproportionately harmed women with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Through feminist theory and intersectionality, this study explores how these sociocultural forces silenced Rosemary – literally and figuratively – and contributed to her lifelong institutionalization. Her story is further examined in relation to the broader sociomedical zeitgeist of postwar America, when psychiatric treatment options were limited and dominated by invasive, often unethical interventions.
The paper concludes by tracing the lasting policy and advocacy legacies sparked by Rosemary’s life.
By analyzing this history, the author reflects on the ongoing implications for medical ethics, gender justice and the treatment of individuals with disabilities today.
