Abstract:

This qualitative study examines women's connection to nature and the implications this holds for body image. Body image is defined as the inner perception of outer appearances and has been linked to various psychological disturbances, such as body dysmorphic disorder, anorexia nervosa, and bulimia nervosa. The field of ecopsychology is currently exploring connection to nature and wilderness experiences as healing modalities for issues such as depression, low self-esteem, and well-being. Using feminist and organic research methods, this study inquired into the lived experiences of 12 working-class and middle-class women ages 24-55, to examine the impact of connection to nature on body image. The researcher conducted in-depth interviews using a semistructured format in order to allow experiences to be shared in a natural progression. Researcher and coresearchers honored the interview process as a sacred sharing. Both the researcher and coresearchers reviewed the information from the interviews to ensure that accurate portrayals of experiences were recorded. Results of this organic inquiry are the stories of the 12 coresearchers. The researcher concluded with a discussion of the interviews and the implications the data may have for developing alternative methods of addressing negative body image in women.