Rural young people and physical activity: understanding participation through social theory

Abstract

Studies from around the world point to the inadequate participation of young people in physical activity and sport, and the consequences of this on their health. However, very few interventions to increase the levels of physical activity amongst young people have been sustainable. The aim of this paper is to use Bourdieu's notions of the logic of practice along with habitus and capital to theorise young people's participation in physical activities to add to the wealth of empirical material. Data are drawn from a cohort of rural participants in an Australian longitudinal, qualitative research project with young people from diverse social, cultural and geographical backgrounds. It was found that traditional rural gender roles impact on young women's perceptions of legitimate physical activity options and practices. The role of the family in the reproduction of the social order which sustains gendered understandings of physical activity is also explored. This paper demonstrates how Bourdieu's theories can be applied to explain gender distinctions in health behaviours. It is proposed that building bridges between epidemiological and sociological understandings of participation in physical activities will lead to the generation of more equitable and sustainable physical activity and health promotion initiatives.

‘Are they just checking our obesity or what?’ The healthism discourse and rural young women

“…This paper highlights the various ways that young people of different social and indeed, geographical locations negotiate universalised health discourses within their own life contexts. The restrictive impact of the healthism discourse is exacerbated for rural young women given their lack of formal sport/exercise options in small towns and the positioning of physical labour and farm work as 'men's work' rather than legitimate physical activity for women (see Lee & Macdonald, 2009 for further discussion). Therefore, rural young women are further marginalised at the intersection of gendered rural discourses and the healthism discourse where they would be perceived as not taking responsibility for their own health by not participating in legitimised physical activities.…”

“…This is an important point within the rural context given the lack of formal exercise/sporting facilities available in small towns, particularly for the young women, resulting in the predominance of informal leisure time pursuits (e.g. push-bike riding, outdoor play with siblings), walking for transport, and physical labour (see Lee & Macdonald, 2009 for further discussion of this point). Hence, the types of physical activities that these young women participated in were not seen as legitimate within their meanings of health and fitness.…”

“…Therefore, in the current study we can understand the circulation of the healthism discourse alongside other central discourses in the rural setting such as traditional gender roles and the dominance of physical labour (Lee & Macdonald, 2009). …”

“…As muscular bodies were seen as masculine and therefore inappropriate, the physical capital (i.e. muscular bodies) available from participation in "too much" and certain kinds of physical activities and physical labour has little exchange value for the rural young women (see Lee & Macdonald, 2009). While thinness could be perceived as a desirable outcome of participation in physical activity for the young women, it did not fuel a commitment to purposeful, regular physical activity.…”

Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour as Predictors of Adolescent Health in Rural and Urban Environments in Poland

“…The level of rural young people's physical activity may be raised by changing stereotypes, above all regarding rural girls low physical activity (Lee and Macdonald 2009), or by removing barriers such as the lack of availability of any sporting infrastructure (Due et al 2001). Recreational facilities are less common in low-income neighborhoods than in higher-income ones (Romer 2005) and in rural than in urban communities.…”