Efecto emocional en las familias

Cross-national research in the social sciences provides an international perspective by contrasting two or more countries. The four types of cross-national research described by Kohn (1996) include: The nation as the object of study, the nation as the unit of analysis, and transnational research, in which nations are studied as parts of a larger international system.

The fourth type of cross national research, applied to this study, involves the nation as the context of study. In this research, a cross national research orientation provides a framework for gaining a broader perspective of the range of park experiences in two diverse settings and testing the generality of findings beyond the context of a single country, rather than

contrasting the two countries.

Cross-national research includes both micro and macro level comparisons (Harris, 2007).

Macro level comparisons examine whole systems over a range of countries and across time, whereas micro level comparisons contrast particular aspects of a system, usually between nations with similar political, social and cultural structures. This descriptive study entails a micro level comparison of the experiences of older women in two different urban parks within two culturally similar countries.

Cross-national research using qualitative methods can create methodological challenges and considerable expense (Harris, 2007). Consistency in the research methodology is often difficult to achieve in cross national research. As the sole investigator in this research, a high level of consistency was achieved in the collection and analysis of data from both study sites.

Cross-national research can provide insights for researchers and enhance understanding of the variation in different national settings and the impact of this on policies and programmes.

Cross-national research in social sciences enables countries to contrast their experiences and make changes and improvements, as needed, based on the experiences of other countries. In this research, the micro level park comparisons provide an opportunity to contrast the

experiences of the participants in the two park settings, drawing on the similarities and differences in the two parks emerging from the data.

The park comparisons relevant to this research are outlined in Table 3.1 and include three key environmental domains: The park features; the cultural context of park use; and

environmental factors. The first comparative domain involves the park features, comprised of the physical and social attributes. The physical attributes of interest include the nature rich qualities of the parks, the built environment and features, the manageability of the settings for older women, environmental stability and continuity, and the influence of the location on the accessibility of the parks. The primary social attributes include the social inclusiveness of the parks represented by the multicultural and intergenerational character of the parks, the

prevalence of park use generally, and the influence of the location on the park as a gathering place within the city. The second comparative domain involves the cultural context of park use. Cultural differences may influence the norms and values associated with park activities and behaviours, and the value and meaning of the parks. The influence of contrasting environmental conditions, and particularly the climate, is the third domain. The diverse environmental conditions of the parks effect park use and experiences.

Table 3-1 Environmental domains: Park features, cultural influences and environmental context.

Domain  Elements  Specific aspects of each element 

Park features Physical attributes Built/design elements

    Nature rich restorative qualities

    Manageability

    Environmental stability/continuity

    Location (as an accessible urban setting)

  Social attributes Inclusiveness: Multicultural and intergenerational

    Park use (by others)

    Location (as a gathering place)

Cultural influences Cultural and social attributes

Cultural norms (re acceptable/legitimized behaviours)

    Cultural values (values, meanings, cultural

continuity)

Environmental context Climate Seasonal temperatures

    Precipitation

    Daylight hours

These domains provide a framework for exploring and discussing the variation in the study sites in this research. Comparisons between the two parks are discussed within the relevant sections of the following chapter.

Chapter 4 Findings

4.1 Introduction

The findings of this research are presented in five sections, reflecting the core themes that emerged during the collection and analysis of the research data. Each theme describes a distinct, although interrelated, park value, and the influence of the park features and

characteristics associated with that theme. Figure 4.1 illustrates the interrelated themes found in this research that reflect the value of the parks to the participants. These include contact with nature, social participation, meaningful leisure, connecting with the past, and the park as a manageable setting.

Figure 4-1: Themes reflecting the value and meaning of nature rich parks to women in later life

The first theme describes the value of the parks as nature rich settings. The two central aspects of this theme include the natural features of the parks that are portrayed as most

Social participation

Meaningful leisure

Connecting with the past Manageable

setting Contact with

nature

valuable to the participants, and the influence of these natural features on the experiences of the participants. The meaning of the parks as social venues is the second theme reflecting the value of the parks as places for nurturing relationships and for experiencing a sense of belonging and community. The features and characteristics of the parks that influence the social context of park use are described. The third theme involves a description of the parks as venues for pursuing meaningful leisure aimed at enhancing overall health and well-being.

The fourth theme provides an overview of the parks as enduring settings that provide a connection with the past. This theme is associated with the parks as settings that enable place-based reminiscence and contribute to a sense of continuity. The final theme which emerged in this research involves the park as a manageable setting for older women. Three central aspects of manageability were portrayed by the participants as having an important influence on park experiences.