Although being physically active while exposed to nature may have synergistic health benefits and help develop environmental values, many youth today are inactive and disengaged from the natural environment. The purpose of this study was to explore adolescents’ knowledge, attitudes, skills, behaviours, and general perspectives on engaging with the environment through physical activity using a social marketing lens. Social marketing is a behaviour change strategy that involves the ‘use of marketing principles and techniques to influence a target audience to voluntarily accept, reject, modify, or abandon a behaviour for the benefit of individuals, groups, or society as a whole’. To address this purpose, three research questions were answered: what are youths’ perspectives of and experiences with physical activity in the natural environment; what strategies do youth recommend for engaging with nature as a way to be active, and; how do participants’ Photovoice projects on health and nature, including subsequent discussion of these projects, influence their conscientization of health in relation to nature? A purposive sample of eight grade 12 students enrolled in an elective sustainability and eco-education course participated in this study. Participants were asked to express their perspectives on being physically active in nature by completing a Photovoice project (including photos and captions) and engaging in group discussion. The action component of Photovoice was fulfilled through a presentation to the local school board. Thematic analyses of discussion transcripts, Photovoice projects, and presentation notes were guided by a social marketing lens. Themes described these youth in terms of relevant product, purchaser, price, place, and promotion for the subject of physical activity in nature. The youth believed engaging in nature through physical activity provided them with freedom, excitement, creativity, and relaxation, along with health and educational benefits, and had few or no disadvantages. Suggested strategies for engagement were framed in the shape of a tree to describe their applicability to youth at different present levels of engagement, ranging from simply spending time in nature (the roots), to challenging oneself by interaction with nature, thus resulting in better health (the branches). The Photovoice projects led to increased awareness of human-nature relationships for participants. Themes may inform decision makers of youth perspectives and thus guide development of future programs and initiatives in this area.

While the concept of the community health worker (CHW) has existed since the mid-20th century, their function as a legitimate branch of the broader workforce in the United States has been tenuous. Their unique roles have the potential to reduce health disparities within marginalized communities, but stakeholder development of this position risks diminishing the crucial skills of these workers. Anthropological research on these workers has typically assessed them in the developing world, while public health research has focused primarily on their ability to impact specific health outcomes through quantitative studies. As a result of the limited and predominantly quantitative assessments of these workers, further research is needed to assess the lived realities of these workers at the grassroots level in the United States. The overarching aim of this project was to document the lived experience of CHWs in Indiana. Additionally, this project assessed their participation in advocacy and the impact of policy development on these workers. A collaborative approach was utilized in this project that embedded the researcher within a CHW organization while also amplifying the voice of the research partners. The project drew on the theoretical lenses of moral economy, deservingness, structural vulnerability, and the “regimes of care” and “politics of care.” The results demonstrate that CHWs face a variety of challenges within the professional workforce but have significant impacts within their communities. These workers emphasize empowerment through advocacy and building client self-sufficiency. Their participation in advocacy is split between impacts at the micro-, macro-, and professional-level. However, legislating the scope and responsibilities of this position by stakeholders unfamiliar with this model risks changing the foundation of the position itself. Steps to incorporate CHWs within the workforce must be collaborative and take into account their lived experience and input in order to allow them agency over the development of their position and to retain the most significant contributions. The contributions of this project are severalfold. First, this project advances theoretical debates within anthropology related to moral economy, regimes of care, politics of care while also addressing the legitimacy of CHWs as a complimentary member of the health care workforce. The findings also illustrate how the political economy of Indiana shapes the moral economy of care within which CHWs operate. Lastly, the project produced applied findings for CHWs, employers, and stakeholders to consider in further development of this position.

The rationale of color-blind ideology in the socializing space of the early childhood classroom encourages that racial, cultural, and ethnic differences remain unrecognized. Demographic shifts of diverse marginalized populations within majority, White suburban schools require the analysis of dominant ideologies that potentially leave biases unchallenged. This photovoice project centered the voice of three Black, early childhood educators working within majority White suburban schools in the South to explore how they rationalized the discourse of color-blind ideology in their professional and personal lives. Findings showed that Black women's critical social location within a racialized society and their historical engagement with Black oppositional knowledge structured oppositional knowledges and embodied critiques of suburban spaces. They crafted wisdoms for engaging and navigating tensions with colleagues, parents, and administrators and nurtured embodied perspectives, resisting stereotypical images of Black women and girls. Deconstructed dominant ideologies in the socializing space of the early childhood classroom extend and modify our understanding of racialized knowledge in our educational spaces and offer transformative readings of color-blind ideology.

Libraries play an important role in society by offering cultural activities to families with younger children. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the libraries had to restrict their services. Due to the restrictions, families have lost many of the opportunities that the library offered. This thesis explores the effect that the restrictions have had on families. To get a contemporary insight into these effects the photovoice method was applied, followed by semi-structured interviews. Four families who frequent the library were used in the study. To present and analyze the needs of the families, the four spaces-model by Jochumsen, Rasmussen, and Skot-Hansen was used. An environmental anthropological perspective on the context of crisis by Vigh was used to analyze aspects of a prolonged pandemic. The results of this thesis show that the families miss libraries and their activities. The families expressed a wish for more outreach from the libraries. The interviews showed that socializing during the pandemic was the hardest challenge to overcome due to social distancing restrictions. At the same time, the families were able to come up with activities to do with the help of digital tools. This helped them to learn how to find and cre-ate new activities which then gave them a new experience. The thesis also presents that libraries are not able to follow the library act or appointed goals with the restrictions.

No description available.

The first paper is a two-phase mixed methods study that explored the relationship among nature connectedness, mental health, and childhood nature experiences in a sample of McMaster undergraduates. Study objectives were twofold: (1) to determine associations between measures of nature connectedness, positive childhood nature experiences, and mental health via an online survey (Phase One); and, (2) to compare, qualitatively, the self-reported childhood nature experiences of students who are more nature connected to those who are less nature connected via in-depth interviews (Phase Two). Quantitative findings from the Phase One survey (N=308) showed that nature connectedness is associated with higher levels of emotional and psychological well-being and also correlates positively with students’ self-recalled positive childhood nature experiences. Thematic analysis of qualitative findings from in-depth interviews held with students (n=12) in Phase Two showed that students who measured relatively higher in nature connectedness recall growing up in the vicinity of accessible, expansive, natural places, and being raised in families that modeled a love for nature and valued shared nature experiences. Overall, findings suggest that positive experiences in natural places growing up may have long-term mental health benefits through fostering a more ecological self. The second paper, an exploratory qualitative study, investigated the types of natural places that McMaster undergraduates consider beneficial to their mental health, and why. Twelve students were invited to photographically document a natural place that they consider mental health promoting. Thematic analysis of photographs and follow-up in-depth interviews revealed that students prefer familiar natural places that contain a variety of natural elements (especially mature trees and some form of water) and are separate from the context of everyday campus life (distanced from both the built and social campus environment). Overall, findings demonstrate the importance of acknowledging symbolic and social factors when assessing the potential mental health benefits of natural places for different groups and individuals. In the third paper, an argumentative essay, we argued that colleges and universities should take nature’s mental health benefits seriously by finding ways to foster student-nature relationships both on their campuses, and in their surrounding communities. We present and describe four geographically informed ways that this might be accomplished: (1) raising awareness; (2) planning for the availability and accessibility of natural spaces; (3) bringing nature indoors, and; (4) using nature-based therapies. While many students may be “bleeding at the roots”, it is not too late to graft them back onto the earth. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA) / The first paper explored associations among childhood nature experiences, nature connectedness (a measure of the degree to which an individual includes nature in her or his identity), and mental health in McMaster undergrads. Quantitative results showed that positive childhood nature experiences, nature connectedness, and mental health are all significantly related. Qualitative findings showed that students who are more nature connected remember growing up in nature loving families and in the vicinity of expansive natural areas (e.g., a conservation area). The second paper explored the types of natural places that McMaster undergrads consider beneficial to their mental health, and why. Twelve students were invited to visit a favourite natural place and take photographs of it. Qualitative findings showed that students’ prefer familiar natural places that contain a variety of natural elements and are separate from the context of campus life. In the third paper, four strategies that post-secondary institutions can use to connect students with nature are presented: (1) raising awareness; (2) planning for the availability and accessibility of natural spaces; (3) bringing nature indoors, and; (4) using nature-based therapies. While many students may be “bleeding at the roots”, it is not too late to graft them back onto the earth.

Genusrelaterat våld, och då specifikt killar och mäns våld mot tjejer och kvinnor är ett allvarligt globalt folkhälsoproblem, en kränkning av mänskligarättigheter och ett hot mot ett demokratiskt samhälle. De flesta studierna gällande genusrelaterat våld är genomförda i städer eller stadsnära områden och vi saknar tillräcklig kunskap om våld mot tjejer och unga kvinnor på landsbygd. Därför är det övergripande syftet med licentiatavhandlingen att öka kunskapen om genusrelaterat våld mot tjejer på landsbygd genom den participatoriska metoden photovoice. Licentiatavhandlingen består av en kappa och två publicerade delstudier [I‐II] som syftar till att skapa en djupare förståelse för genusrelaterat våld mot tjejer på landsbygd i Sverige, utifrån tjejers egna perspektiv. I studie [II] utökades syftet till att också diskutera metodens potential att nå nyckelpersoner inom policyfältet och leda till social förändring, utöver dess förmåga att informera och engagera. Det är genomgående kvalitativa studier. Det empiriska materialet består av insamlat data genom photovoice samt workshops och gruppintervjuer [I‐II]. Materialet består även av intervjuer med beslutsfattare (tjänstepersoner och politiker) och material från en inspelad podcast [II]. Insamlat data analyserades med hjälp av induktiv och deduktiv tematisk analys [I], en beskrivande aktionsorienterad analys samt innehållsanalys [II]. Analysen i studie [I] utmynnade i två primära teman: det första temat konstant rädsla har två sub‐teman som förklarar en rädsla som är integrerad i tjejernas vardag, och som förminskar deras handlingsutrymmen. Det andra temat fokuserar på de strategier som tjejerna använder för att hantera denna konstanta rädsla, och detta bryts sedan ner i två sub‐teman som visar hur genusnormer till stor del påverkar beteende och förväntningar. Även resultatet i studie [II] visar att tjejernas känsla av kontroll var begränsad och att olika situationer i vardagslivet präglades av känslor av minskat handlingsutrymme och agens. Studien visar också att photovoice är en lämplig metod för att visuellt förmedla deltagarnas perspektiv samt att engagera och informera beslutsfattare, men att enbart metoden i sig inte kan garantera social förändring. Normativa föreställningar om genus påverkar i hög grad både språk och beteende bland ungdomar, och trots att Sverige ofta omtalas och framställs som ett jämställt samhälle finns det flera indikationer på det motsatta. Tjejers handlingsutrymme är betydligt mindre jämfört med killars, och tjejer marginaliseras i en mängd situationer och sociala interaktioner. Deltagarna i studien såg också ett tydligt samband mellan genusrelaterat våld och allvarliga hälsokonsekvenser, och studien hjälper oss förstå hur och på vilket sätt tonårstjejer i Sverige påverkas negativt av genusrelaterat våld. Den alarmerande höga förekomsten av genusrelaterat våld bland unga visar betydelsen av att adressera problemet redan från tidig ålder.

The deterioration of health status for immigrants and refugees is mostly observed after their arrival in Canada. Additionally, immigrant and refugee minorities are at a higher risk for mental health problems. Yet, refugees and immigrants in Canada, particularly those from non-European countries tend to underutilize community resources and mental health services. This study uses a participatory arts-based method of photovoice to gain deeper knowledge of the realities and lived experiences of immigrants and refugees who have or are dealing with mental health problems in Winnipeg. Additionally, it will shed light on the barriers faced by immigrant and refugee community, and the context in which they are unable to access services. Six immigrant and refugee individuals volunteered to participate in this photovoice project. The participants discussed structural barriers, non-recognition of non-Canadian credentials, underemployment/ unemployment, poverty, discrimination, stigma, language barriers, lack of culturally inclusive services, inequality, lack of social network, and marginalization. The findings have implications for social work and future research is discussed. / February 2017

This study explores the health and well-being of eight racialized and Indigenous women between the ages of 21 and 28, who live in Victoria, BC. Participants use Photovoice, a participatory research strategy, to examine and discuss their intersecting everyday realities in the contexts of health, well-being and identity. Through this project, I aim to provide an in-depth understanding of social exclusion, as a social determinant of health, and investigate the micro-social processes that occur at the intersections of race, class and gender, among many other social relations. I draw upon transnational feminist, anti-racist and postcolonial theories to shed light on the complexity of our shifting and emergent identities. The stories that participants share indicate that historical processes of colonization, daily forms of racism, migration, nationalism, citizenship and cultural essentialization are key contributors to their processes of identity formation and subsequently, their experiences of health and wellness.

This Photovoice study engaged Indigenous girls, aged fifteen, in a participatory study to explore their knowledge of commercial sexual exploitation. Through photos, writing, and discussion four major themes emerged: i. all the participant-researchers had directly experienced and witnessed various incidences of sexual exploitation; ii. the sexual exploitation of Indigenous girls is pervasive and normalized; iii. racialization impacts on life as an Indigenous girl, and finally; iv. friendly and accessible services are critical to preventing and intervening in sexual exploitation but are inadequate. Overall the findings that emerged from the girls’ photos and stories indicate that in view of historic conditions and ongoing racialization and sexualization Indigenous girls are very vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Broad-level change is needed in order to eventually eradicate the sexual exploitation of Indigenous girls. In the meantime, there is the continued need for immediate, community support for girls in regard to sexual exploitation. More research engaging Indigenous girls directly in knowledge creation is needed.