Being an educated woman: a phenomenological exploration

This study explores ten Indian women\u27s experience of \u27being an educated woman.\u27 These ten women have a bachelor\u27s degree and hail from Bangalore city in India. The social phenomenon of being an educated person is a positive notion in postcolonial, Indian society. Girls\u27 and women\u27s education is regarded as important for their family and for the nation\u27s progress. Academic research on asking educated women what do they think of themselves as being educated is hardly evident. The value of this thesis lies in its explorative phenomenological framework used to document the participants\u27 narratives of their experience. It also highlights the researcher\u27s lived experience, using insider/outsider perspective. Applying a broad interpretive phenomenological approach this study provides an alternative framework of reflection, interpretation and analysis of the space in their lived experience. It also draws from educational theory, human development models and feminist research for a richer understanding of women, education and development area. Data sources of this study include in-depth interviews, academic and non-academic literature and stories. The stages of interpreting the data included immediate reflections following the interviews, identification from the transcripts of thematic layers, and three layers of interpretation. In this three-stage process the participants\u27 texts were analysed in depth through active listening, repeated reading of the transcripts, researcher\u27s bracketed reflections, and layers of thematic interpretation - to illuminate the complexity of \u27going back to the things themselves.\u27 Layers of interpretation revealed a \u27torn-between\u27 experience, an experience of tensions, conflict and contradiction both in the public and private spheres of life. It was an interplay on the continuum of an educated woman becoming a \u27confident ideal\u27 as well as living as a \u27social ideal.\u27 The contradiction illuminated a site of desire and threat related to change and action. Through the analysis of this experience the thesis builds a theoretical construct to describe the space that can be created in educated women\u27s lives, one which they are required to negotiate constantly. This construct is the Actionable Space (AS), which locates educated women\u27s lived experience in the \u27third space\u27 between awareness of self-efficacy and awareness of social conformity leading to their tensions and conflicts. This critical space creates hope and the beginnings of a new direction in understanding the experience of being an educated woman. This research provides the personal practical and collective knowledge of the experience for the public. It is essential that teachers\u27 training workshops, and parent and community education incorporates this knowledge to initiate a positive change in girls\u27 and women\u27s education. It needs to be included in all situations where female agency is discussed

Educated women\u27s ways of knowing on gender, education and social transformation: exploring actionable space

How do women with higher education view their own experiences of being educated in their everyday life? How do they understand and address gender relations as educated women? What is their analysis of gender and social transformation in the contemporary Indian society? This paper examines these questions in the light of educated women’s experiences. Stories and narratives of five women living in urban Bangalore in Southern India provide the ground to inquire into issues of gender and social transformation. This paper argues that theoretical perspectives supporting transformation through education do not effectively address the everyday experiences of women living in traditional societies such as India, which are rooted in tradition, patriarchy, power and control. The women participants of this study, which was conducted for a doctoral thesis, illuminate their negotiations within private and public domains of life with tensions, conflicts and turning points. They narrate the internalised goals of their education, achievements through education and their position of remaining traditional women, a constant in a rapidly changing society. They provide valuable insights regarding position and power in gender relations. Analysing their insights and recommendations about what needs to be done with education for future generation of girls in terms of social transformation, the author identifies the gaps within ability, action and space for change. The author proposes a new theoretical construct called Actionable Space, which underlines women’s dilemma and also the available space to take action for change in their life circumstances

Imagination in school children's choice of their learning environment: An Australian study

A visual research project addressed school children's concepts of ideal learning environments. Drawings and accompanying narratives were collected from Year 5 and Year 6 children in nine Queensland primary schools. The 133 submissions were analysed and coded to develop themes, identify key features and consider the uses of imagination. The children's imagined schools echo ideas promoted by progressive educators. The results of this study suggest benefits for school designers can emerge from the imaginative contributions of children in creating engaging environments, while educational policy makers can benefit from children's ideas in the promotion of engaging, student-centred pedagogies

The role of nature-based experiences in the development and maintenance of Wellness

Wellness is now seen as central to redefining the National Health agenda. There is growing evidence that contact with nature and physical activity in nature has considerable positive effects on human health. At the most basic level humanity is reliant on the natural world for resources such as air and water. However, a growing body of research is finding that beyond this fundamental relationship exposure to the non-human natural world can also positively enhance perceptions of physiological, emotional, psychological and spiritual health in ways that cannot be satisfied by alternate means. Theoretical explanations for this have posited that non-human nature might 1) restore mental fatigue, 2) trigger deep reflections, 3) provide an opportunity for nurturing and 4) rekindle innate connections. In this paper the authors show how human wellness is strongly connected to their relationship with the natural world. This paper points to how non-human nature could be better utilised for enhancing human health and wellness

Socio-cultural dimensions of Active Futures: Importance of studying migrants' perspectives of wellness

In this paper we provide a migrant perspective on how women and men from a different culture perceive wellness while settling down in a new country. We are discussing the texts of research interviews with Indian migrant women and men that illuminate their perception of lifestyle enhancement in their adopted country Australia. Our purpose is to show how socio-cultural factors influence the migrants‟ perspective of lifestyle enhancement, and to what extent they direct their wellness. Personal development, both in theory and practice, is a huge concept in Australia. Concerted efforts are made towards increasing public awareness about health literacy leading to a better understanding and practice of wellness. However, as research studies have pointed out, lifestyle enhancement leading to holistic wellness is not void of socio-cultural factors. The number of women and men migrating to Australia from India has increased greatly in the present decade. As migrants their participation in developing Australian society is significant. So what is their socio-cultural perception of wellness including nutrition and physical exercises as active citizens? How do young Indian migrants participate in lifestyle enhancement programmes? As parents what are their socio-cultural beliefs, attitudes, practices and values, and how do they influence their children‟s participation in personal development and PE progammes? To what extent gender differences exist in such participation levels? What is the space available in State school curriculum to learn from the migrants‟ cultures towards enhancing lifestyles including nutrition and personal development?The findings may sensitise Australian researchers, academics, school teachers and practitioners of wellness therapies. Long term research studies may inform the governments and HPE practitioners of the changes occurring in such values, beliefs and practices as they incorporate nutrition and lifestyles of Australian society

Call for papers for special issue investigating the potential benefits of outdoor and adventure for human health and wellbeing to be published by the Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning

The last two decades have been witness to a plethora of research from multiple paradigms and a vast array of fields, such as public health, social work, sociology, ecology, geography, forestry, psychology, sport science and psychiatry suggesting that interactions with nature are fundamental to human. health and wellbeing. However, traditional theoretical notions typically used to interpret findings are being questioned (Brymer, Davids, & Mallabon, 2014; Karmanov & Hamel, 2008; Keniger, Gaston, Irvine, & Fuller, 2013; Kjellgren & Buhrkall, 2010; Yeh et al., 2016). Research is beginning to consider the importance of societal systems, individual differences, and the person-environment relationship (Brymer, Freeman & Richardson, 2019). Obesity, mental illness and substance abuse combined are the leading cause of non-fatal illness worldwide the leading cause of death. In 2014, over 50% of the world population were considered overweight or obese. In September 2015, the United Nations recognised mental health and wellbeing as priorities within the global development agenda. The acceptance of physical activity as an important intervention to counteract this trend is global. Formalised, sport and exercise has been promoted as ideal mechanisms for enhancing health related outcomes. However, this approach has serious limitations for enhancing health related behaviours of diverse populations mostly due to the narrow focus on traditional forms, norms and expectations. While increasing physical activity is paramount for so many health issues, traditional notions of sport and exercise may not be the only or even best answer to the global health crisis

Bringing nature to schools to promote children's physical activity

Physical activity (PA) is essential for human health and wellbeing across all age, socioeconomic and ethnic groups. Engagement with the natural world is a new defining criterion for enhancing the benefits of PA particularly for children and young people. Interacting with nature benefits children’s social and emotional wellbeing, develops resilience and reduces the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes across all population groups. Governments around the world are now recognising the importance of children spending more active time outdoors. However, children’s outdoor activities, free play and nature-related exploration are often structured and supervised by adults due to safety concerns and risks. In this context schools become more accessible and safe options for children to engage in PA outdoors with the presence of nature features. Research on school designs involving young children has revealed that children prefer nature-related features in school environments. Affordances in nature may increase children’s interest in physically active behaviours. Given that present school campuses are designed for operational efficiency and economic reasons there is a need to re-design schools responding to the positive role of nature on human health. If schools were re-designed to incorporate diverse natural features children’s PA and consequent health and wellbeing would likely improve markedly