An apple a day keeps the doctor away: immigrant youth in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, and their constructions of health and fitness

Shea, Jennifer Mary (2006) An apple a day keeps the doctor away: immigrant youth in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, and their constructions of health and fitness. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This thesis examines the results of an empirical study, which aims to show how immigrant youth, aged 12-17, residing in 81. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, construct notions of health and fitness. Based on focus groups and the completion of journals with these youth, I examine their ideas of health and fitness, and how these are influenced by cultural and institutional discourses. The youth in this study have proven to be very knowledgeable about issues surrounding health and fitness, and often exhibit frustrations at the rigid discourses and in their own appropriation and/or rejection of these ideals. Results show how the readings of these cultural discourses are important in the formation of their personal meanings of health and fitness. Finally, I examine how these youth construct themselves and others as healthy/unhealthy or fit/unfit subjects through these dominant discourses. This study begins to fill important gaps in the Canadian literature on health and fitness by focusing on the perspectives of Canadian immigrant youth.

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