scholarly journals Obesity, stigma and reflexive embodiment: Feeling the ‘weight’ of expectation

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 421-441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oli Williams ◽  
Ellen Annandale
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Subjective Experience ◽  
Lifestyle Modification ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Social Significance ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Obesity Stigma ◽  
Group Members

The dominant obesity discourse which emphasises individual moral responsibility and lifestyle modification encourages weight-based stigma. Existing research overwhelmingly demonstrates that obesity stigma is an ineffective means by which to reduce the incidence of obesity and that it promotes weight-gain. However, the sensate experiences associated with the subjective experience of obesity stigma as a reflexively embodied phenomenon have been largely unexamined. This article addresses this knowledge gap by providing a phenomenological account. Data are derived from 11 months of ethnographic participant observation and semi-structured interviews with three single-sex weight-loss groups in England. Group members were predominantly overweight/obese and of low-socio-economic status. The analysis triangulates these two data sources to investigate what/how obesity stigma made group members feel. We find that obesity stigma confused participant’s objective and subjective experiences of their bodies. This was primarily evident on occasions when group members felt heavier after engaging in behaviours associated with weight-gain but this ‘weight’ did not register on the weighing scales. We conceptualise this as the weight of expectation which is taken as illustrative of the perpetual uncertainty and morality that characterises weight-management. In addition, we show that respondents ascribed their sensate experiences of physiological responses to exercise with moral and social significance. These carnal cues provided a sense of certainty and played an important role in attempts to negotiate obesity stigma. These findings deepen the understanding of how and why obesity stigma is an inappropriate and ineffective means of promoting weight-loss.

Perceptions and Beliefs About Body Size, Weight, and Weight Loss Among Obese African American Women: A Qualitative Inquiry

2007 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 410-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christie A. Befort ◽  
Janet L. Thomas ◽  
Christine M. Daley ◽  
Paula C. Rhode ◽  
Jasjit S. Ahluwalia
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
African American ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Lifestyle Modification ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Health Clinic ◽  
American Women

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore perceptions and beliefs about body size, weight, and weight loss among obese African American women in order to form a design of weight loss intervention with this target population. Six focus groups were conducted at a community health clinic. Participants were predominantly middle-aged with a mean Body Mass Index of 40.3 ± 9.2 kg/m2. Findings suggest that participants (a) believe that people can be attractive and healthy at larger sizes; (b) still feel dissatisfied with their weight and self-conscious about their bodies; (c) emphasize eating behavior as the primary cause for weight gain; (d) view pregnancy, motherhood, and caregiving as major precursors to weight gain; (e) view health as the most important reason to lose weight; (f) have mixed experiences and expectations for social support for weight loss; and (g) prefer treatments that incorporate long-term lifestyle modification rather than fad diets or medication.

Challenges and opportunities for the development and promotion of Ibaloy crafts as tourism products

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 593-607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamaica Gayatin Ona ◽  
Leticia Susan Lagmay Solis
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Indigenous Ethnic Group ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
The Government

Purpose The Ibaloy is an indigenous ethnic group in the Northern Philippines. Due to modernization, changes in lifestyle, livelihood and spiritual inclination many have forgotten about their culture. Income-generating activities such as handicraft businesses and food security are among their needs and aspirations. With the potential that indigenous entrepreneurship has in improving their cultural and economic status, this study aims to identify which crafts in their material culture can be publicly shared as tourism products and to assess the landscape within which indigenous entrepreneurship can be undertaken. Design/methodology/approach The study utilized a qualitative methodology which involved a combination of participant observation and semi-structured interviews. An interview guide which consisted of open-ended questions that focused on themes such as identification of Ibaloy crafts, the crafts’ various categorization and significance, the challenges and opportunities and their perceptions on what they want done for their crafts and material culture in general was developed for this purpose. The primary respondents were the Ibaloys themselves and other key informants from government and other stakeholders. Findings Other than serving their purpose in an Ibaloy household and as objects used for special occasions, Ibaloy crafts have the potential to be developed as tourism products. While many challenges abound, availability of resources and collaborative support by the government and other institutions can bring opportunities that will lead Ibaloy crafts to become prime tourism products. Social implications The findings point to a compelling need for policymakers and concerned authorities to take immediate action to ensure the culture and heritage of the Ibaloys are protected. Originality/value The study adds to the literature about Filipino indigenous peoples, particularly the Ibaloys of Cordillera, and their aspirations for the inclusion of their material culture to the tourism industry. It can serve as a guide in addressing issues and concerns related to indigenous entrepreneurship that may be addressed through policy intervention and support from stakeholders.

scholarly journals On Choosing the Place

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 108-121
Author(s):  
Joanna Malita-Król
Keyword(s):  
Participant Observation ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Technical Aspects ◽  
Group Members ◽  
The Right

Numerous contemporary Pagan groups conduct their ritual ceremonies outside, communing with nature. This essay describes research conducted in a small, eclectic group following the Wiccan wheel of the year in Warsaw, Poland. It focuses on the places used by the group, applying Edward Casey’s phenomenological approach to understand an encountered place, and examines what constitutes a good ritual place according to the group members. The initial supposition was that technical aspects would prevail: privacy, accessibility, and proximity of the four elements. However, the participant observation and semi-structured interviews proved that choosing the right place was primarily based on the experience and interpretation of the feeling evoked by the place: namely, whether the atmosphere was right and the entities dwelling there were seen as welcoming or not.

scholarly journals Translanguaging in the Family Context: Evidence from Cyprus, Sweden and Estonia

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 619-641
Author(s):  
Sviatlana Karpava ◽  
Natalia Ringblom ◽  
Anastassia Zabrodskaja
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Russian Language ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Language Management ◽  
Russian Speakers ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Family ◽  
Family Language

The aim of this paper is to highlight translanguaging practices in the home among bilingual/multilingual Russian-speaking children and their parents in Cyprus, Sweden and Estonia. Multilingual families are the focus of our research: 50 in Cyprus, 20 in Estonia and 50 in Sweden. Using parental written question- naires with the focus on general background, socio-economic status and language proficiency, as well as oral semi-structured interviews and ethnographic participant observation, our study attempts to describe how family language policy is managed through translanguaging and literacy activities in multilingual Russian-speaking families in three different cultural and linguistic environments. Our results show both differences and similarities among Russian-speakers in the three countries, not only in their family language practices, but also in their attitudes towards the fluidity of language, language repertoires, translanguaging and Russian-language literacy. Russian-speakers incorporate a wide range of language repertoires in their everyday lives. Sometimes, such language contacts generate power struggles and the language ideological dimension becomes a key terrain to explore how speakers feel about the need to effectively attain a degree of multilingualism. Multilingualism and the maintenance of the Russian language and culture are usually encouraged, and parents often choose the one-parent-one-language approach at home. However, not all families make conscious choices regarding specific language management and may have “laissez-faire” attitudes to the use of languages in the family. We show how family language use and child-directed translanguaging can support, expand and enhance dynamic bilingualism/multilingualism, and reinforce and integrate minority language in a wider context: societal and educational.

Older women's perceptions of ideal body weights: the tensions between health and appearance motivations for weight loss

2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 751-773 ◽  
Author(s):  
LAURA HURD CLARKE
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Body Weights ◽  
Women’S Perceptions ◽  
Ideal Body ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Health Risks And Benefits

This paper explores older women's evaluations of their weight as well as the perceived merits and detriments of weight gain and weight loss in later life. Using data from semi-structured interviews with 22 community-dwelling women aged 61 to 92 years, I examine the meanings that the women attribute to dieting, desired body weights and obesity. The women frequently offer unsolicited accounts for why they have gained or lost weight over time, and disclose their perceptions of and reasons for needing to alter their current body weights. I probe the tensions between weight loss for health concerns versus appearance goals. The women express dissatisfaction with their weight gain in terms of their physical appearance. However, they also tend to describe the need to lose weight in terms of health risks and benefits rather than in terms of approximating the beauty ideal or achieving a desired body size and shape. Health tends to be described as a valid justification for being concerned with one's weight, while an appearance orientation is deemed to be indicative of vanity. Many of the women suggest that while the health benefits of weight loss are often the stated reason for losing weight, the perceived appearance dividends are the key motivation behind altering one's body weight in later life.

Small farmers, large issues: discourse, local knowledge, and strategies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jop Koopman
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Local Knowledge ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
The Body ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
High Exposure ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
The Government

<p>This research proposal aims to contribute to the body of knowledge about smallholder farmers’ anthropogenic climate change perceptions, and how said perceptions shape adaptability and resilience, resulting in adopting new and old strategies grounded in local knowledge. 86% of farms in Indonesia are owned and cultivated by smallholders. This group is among the poorest and most vulnerable in Indonesia while contributing the most considerable part to the available food production in the entire country. Smallholder farmers from Lombok are, in particular, among the most vulnerable due to their socio-economic status and the high exposure of the region to climate-related hazards. The group’s perceptions and discourse of anthropogenic change are shaped by local knowledge and the social environment, and top-down initiatives from the government and NGOs. The interplay of both factors has yet to be researched. This research is ethnographic and qualitative and will be conducted during three field-site visits of 6 months each. In apprentice anthropology, the notion that the farmer is the expert on local knowledge and new strategies as a means to adapt will be included wherein the researcher is the student and the respondent the teacher. The choice for this type of methodology is made because the majority of research on the intersection of agriculture, climate change, and social science is quantitative and does not consider local farmers as experts in their own field. Therefore, participant observation, semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and group discussions will be used.</p>

Weight gain causes weight loss

Nature ◽  
2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Whitfield
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Weight Gain

Peregrinação Acadêmica: A mulher Romeira do Bom Jesus da Lapa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Célia Coelho Gomes da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Gender Identity ◽  
Social Reproduction ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The West ◽  
Patriarchal Family ◽  
The Family ◽  
West Part

This work is the result of the doctoral thesis entitled Pilgrimage of Bom Jesus da Lapa: Social Reproduction of the Family and Female Gender Identity, specifically the second chapter that talks about women in the Pilgrimage of Bom Jesus da Lapa, emphasizing gender relations, analyzing the location of the pilgrimage as a social reproduction of the patriarchal family and female gender identity. The research scenario is the Bom Jesus da Lapa Pilgrimage, which has been held for 329 years, in that city, located in the West part of Bahia. The research participants are pilgrim women who are in the age group between 50 and 70 years old and have participated, for more than five consecutive years in the Bom Jesus da Lapa Pilgrimage, belonging to five Brazilian states (Bahia, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Espírito Santo and Goiás) that register a higher frequency of attendance at this religious event. We used bibliographic, qualitative, field and documentary research and data collection as our methodology; we applied participant observation and semi-structured interviews as a technique. We concluded that the Bom Jesus da Lapa Pilgrimage is a location for family social reproduction and the female gender identity, observing a contrast in the resignification of the role and in the profile of the pilgrim women from Bom Jesus da Lapa, alternating between permanence and the transformation of gender identity coming from patriarchy.

TOURISM MOBILITY AT THE SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES RIO 2016

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Cabral ◽  
Carolin Lusby ◽  
Ricardo Uvinha
Keyword(s):  
Olympic Games ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Bus Rapid Transit ◽  
Rapid Transit ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Tourist Attractions ◽  
Official Sources ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The City

Sports Tourism as a segment is growing exponentially in Brazil. The sports mega-events that occurred in the period from 2007 to 2016 helped strengthen this sector significantly. This article examined tourism mobility during the Summer Olympic Games Rio 2016, hosted by the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This study expands the understanding of the relationship between tourism and city infrastructure, therefore being relevant to academics, professionals of the area and to the whole society due to its multidisciplinary field. The existence of a relationship between means of transportation and the Olympic regions as well as tourist attractions for a possible legacy was observed. Data were collected from official sources, field research and through participant-observation and semi structured interviews. Data were coded and analyzed. The results indicate that the city was overall successful in its execution of sufficient mobility. New means of transportation were added and others updated. BRT's (Bus Rapid Transit) were the main use of mass transport to Olympic sites. However, a lack of public transport access was observed for the touristic sites.

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