Keywords

Water aerobics, subculture, older adults, aging, exercise

Abstract

Although previous research has focused on subcultures among deviant groups, very little research has been conducted on older adults' subcultures or subcultures within exercise settings. Given the lack of research on older and non-deviant groups, the current research study was designed to reveal how a senior water aerobics exercise class is indeed a subculture and provide a rich description of this understudied and unappreciated subculture. Data collection took place at a water aerobics exercise class at a health club in Central Florida. In the first phase of data collection, ethnographic observations were utilized to identify the social processes in the pool setting. In the second phase of data collection, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 seniors to provide a rich description of a water aerobics subculture. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, the results revealed that the water aerobics class resembles a subculture with distinctive norms, social roles and rituals. Based on these findings, this study concludes that groups such as water aerobics classes may influence seniors' self-esteem, wellbeing and transition into late adulthood.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2014

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Grauerholz, Elizabeth

Degree

Master of Arts (M.A.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Sociology

Degree Program

Applied Sociology

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0005179

URL

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0005179

Language

English

Release Date

May 2014

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Sciences; Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic

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Included in

Sociology Commons

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