Emotional Geographies of Home: Place Identities Among Senior Women Residing in a Long-Term Care Facility Malgorzata M
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Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository December 2012 Emotional Geographies of Home: Place Identities Among Senior Women Residing in a Long-Term Care Facility Malgorzata M. Milczarek The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Dr. Jeff opH kins The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in Geography A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree in Master of Arts © Malgorzata M. Milczarek 2012 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Human Geography Commons Recommended Citation Milczarek, Malgorzata M., "Emotional Geographies of Home: Place Identities Among Senior Women Residing in a Long-Term Care Facility" (2012). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 1030. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/1030 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Emotional Geographies of Home: Place Identities Among Senior Women Residing in a Long-Term Care Facility (Spine title: Place Identities of Home) Monograph by Malgorzata Milczarek Graduate Program in Geography A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies The University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada December, 2012 © Malgorzata Milczarek 2012 THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies CERTIFICATE OF EXAMINATION Supervisor Examiners ______________________________ ______________________________ Dr. Jeff Hopkins Dr. Belinda Dodson Supervisory Committee ______________________________ Dr. Chantelle Richmond ______________________________ Dr. Belinda Dodson ______________________________ Dr. Andrea E. Willson The thesis by Malgorzata Magdalena Milczarek entitled: Emotional Geographies of Home: Place Identities Among Senior Women Residing in a Long-Term Care Facility is accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Degree ______________________ _______________________________ Date Chair of the Thesis Examination Board ii Abstract This research aimed to document the meanings and identities attached to the concept of ‘home’ among older women residing in long-term care. The study is based upon semi- structured, open-ended interviews with eleven senior women who reside at a long-term care home in The City of London, Ontario. This study contributes towards theoretical and methodological debates by combining critical humanism, feminism and the newly developing body of work called ‘emotional geographies’ in its approach. Along with the interview, the novel method of using the body as an ‘instrument of research’ is utilized (Longhurst, 2008). The methodology allows for ‘emotional spaces’ occupied by the participants to be revealed and documented. Findings problematize and provide nuance to previous studies about ‘home’. In particular, my findings demonstrate that spatialities, temporalities, boundaries, tension, and paradox need to be considered when theorizing, and more importantly, legislating ‘home’ into public policy. The landscape of the long-term care home is identified to be located simultaneously and paradoxically ‘elsewhere’ – it is displaced from the concrete walls of the long-term care institution – while being closely tied to the concept of a changing and fluid body. The findings contribute to social theory about the experience of place, while having practical implications for policymakers, managers of long-term care facilities and senior citizens. Keywords home, bodies, emotional geography, place meanings, temporalities and spatialities, long-term care iii Dedication I dedicate this thesis to my family. In particular, I extend deep gratitude to my sister. Ewa I would like to Thank You for always being there for me. I appreciate all your love, support and encouragement. You are the main ‘rock’ in life that I can always count on. Know that I am always there for you too. I love you and Thank You. This is for you and my little niece Mylo. Love you both. iv Acknowledgments First and foremost, this thesis and the findings that are shared below would not be possible without the women who agreed to participate in this process. Though I cannot name all of you individually, I would like you to know that I appreciate your openness, willingness to share personal information, memories, life histories, sorrows, joys, thoughts, meanings and experiences. I am aware that our discussions, at times, may have been difficult. Home is a difficult concept to talk about in the best of circumstances. However, your willingness to become vulnerable and share experiences and meanings with someone who you barely knew was remarkable. I would like all of you to know that I appreciate your help with this project. Next, I would like to Thank my supervisor, Dr. Jeff Hopkins. You said to me that a ‘good thesis’ is a thesis that allows a student to grow. I would like you to know that this process has allowed me to grow, not only academically, but also personally. Yes, I hope that I have ‘mastered’ the material. But more importantly, I hope that today I am also a better feminist, a more sensitive emotional geographer, a stronger woman and a more understanding individual. Your encouragement, support and guidance have been invaluable. Thank You for insisting that education remain a process that cultivates personal development. My development throughout this process would not be possible without the support of the entire Department of Geography. In particular, I would like to Thank Dr. Dodson, Dr. Richmond, Dr. Arku, Dr. Baxter, Dr. Gilliland, Dr. Ashmore, Dr. Shrubsole, Dr. Smart, Dr. Smith, Dr. Folch-Serra, Dr. Parr, Dr. Bezner-Kerr, and Dr. Bjorklund. You all have taught me invaluable lessons both inside and outside of the classroom. I would also like to Thank the departmental staff. Thank You Lori Johnson, Caroline Majeau, Joe Smrekar, Angelica Lucaci and Barbara Thomas. You assistance has been indispensable. I appreciate all the assistance and support I received at the long-term care home where I did my research. Thank You to Cheryl Gilmour, Kim Pollock and all the staff. You opened doors to landscapes of care that otherwise would have remained shut. I would also like to Thank the Ontario Graduate Scholarship and the Social Science and Humanities Research Council for funding. Last, but not least, I would like to Thank all my fellow graduate students in the department. This has been an incredible experience and I am glad we shared it together. Thanks for scholarly discussions, theoretical debates, exchange of ideas, Speaker Series, Geo Coffees, good times spent together, nights out, camping trips, or simply sitting around in the v lunchroom. All of you contributed to this great experience. However, I would like to name a few individuals. Kassandra Kulmann Thank You for being an amazing friend and an incredible gym buddy. I know I can always count on you for support, encouragement, and I want you to know that you exemplify the meaning of perseverance. Karen Ross you are one extraordinary woman. You are the epitome of strength and softness. Thank You for always making the time to listen, chat, support and encourage me in this process. Yours is a true, sweet, and caring heart. Mr. Spencer Barnes Thank You for being a wonderful Co-President of the GeoGrad Society. We faced many challenges together, but I always knew that any task we worked on would be a success. You are an incredibly dependable, knowledgeable and supportive individual. Gabrielle Rickman I would also like to Thank You for support throughout this process. Thank You for listening, encouraging, and always caring. I would like to say my final Thank You to some individuals in my year. Thank You to Emily Galley, Victoria Le, Mary Kerrigan, Cynthia Nava Garibaldi, Nina Sampson, Martin Lefebvre, Amy Ratcliffe, Yvonne Rollins, and Joshua Tobias. vi Table of Contents CERTIFICATE OF EXAMINATION ........................................................................... ii Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iii Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... v Table of Contents .............................................................................................................. vii List of Appendices .............................................................................................................. x Preface................................................................................................................................ xi Chapter 1 ............................................................................................................................. 1 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Research Objectives ................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Context ...................................................................................................................