| dc.description.abstract | In this thesis, the outdoor experiences of participants at Energiverket were explored. The data collected underwent analysis through the lens of Bruno Latour's Actor-Network theory (ANT) and was subsequently connected to a public health perspective.
I conducted two field trips with six participants from Energiverket’s outdoor group. The group aims to offer low-threshold nature-based activities to support mental health recovery. These trips lasted from 8:00 to 16:00 each and provided data from three sources: field notes, interviews, and written records. Data were later analysed using Braun and Clark’s reflexive thematic analysis. Additionally, ANT was also used as a methodological standpoint to highlight different perspectives.
The findings highlighted nature and humans as equal parts of the narrative – with a flat ontology. Five themes emerged from the data: Nature Can Make Us Feel Rewarded Through Tasks, Nature Seen as a Safe Place, The Social Aspects of Nature: Going Alone and Together, Nature as a Timber for Storytelling, and Nature as a Place for “Friends”, which produced various implications that can be applied to projects that use outdoor activities to improve human health. The themes included elements of nature that highlighted various connections between the experiences of the participants and the health perspective. This includes connections made with environmental psychology and also the Salutogenesis model.
To summarise, the Energiverket case study shed light on various nature-based intricacies and potentials that could be incorporated into the public health agenda. Further research is necessary to fully understand the profound connection between nature and the improvement in the quality of life it can offer. | |
