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A Social Ecological Exploration of Parental Support for Active Play with Young Children

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A Social Ecological Exploration of Parental Support for Active Play with Young Children UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND The new frontier: A social ecological exploration of factors impacting on parental support for the active play of young children within the micro-environment of the family home A Dissertation submitted by Alice Brown Dip. Teach, B.Ed, M.Ed. For the award of Doctor of Philosophy 2012 A social ecological exploration of parental support for active play with young children Abstract Raising children is a collective undertaking, one that is integrally linked to multiple places and networks of people, yet families and their domestic spaces are still at the heart of this endeavour. They are understood to be a critical leverage point for the establishment of early health behaviours and values. Currently, there is a paucity of qualitative research that investigates individuals within the domestic space of the family home. Forging a new path in terms of getting ‘inside’ the problem, this research was motivated to explore active play within this environment and the pervasive influence that multiple factors exert on parental practices, understandings and values. Intrinsic and instrumental case study provided an opportunity to gain a contextual understanding of the idiosyncratic experiences and motivations of three families. The conceptualisation of the micro-environment and development of a Parental and Micro- Environmental Model inspired by a social ecological framework enabled research to be directed at considering the contextual nuances that operate on and are embedded in the lives of individuals and give meaning to their thoughts and actions. Findings expand on current understandings about the idiosyncratic nature of parents and families and highlight the pervasiveness of factors that impact on their efforts to support the active play experiences of young children. The study also confirmed that a range of factors that sit both inside and outside the micro-environment of the family home can skew determinants into becoming either a barrier or an enabler, depending on context. We can only truly understand individuals within these places by appreciating their context located within multiple environments and the wider social milieu. Such research needs to be underscored by valuing the contextual nuances that exist in these spaces. Exploring phenomena of health and their effect on individuals, environments and organisations are best explored through multiple fields and disciplines in order to “better manage multiple sources of environmental change and to collaborate effectively toward reducing their negative impacts on population health and societal cohesion” (Stokols, Misra, Runnerstrom, & Hipp, 2009, p. 181). Future research endeavours should seek to better understand the experiences and perspectives of children and parents in this legitimate space. A space where much research still needs to be done in order to advance our understandings, yet has the potential of being an untapped resource that in many respects could still be defined as the ‘New Frontier’. i A social ecological exploration of parental support for active play with young children Certificate of Dissertation I certify that the ideas, experimental work, results, analyses and conclusions reported in this dissertation are entirely my own effort, except where otherwise acknowledged. I also certify that the work is original and has not been previously submitted, either in whole or in part, for any other award, except where otherwise acknowledged. _______________________________ ________________________ Signature of Candidate Date ENDORSEMENT _______________________________ ________________________ Professor Patrick Danaher Date _______________________________ ________________________ Dr David Cleaver Date iii A social ecological exploration of parental support for active play with young children Acknowledgements Although writing a thesis is very much an individual pursuit, and one full of personal struggles and accomplishments as John Donne so aptly puts it, “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent”. There are many and varied individuals and groups who have provided invaluable assistance in the writing of this thesis. The collaborative relationship between student and supervisor is imperative and necessary. To Professor Patrick Danaher (my principal supervisor), I will be forever grateful for your words of encouragement and for helping to make the thought of this journey reachable. Your innate ability to listen and respect my thoughts, while weaving pearls of wisdom and insight into my writings was treasured. Your eloquence with words and mastery of the English language was a benchmark that inspired me to constantly challenge my own efforts. To my associate supervisor Dr David Cleaver, thank-you for being an enthusiastic supporter of my research and for teaching me patience in scholarly writing. I am in awe of your knowledge and your ability to artfully encourage and challenge my efforts towards making every word count for the writer and the reader. Your love for narrative and case study as well your ability to challenge the direction and intention of my research and to defy the status quo was both refreshing and encouraging, I thank you for your energy and conviction. To my colleagues and the members of the University Of Southern Queensland Post Graduate Early Career Researcher Group, I am extremely grateful for your ever present support, encouragement and comradeship throughout the years. I feel privileged to be part of a group who believe in the power of collaborative discussion and learning. I gratefully acknowledge the study assistance provided by the Faculty of Education at the University of Southern Queensland, in particular the provision of financial support and Academic Development Leave in the final months of my doctoral journey. To Professor Frank Crowther, thank-you for believing in me. I wish to express my most sincere gratitude to all those understanding and tolerant soles who undertook the task of spending countless hours reading and providing critical feedback on the multiple drafts of my ever growing thesis, thank-you for your patience, feedback and guidance. In particular, my thanks to Associate Professor Gillian Potter and Dr Jane Williams. To the many experts in the field of early childhood, physical activity, health and social- ecology who shared their expertise, opinions and reflections with me on various aspects of this research. I am indebted to you, particularly Chancellor’s Professor Dr Dan Stokols. v A social ecological exploration of parental support for active play with young children My largest debt goes to the Mason, Hampton and Calming family who took part in this project. I am indebted to you for sacrificing your family time to share your lives and stories with me. To my family and friends who know me and love me deeply, thank-you for being there. To my wonderful partner David who tolerated my endless piles of books and papers on the kitchen table, who listened to my ramblings and helped to pick up the slack of countless domestic duties, thank-you so much. I look forward to our future together and spending more time with you. Finally, a very special thank-you to my four legged friend who looked at me longingly at my computer throughout my time and encouraged me to take a well-deserved break and ‘catch a moment to move’, love you Bella. All of you were critical to the success of this study and contributed significantly to my understandings of ‘The New Frontier’. vi A social ecological exploration of parental support for active play with young children Dedication This body of work is dedicated to my loving father. I am grateful to him for his belief in me and his ongoing encouragement of me during this very long learning journey. His life lesson of working hard towards a goal that you truly believe in has stood me in good stead during the last 6 years of my life, thank you pops! To my beautiful son Johl, who has travelled and watched this journey unfold around him, thanks for allowing mum to be distracted many, many times and for your understanding and encouragement. vii A social ecological exploration of parental support for active play with young children TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................. I CERTIFICATE OF DISSERTATION .................................................................................................. III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................... V DEDICATION ...................................................................................................................................... VII LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................................... XI LIST OF IMAGES .................................................................................................................................... XII LIST OF GRANTS, PUBLICATIONS AND CONFERENCES RELATED TO THIS DOCTORAL RESEARCH ......................................................................................................................................... XIV FORWARD ............................................................................................................................................. 1 THE VALUE OF STORYING ......................................................................................................................................
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