Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


osu1127220576.pdf (1.55 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Political process, activism, and health

Haas, Anne E.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1127220576

Abstract Details

2005, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Sociology.
Conventional women are saturated with mass media images depicting very thin, attractive women. These images impose ideals that are impossible for most women to meet in a healthy way. This study examines the substantive issue of women's body appearance, aging, and related health outcomes, including eating disorders, and how these might be mediated and improved by activist political process. Concepts from social movements and social-psychological perspectives are integrated into what I call the political process model—a model that delineates how activists become socialized and immersed in alternative political networks that influence subsequent activities, ideas, and identities. I use this model to test the ability of activists to sustain commitment to their causes, including those that relate to women’s bodies, over time. The process that connects the concepts in this model (i.e., pivotal events, collective identity, pivotal departures, empowerment, and health) provides the conceptual framework to which my analytic strategy derives. I address four research expectations using triangulated quantitative and qualitative methods, and draw original data sources. Original survey data on female activists and non-activists are used to test whether the two groups differ in their politics, daily routines, and several dimensions of health (e.g., use of conventional versus non-conventional medical care, eating habits, etc.). Secondly, I relate political process, collective identity and health by intertwining two qualitative research methods. These include qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) of variables from the survey data, and interpretive analysis of open-ended interviews. QCA results reveal unique configurations of attributes affecting aspects of activists’ daily routines and health. Combined with interview materials, findings relate how political processes build personal and collective identities and shape health related behaviors and outcomes. The third part of my analytic strategy relies on interpretive analysis of activists’ interviews to assess how networks and the community rituals matter. The interview and participant observation data support the expectation that women activists’ experiences at various “pivotal” life course stages hold positive implications for health. In sum, the linking of QCA and interpretive analyses demonstrates the importance of the processes through which community membership matters. The political process model is supported by findings based on the cross-methodologies used. Substantively, I find that political process is related to women’s sustained, positive body image and aging health. Activist commitment is bolstered by social networks that support conventional, non-institutional, and political/cultural behaviors, such as avoiding harmful mass media images. I also advance broad theoretical goals by articulating the interrelatedness of the three processes of collective identity formative, and by elaborating on the social-psychological impact of social movements and social movement membership.
Vincent Roscigno (Advisor)
271 p.
Sociology, Theory and Methods
activist political process; social movements; collective identity; pivotal events

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Haas, A. E. (2005). Political process, activism, and health [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1127220576

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Haas, Anne. Political process, activism, and health. 2005. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1127220576.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Haas, Anne. "Political process, activism, and health." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1127220576

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1127220576
2,293
© 2005, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.