Therapeutic Landscapes and the Regulated Body in the Toronto Front Runners

Abstract

The study of therapeutic landscapes (locations where place works as a vector of well-being) has generated substantial international interest. Drawing from Henri Lefebvre’s prolific writings on space, this article extends the concept of “landscapes of social relations” as an often-overlooked form of therapeutic landscapes. Consequent to this undertaking, this article examines the health experiences of members of the Toronto Front Runners, a running club for sexual minorities. Specifically, I underline the need for an interpretive analysis that examines notions of pluralism, multiple voices, and difference within therapeutic landscapes in order to highlight the ways in which social inequalities affect health.

Therapeutic landscapes and non-human animals: the roles and contested positions of animals within care farming assemblages

“…Other utilisations of the term highlight how space can improve and support a person's emotional and social wellbeing (Tyson 1998) -indeed, therapeutic landscapes are often described as being as much about social opportunities as they are medicinal (Foley et al 2011). Later uses of the concept have demonstrated how rather than explicitly providing a curative factor, therapeutic landscapes are often framed as supporting a maintenance of health and wellbeing, or even providing opportunities for an individual's capacity building (Ingen 2004;Leach et al 2008). …”

“…Numerous authors writing on therapeutic landscapes have discussed how various personal factors can alter one's experience of a therapeutic space: illness or disability (Kearns and Gesler 1998), age (Milligan et al 2004), nationality and cultural background (Chang and Relf 2004;Marcus and Barnes 1999), socio-economic status (Kearns and Joseph 1993), gender, class, race, and sexuality (Ingen 2004), creating spaces which are therapeutic to certain groups, but not others. Not discussed at present is species, and how biological identity can effect these spaces' potential to become therapeutic; what a human experiences as a therapeutic space may be untherapeutic for an animal.…”

“…Though we must also recognise that for some, it is the specific absence of activities that leads to a space becoming therapeutic (Conradson 2007). It is often activities which have an explicit reputation for health or wellbeing themselves (running (Ingen 2004), yoga (Hoyez 2007), hiking and walking (Doughty 2013)) that have been explored in relation to therapeutic spaces, however there is also a need to examine activities which are extraneous to health, the mundane and everyday tasks which can take place within spaces linked to therapeutic experiences and may, for some individuals, be crucial relations in assisting in the space becoming therapeutic.…”

Rethinking Resistance: The Queer Play of the Women’s National Basketball Association, Visibility Politics and Late Capitalism

“…Admittedly, the growing body of scholarly writings about sexuality, leisure and sport is difficult to characterise simply and includes studies that explore how gays and lesbians use leisure and consumption spaces (Binnie & Skeggs, 2004;van Ingen, 2004), how homophobia constrains leisure practices (Fusco, 1999;Pritchard et al, 2002) and how lesbian and queer participants use sport or leisure practices for empowerment (Broad, 2001). While acknowledging the diversity of contexts, themes and paradigms used, many scholars frequently assert that due to homophobia 'people who are gay or lesbian are unable to take full advantage of the potential for leisure in their lives' (Russell, 2002, p. 310) and offer a single-issue identity politics as the most effective strategy for resistance.…”

Chasing Rx: A Spatial Ethnography of the CrossFit Gym

“…Thus, investigating what types of bodies are included or excluded from the CrossFit space can help answer the question, "who can be (Cross)fit?" Spatial analysis has frequently served as the entry point for investigations of physical and sporting subcultures, including queer running clubs (van Ingen, 2004), skateboarders (Drissel, 2013), British bodybuilders (Andrews, Sudwell, & Sparkes, 2005), female bodybuilders (Johnston, 1996), long distance runners (Howe & Morris, 2009), Japanese fitness clubs (Spielvogel, 2002), ultimate frisbee leagues (Griggs, 2009), and surfers (Booth, 2004;Waitt, 2008).…”