Physical Activity and Women in Rural Poland

Lee, Katharine

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/75831 Copy

Description

Title

Physical Activity and Women in Rural Poland

Author(s)

Lee, Katharine

Issue Date

2015-04

Keyword(s)

Anthropology

Abstract

My current research is focused on the effects of physical activity on women of reproductive age. Part of this involves recognizing how culture affects both the amount of habitual physical activty people do and perceptions of exercise. I have the privilege to research these questions at a field site in rural Poland, the Mogielica Human Ecology Study Site. On the left side of this photo you can see hay drying in the sun which has been stacked in the traditional way -- by hand. After it dries, the hay will later be gathered using manual labor and assembled into larger hay stacks for livestock to use over the winter. On the right side of the photo you can see my fellow researchers and our Polish collaborators walking home after a very long day of walking through the mountains. Although much of the area has paved roads, walking a few kilometers per day is not considered noteworthy for many Polish people. In constrast, many Americans would consider a 2 km walk worthy of being recorded as exercise. These cultural perceptions of exercise are important when researching questions about the effects of physical activity on health.

Type of Resource

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/75831

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2015 Katharine Lee

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