Expanding the agenda for research on the physically active aging body.

addresses: School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Devon, EX8 1 AS, UK.types: Journal ArticleFreely available on Open AccessIn this article, the authors consider the different approaches that can be used to examine the relationship between physical activity and aging. They propose that much is to be gained in our awareness of this dynamic relationship by drawing on multiple forms of knowledge that can generate diverse understandings regarding the impact of physical activity on physiological, psychological, and social aspects of aging. Accordingly, 3 different approaches to understanding the older physically (in)active body are presented. These are categorized as (a) the objective truth about the aging, physically active body; (b) the subjective truth about the aging, physically active body; and (c) "tales" about the aging, physically active body. The key underpinnings, strengths, and weaknesses of each approach are outlined. A number of examples from the literature are also offered to demonstrate where and how each approach has been used to contribute to our understanding about older people and physical activity. The more thorough, multidisciplinary, and wide spanning our knowledge of the aging, active body is, the more informed we might become in every dimension of its existence

Keeping it in the family: narrative maps of ageing and young athletes' perceptions of their futures

© Cambridge University Press 2006. Published version reproduced with the permission of the publisher.Drawing upon interviews with 22 young athletes aged on average 20 years, this article examines the ways in which they used observations of the ageing and old age of their family members to shape the ways in which they anticipated the ageing of their own bodies. The representations of the bodies, roles and lifestyles of their parents and grandparents provided ‘narrative maps’ that held pre-presentations of the young athletes’ possible futures. They included both preferred and feared scenarios about middle age and old age, particularly the opportunities they would have for maintaining physical activity and the appearance of their bodies. The young men’s and the young women’s narrative maps differed: the women’s accounts of old age gave more prominence to the loss of appearance, while the men’s focused more on the loss of control and independence. The informants were highly sensitised to the biological dimensions of ageing which, for them, meant the inevitable decline of the material body, especially in performance terms, and both genders recognised social dimensions, particularly that responsibilities to jobs and family would constrain the time available for exercise. To understand more fully young athletes’ experiences of self-ageing, and the family as a key arena for the embodied projection and inscription of ageing narratives, further research is required

Being Fred: Big stories, small stories and the accomplishment of a positive ageing identity

This is a postprint of an article published in Qualitative Research, Volume 9 (2), 83 - 99. © 2009 copyright SAGE Publications. Qualitative Research is available online at: http://www.uk.sagepub.com/journals.navThis article is informed by recent trends in narrative research that focus on the meaning-making actions of those involved in describing the life course. Drawing upon data generated during a series of interactive interviews with a 70-year-old physically active man named Fred, his story is presented to illustrate a strategic model of narrative activity. In particular, using the concepts of `big stories' and `small stories' as an analytical framework, we trace Fred's use of two specific identities; being fit and healthy , and being leisurely to analyse the ways that he accomplishes an ontological narrative where the plot line reads; `Life is what you make it'. The ways in which this narrative enables Fred to perform a narrative of positive self-ageing in his everyday life is illustrated. Finally, the analytical possibilities of being attentive to both big and small stories in narrative analysis are discussed

Auto-photography in aging studies: Exploring issues of identity construction in mature bodybuilders

Copyright © 2010 Elsevier. NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Journal of Aging Studies. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Journal of Aging Studies, Vol. 24, Issue 3 (August 2010), DOI: 10.1016/j.jaging.2008.12.007This article seeks to contribute empirically, theoretically, and methodologically to the literature on aging bodies and identity construction by analyzing auto-photographic data from a project that explores the embodied identities of mature bodybuilders. The analysis identified three salient identities that the participants constructed via the auto-photography task. These identities were; a healthy body-self, a performing body-self, and a relational body-self. In combination, these three identities offer insight into what mature bodybuilders themselves regard as important in their lives and social worlds. The ways in which the respondent driven photographs might allow additional insight into the meaning of aging, and also act as counter-narratives to dominant narratives of decline in older age is reflected upon

Living with Ménière\u27s Disease: Understanding Patient Experiences of Mental Health and Well-Being in Everyday Life

This chapter will discuss the current knowledge of the mental health and wellbeing impact of Ménière’s. To date, our understanding is limited, with small sample sizes, no controls, and the inability to account for confounding factors. Our work in the UK Biobank aimed to further our understanding of the impacts of Ménière’s at the population level

Experiences and Expectations of Biographical Time among Young Athletes

In this article, we explore how biographical time is storied by a particular group of young athletes in relation to their experiences and expectations of embodied ageing. The data suggests that at present, as able and sporting bodies, their everyday experiences are framed by the cyclical, maximizing, and disciplined notions of time associated with the social organization of sport. In their middle years, however, it was perceived that time would be pressured. In contrast, when talking about old age, empty time and static time were expected. The ways in which three different narratives of self operate to shape the projected experiences of time for these individuals are highlighted, and the implications of this process for their ability to access diverse narrative resources of ageing is discussed

Working the when, where, and who of social context: The case of a traumatic injury narrative

This is a preprint of an article whose final and definitive form has been published in the Qualitative Research in Psychology © 2010 Taylor & Francis; Qualitative Research in Psychology is available online at: www.tandfonline.com ; DOI: 10.1080/14780880802571176Within qualitative research it is widely recognised that context matters. Despite this, in recent years a number of authors have observed a lack of contextual awareness in qualitative analysis. The purpose of this article is to analyse categorically and holistically the process of meaning making in relation to context using data generated during a series of interviews with an individual who encountered a chronic back injury. Drawing upon the work of Holstein and Gubrium (200412. Holstein , JA and Gubrium , JF . 2004 . “ Context: working it up, down and across ” . In Qualitative research practice , Edited by: Seale , C , Gobo , G , Gubrium , J and Silverman , D . 297 – 331 . London : Sage . View all references), we focus on questions of when and where to illustrate the locally unarticulated contextual alternatives that can come into play at specific times and places. In addition, we raise questions pertaining to who as a means of further understanding the significance of others in relation to the participant's experiences. In doing so, we illuminate the ways in which different contexts can shape the meaning of injury. After discussing the inherent problems associated with studying the notion of context, we close by suggesting that examining the ways that context might operate throughout the process of meaning making can be a useful analytical tool for qualitative researchers working within the domain of psychology

A day in the life of a Ménière’s patient:Understanding the lived experiences and mental health impacts of Ménière’s disease

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via the DOI in this record.Concepts of social practice are increasingly being used to understand experiences of everyday life, particularly in relation to consumption and healthy lifestyles. This paper builds on this in the context of lives disrupted and reshaped by chronic illness. It uses social practice theory to examine the lived experiences of individuals with Ménière’s disease; a long-term progressive vestibular disorder, defined by episodes of severe and debilitating vertigo, aural fullness, tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss. Drawing on the findings of 20 in-depth narrative interviews with Ménière’s patients, and eight spousal/partner interviews, we explore the impacts of the condition on sensory, temporal, spatial and social dimensions of the body. In doing so, we highlight the intensely embodied sensory and emotional work required to maintain connections between the ‘competences’, ‘materials’ and ‘meanings’ that constitute and sustain the performance of both mundane and meaningful social practices over time. As connections between these elements of social practice are disrupted during more active phases of the condition, affected individuals may be defected from old practices and recruited to new ones, often requiring both time and social support to find meaning or pleasure in these alternative ways of being in the world.Many thanks go to all the study participants for sharing their experiences; Mr. David Whinney (Ear Nose and Throat Consultant at Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske), Clinical Project Advisor; the Ménière’s Society for funding the study; and PenCLAHRC (the National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care South West Peninsula) for providing follow-on funding. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR, the Department of Health or the Ménière’s Society. We would also like to thank the two anonymous reviewers for their valuable feedback on an earlier draft of this paper