Physical Activity & Mother-Daughter Dynamics: A Feminist Phenomenological Study in Eastern Nova Scotia

Abstract

Physical activity (PA) levels for girls and mothers are significantly below recommended levels, and rural girls and mothers appear to be at even greater risk for low PA than their urban counterparts. A significant cause for these disparities is due to sociocultural expectations to conform to a ‘feminine ideal’ as well as engagement in motherhood ideologies. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of adolescent girls and their mothers in rural eastern Nova Scotia, while situating their experience in the gendered sociocultural, historical, and geographical context in which they live. Using Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenology with a lens of feminist post-structuralism, six mother (ages 36-46 years)-daughter (ages 11-13 years) pairs participated in individual interviews. Analysis was done in three phases, resulting in three manuscripts. Manuscript one (adolescent girls results) identified three major themes: (1) what physical activity looks like depends on your definition; (2) “What do you do when the boys take over the gym?”; and (3) “It’s really nice to have space…but there’s a lot less options out here”. Manuscript two (mothers results) found the following themes: 1) What PA looks like for rural Nova Scotian mothers, 2) Not all rural is the same, 3) Squeezing it in at home, 4) Performing motherhood both motivates and limits PA, and 5) PA needs to be a priority, or it doesn’t happen. Manuscript three (dyadic analysis of mother-daughter pairs), resulted in five themes 1) Mothers and daughters share the value and definitions of PA, 2) Highly active daughters do not always have highly active mothers, 3) Mothers Find Motivation to Engage in PA During the ‘Waiting Time’, Co-Activity, and ‘Being The Example’ 4) Daughters experience mothers encouragement and not pressure to engage in PA and 5) We're making strides in PA gender equality, but it’s not truly equal opportunity yet. Findings address several gaps in the literature, particularly the PA experience during the unique adolescent period for both rural girls and their mothers. Results suggest recommendations in policy, programming and research to address barriers to PA for rural adolescent girls and mothers, and to help girls and mothers overcome gendered sociocultural discourses that limit their engagement.