Kvinnors hälsa – en fråga om medvetenhet, möjligheter och makt - Att öka förståelsen för människors livssammanhang genom tidsgeografisk analys

Abstract

This thesis is an exploratory and action-oriented study, with a focus on the present societal problem of long-term sick leave. It deals with people’s efforts to keep their health when it is threatened and to regain it when it has already turned into sickness. An underlying hypothesis is that individuals’ knowledge of their own life- and work context must be utilised in order to deal with the increasing sick leave rates.

The main aim of this study is therefore to develop, test and evaluate whether a time- geographic approach can encourage people to change and influence their life-context in a direction that is desired by the individual herself.

Time geography forms the base for the theoretical frame of reference and the main concept that is elaborated is life-context. Theoretical inspiration also comes from phenomenological theory, the theory of symbolic interaction and the ”Sense of Coherence” (SOC) approach.

Methodologically, people are studying their own life-contexts through a time- geographic diary method and a work model. This gives an awareness of actual restrictions and possibilities for their space (scope) of action and thereby a new platform for action.

The empirical base is two case studies. One study takes place in a rehabilitation setting where the participants are women on long-term sick leave, primarily because of fibromyalgia. The other study is a work environment project where the participants are female dentists in a Norrbotten’s County Council in the north of Sweden. Consequently, the case studies deal with the problem of long-term sick leave both when it has already become a reality and while there is still time to prevent it.

The results are mostly positive. The participants received new insights when their life contexts became tangible in diaries and computer-drawn maps. When their unique, activity-related geographical, and social contexts were analysed and related to the participants’ experienced life contexts, it became clear what they were doing when not feeling well and could therefore improve upon.