Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T12:56:16.822Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Middle-aged women negotiating the ageing process through participation in outdoor adventure activities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 October 2018

C. Yvette Wharton
C. Yvette Wharton*
Affiliation:
Division of Sport & Exercise Sciences, Abertay University, Dundee, UK
*
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This study sought to examine the motivations middle-aged women give for belonging to an outdoor adventure group. As part of this, how the women were negotiating the ageing process was also examined. Fourteen women aged 36–64 (average age 51.4 years) were individually interviewed with the purpose of exploring their perceptions, values, motivations and the beliefs they attach to their participation. Findings highlight the women's belief that participation delays the ageing process, gives them confidence in their lives and offers social support from other group members. In addition, pride, satisfaction and pleasure were expressed in the belief that they challenged the cultural norms and expectations of older women. Whilst delaying the ageing process, they also highlighted that they thought about a time in the future when they would not be able to continue to participate. The study emphasises that more adventurous activities are becoming more normalised and can be undertaken by women in middle age. This may also suggest that more needs to be done to promote diverse activities such as outdoor adventurous activities to women.

Keywords

middle agedwomenadventurephysical activityoutdoorageing
Type
Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 40 , Issue 4 , April 2020 , pp. 805 - 822
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Akune, TS, Muraki, H, Oka, SH, Tanaka, H, Kawaguchi, H, Nakamura, K and Yoshimura, N (2014) Exercise habits during middle age are associated with lower prevalence of sarcopenia: the ROAD study. Osteoporosis International 25, 1081–1088.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Althoff, T, Sosic, R, Hicks, JL, King, AC, Delp, SL and Leskovec, J (2017) Large-scale physical activity data reveal worldwide activity inequality. Nature 547, 336–339.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Anderson, A and Noble, K (2001) An Analysis of Regional Variations in Sports Participation in Scotland (85). Edinburgh: Sport Scotland.Google Scholar
Anderson, KL (1999) The construction of gender in an emerging sport. Journal of Sport & Social Issues 23, 55–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arthur, S and Nazroo, J (2003) Designing fieldwork strategies and materials. In Ritchie, J and Lewis, J (eds), Qualitative Research Practice: A Guide for Social Science Students and Researchers. London: Sage, pp. 109–137.Google Scholar
Attride-Stirling, J (2001) Thematic networks: an analytic tool for qualitative research. Qualitative Research 1, 385–405.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boniface, M (2006) The meaning of adventurous activities for ‘women in the outdoors’. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning 6, 9–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boucher, J and Osgood, CE (1969) The Pollyanna hypothesis. Journal Verbal Learning and Verbal Behaviour 8, 1–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boyatzis, RE (1998) Transforming Qualitative Information: Thematic Analysis and Code Development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Boyes, M (2013) Outdoor adventure and successful ageing. Ageing & Society 33, 644–665.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Braun, V and Clark, V (2006) Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology 3, 77–101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Breivik, G (2010) Trends in adventure sports in a post-modern society. Sport in Society 13, 260–273.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brookes, A (2003) A critique of neo-Hahnian outdoor education theory. Part one: Challenges to the concept of ‘character building’. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning 31, 49–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, WJ, Hesch, KC and Miller, YD (2009) Life events and changing physical activity patterns in women at different life stages. Annals of Behavioral Medicine 37, 294–305.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Campbell, PG, MacCauley, D, McCrum, E and Evans, A (2001) Age difference in the motivating factors for exercise. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology 23, 191–199.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Canada, B, Stephan, Y, Caudroit, J and Jaconelli, A (2013) Personality and subjective age among older adults: the mediating role of age-group identification. Aging & Mental Health 17, 1037–1043.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carmichael, F, Duberley, J and Szmigin, I (2015) Older women and their participation in exercise and leisure-time physical activity: the double edged sword of work. Sport in Society 18, 43–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coalter, F and Dowers, S (2006) An Analysis of Regional Variations in Sports Participation in Scotland (105). Edinburgh: Sport Scotland.Google Scholar
Creswell, JW (2013) Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. London: Sage.Google Scholar
Dijkstra, K and Kaup, B (2005) Mechanisms of autobiographical memory retrieval in younger and older adults. Memory & Cognition 33, 811–820.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eccles, JS (1994) Understanding women's educational and occupational choices: applying the Eccles et al. model of achievement related choices. Psychology of Women Quarterly 18, 585–609.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eddles-Hirsch, K (2015) Phenomenology and educational research. International Journal of Advanced Research 3, 251–260.Google Scholar
Edmunds, J, Duda, JL and Ntoumanis, N (2010) Psychological needs and the prediction of exercise-related cognitions and affect among an ethnically diverse cohort of adult women. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology 8, 446–463.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elavsky, S (2009) Physical activity, menopause, and quality of life: the role of affect and self-worth across time. Menopause 16, 265–271.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Evenson, KR, Wilcox, S, Pettinger, M, Brunner, R, King, AC and McTiernan, A (2002) Vigorous leisure activity through women's adult life: the women's health initiative observational cohort study. American Journal of Epidemiology 156, 945–953.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ferrand, C (2008) Motives for regular physical activity in women and men: a qualitative study in French adults with Type 2 diabetes, belonging to a patient's association. Health & Social Care in the Community 16, 511–520.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finlay, L (2008) Introducing Phenomenological Research. Available at http://www.lindafinlay.co.uk.Google Scholar
Finn, SC (2000) Women in mid-life: a nutritional perspective. Journal of Women's Menopause 9, 351–356.Google ScholarPubMed
Ford, N and Brown, D (2006) Surfing and Social Theory: Experience, Embodiment and Narrative of the Dream Glide. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Fredrickson, LM and Anderson, DH (1999) A qualitative exploration of the wilderness experience as a source of spiritual inspiration. Journal of Environmental Psychology 19, 21–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Freeman, AT, Santini, ZI, Tyrovolas, S, Rummel-Kluge, C, Haro, JM and Koyanagi, A (2016) Negative perceptions of ageing predict the onset and persistence of depression and anxiety: findings from a prospective analysis of the Irish Longitudinal Study of Ageing (TILDA). Journal of Affective Disorders 199, 132–138.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hargreaves, J (1994) Sporting Females: Critical Issues in the History and Sociology of Women's Sports. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Henderson, K (1992) Breaking with tradition; women and outdoor pursuits. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance 62, 49–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Henderson, KA (1996) Enhancing women's physical activity involvement. In Warren, K (ed.), Women's Voices in Experiential Education. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt, pp. 107–117.Google Scholar
Hess, TM, Birren, J and Schaie, K (2006) attitudes toward aging and their effects on behaviour. In Birren, JE and Schaie, KW (eds), Handbook of the Psychology of Aging, 6th Edn.San Diego, CA: Academic Press, pp. 379–406.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holyfield, L, Jonas, L and Zajicek, A (2005) Adventure without risk is like Disneyland. In Lyng, S (ed.), Edgework: The Sociology of Risk-taking. New York, NY: Routledge, pp. 173–185.Google Scholar
Horton, S, Baker, J and Deakin, JM (2007) Stereotypes of aging: their effects on the health of seniors in North American society. Educational Gerontology 33, 1021–1035.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Horton, S, Dionigi, RA and Bellamy, J (2013) Women aged 75 and over: attitudes towards health-related role models and female masters athletes. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social and Community Studies 7, 33–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Humberstone, B (2000) The ‘outdoor industry’ as social and educational phenomena: gender and outdoor adventure/education. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning 1, 21–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Im, EO, Chee, W, Lim, HJ, Liu, Y and Kim, HK (2008) Midlife women's attitudes toward physical activity. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing 37, 203–213.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
James, K (2000) ‘You can feel them looking at you’. The experiences of adolescent girls at swimming pools. Journal of Leisure Research 32, 262–280.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, H, Millward, P and Buraimo, B (2011) Adult Participation in Sport, Analysis of Taking Part Survey. London: Department for Culture, Media and Sport.Google Scholar
Jopp, DS, Jung, S, Damarin, AK, Mirpuri, S and Spini, D (2017) Who is your successful aging role model? Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 72B, 237–247.Google Scholar
Kamijo, T and Murakami, M (2009) Regular physical exercise improves physical motor functions and biochemical markers in middle-age and elderly women. Journal of Physical Activity 6, 55–62.Google ScholarPubMed
Kaplan, R and Kaplan, S (1989) The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Kaufman, SR (1995) The Ageless Self, Sources and Meaning in Late Life. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.Google Scholar
Kellert, S (1997) Kinship to Mastery: Biophilia in Human Evolution and Development. Washington, DC: Island Press.Google Scholar
Kiewa, J (2001) ‘Stepping around things’: gender relationships in climbing. Australian Journal of Outdoor Education 5, 4–12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kilgour, L and Parker, A (2013) Gender, physical activity and fear: women, exercise and the great outdoors. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health 5, 43–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laurendeau, J and Sharara, N (2008) Women could be every bit as good as guys: reproductive and resistant agency in two action sports. Journal of Sport and Social Issues 32, 24–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levy, B (2009) Stereotype embodiment: a psychosocial approach to aging. Current Directions in Psychological Science 18, 332–336.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Levy, BR, Chung, PH and Canavan, M (2011) Impact of exploratory style and age type on health across the lifespan. In Fingerman, KL, Berg, CA, Smith, J and Antonucci, TC (eds), Handbook of Lifespan Development. New York, NY: Springer, pp. 437–456.Google Scholar
Little, DE (2002) How do women construct adventure recreation in their lives? Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning 2, 55–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Little, DE (2005) Role Modelling Through Physical Activity: The Generational Gift of Women. Eleventh Canadian Congress on Leisure Research. Nanaimo, Canada: Malaspina University College, Canadian Association for Leisure Studies.Google Scholar
Loeffler, TA (1997) Assisting women in developing a sense of competence in outdoor programs. Journal of Experiential Education 20, 119–123.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McAdams, DP (2003) Identity and the Life Story. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Google Scholar
McArthur, D, Dumas, A, Woodend, K, Beach, S and Stacey, D (2014) Factors influencing adherence to regular exercise in middle-aged women: a qualitative study to inform clinical practice. BMC Women's Health 14, 49.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCrae, RR (1987) Creativity, divergent thinking, and openness to experience. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 52, 1258–1265.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meisnar, BA (2012) A meta-analysis of positive and negative age stereotype priming effects on behaviour among older adults. Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 67B, 13–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mutrie, N and Choi, PYL (2000) Is ‘fit’ a feminist issue? Dilemmas for exercise psychology. Feminism and Psychology 10, 544–551.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Noble, H and Smith, J (2015) Issues of validity and reliability in qualitative research. Evidence Based Nursing 18, 34–35.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nolan, T and Priest, S (1993) Outdoor programmes for women only? Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Leadership 10, 14–17.Google Scholar
Nolan, VT (2010) Participation in physical activity: an empirical study of working women's perceptions. African Journal for Physical, Health Education, Recreation and Dance 16, 355–372.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ory, M, Hoffman, MK, Hawkins, M, Sanner, B and Mockenhaupt, R (2003) Challenging aging stereotypes: strategies for creating a more active society. American Journal of Preventative Medicine 25, supplement 2, 164–171.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pan, SY, Cameron, C, Desmeules, M, Morrison, H, Craig, CL and Jiang, X (2009) Individual, social, environmental, and physical environmental correlates with physical activity among Canadians: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 9, 21.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pfister, G (2012) It is never too late to win – sporting activities and performance of ageing women. Sport in Society 15, 369–384.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pohl, SL, Borrie, WT and Patterson, ME (2000) Women, wilderness, and everyday life: a documentation of the connection between wilderness recreation and women's everyday lives. Journal of Leisure Research 32, 415–434.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Riessman, CK (1993) Narrative Analysis. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Roth, A and Basow, SA (2004) Femininity, sports and feminism: developing a theory of physical liberation. Journal of Sport and Social Issues 28, 245–265.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rubin, DC and Bernsten, D (2003) Life scripts help maintain autobiographical memories of highly positive, but not highly negative events. Memory & Cognition 31, 1–14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scottish Government (2015) The Scottish Health Survey 2014 Edition. A National Statistics Publication for Scotland. Available at www.gov.scot/scottishhealthsurvey.Google Scholar
Scottish Government (2016) Scotland's People Annual Report: Results from the 2015 Scottish Household Survey. Available at http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0050/00506173.pdf.Google Scholar
Scraton, S and Watson, B (1998) Gendered cities: women and public leisure space in the ‘postmodern city’. Leisure Studies 17, 123–137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shank, JW (1984) An exploration of leisure in the lives of dual career women. Journal of Leisure Research 18, 300–319.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith-DiJulio, K, Windsor, C and Anderson, D (2010) The shaping of midlife women's views of health and health behaviors. Qualitative Health Research 20, 966–976.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sport England (2017) Active Lives Adult Survey, May16/17 Report. London: Sports England. Available at https://www.sportengland.org/media/12458/active-lives-adult-may-16-17-report.pdf.Google Scholar
Thomas, DR (2017) Feedback from research participants: are member checks useful in qualitative research? Qualitative Research in Psychology 14, 23–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thorpe, H (2011) Snowboarding Bodies in Theory and Practice. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tuckett, AG (2005) Applying thematic analysis theory to practice: a researcher's experience. Contemporary Nurse 19, 75–87.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Utian, WH and Boggs, PP (1998) The North American Menopause Society survey. Part 1: Post-menopausal women's perceptions about menopause and midlife. Menopause 6, 122–128.Google Scholar
Von Eckartsberg, R (1998) Existential-phenomenological research. In Valle, R (ed.), Phenomenological Inquiry in Psychology, Existential and Transpersonal Dimensions. New York, NY: Springer, pp. 21–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whitehead, T and Kotze, ME (2003) Career and life-balance of professional women: a South African study. South African Journal of Human Resource Management 1, 77–84.Google Scholar
Wolff, JK, Schuz, B, Ziegelmann, JP, Warner, LM and Wurm, S (2017) Short-term buffers, but long-term suffers? Differential effects of negative self-perceptions of aging following serious health events. Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 3, 408–414.Google Scholar
Wurm, S, Warner, LM, Ziegelmann, JP, Wolff, JK and Schuz, B (2013) How do negative self-perceptions of aging become a self-fulfilling prophecy? Psychology and Aging 28, 1088–1097.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed