QUT ePrints

My place through my eyes: A social constructionist approach to researching the relationships between socioeconomic living contexts and physical activity

Carroll, Julie-Anne and Adkins, Barbara A. and Parker, Elizabeth A. and Foth, Marcus and Jamali, Soad (2008) My place through my eyes: A social constructionist approach to researching the relationships between socioeconomic living contexts and physical activity. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, 3(4). pp. 204-218.

Full text available as:

[img]PDF - UNSPECIFIED
Restricted to Repository staff only
144Kb

DOI : 10.1080/17482620802401188

Abstract

Empirical research has shown that household and neighbourhood characteristics are significantly linked to particular health-behaviour profiles. Specifically, people living in lower socioeconomic living contexts tend to be associated with less active and healthy lifestyles. However, what is not yet fully understood is how living contexts work to produce and sustain common or shared behavioural patterns. To address this question, we employed Berger and Luckmans (1966) social constructionist conceptualisation of context to study a group of residents who had recently moved from poorer living contexts to a mixed-tenure, inner city, new urban village equipped with various resources promoting a physically active lifestyle. This framework was coupled with Charmaz's (1995; 2006) social constructionist approach to grounded theory. An analysis of the qualitative data gave rise to the conceptual categories of 'being flogged up something fierce', 'running away', 'sleeping with one eye open', 'you're just fat', and 'exercise as a dream' as the key contextual influences mediating poor living contexts and low physical activity levels. A core category of 'identity management' was located. The selection of this case and the findings exhibited here draw attention to the need for a situated understanding of how particular lifestyles develop in socioeconomic living contexts. The insights need to be drawn from ‘insider perspectives’ in order to ensure more sensitive and effective interventions in the future.

ID Code:14747
Item Type:Journal Article
Additional Information :The author-version of this article will be available 12 months after publication. For more information, please refer to the journal's website (see hypertext link) or contact the author.
Keywords :socioeconomic, inequalities, physical activity, contexts, urban
ISSN:1748-2631
Subjects:Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES (110000) > PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH SERVICES (111700) > Health and Community Services (111708)
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES (110000)
UNSPECIFIED
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES (110000) > PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH SERVICES (111700) > Health Promotion (111712)
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES (060000) > EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY (060300) > Ethology and Sociobiology (060304)
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND DESIGN (120000) > URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING (120500) > Land Use and Environmental Planning (120504)
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES (110000) > PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH SERVICES (111700) > Public Health and Health Services not elsewhere classified (111799)
Divisions:QUT Faculties and Divisions > QUT Carseldine - Humanities & Human Services
Research Centres > Centre for Social Change Research
Copyright Owner :Copyright 2008 Taylor & Francis
Copyright Statement :This is an electronic version of an article published in [International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being 3(4):pp. 204-218]. [International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being] is available online at informaworldTM with http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17482620802401188
Deposited On:30 Sep 2008
Last Modified:23 Jan 2009 04:11

Export: EndNote | Dublin Core

Staff only: HERDC collection form

Repository Staff Only: item control page