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Dr. Diana C. Parry
Ph.D. (Leisure Studies) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
2003
M.A (Recreation and Leisure Studies) from the University of Waterloo,
1998
B.R.L.S. (Recreation and Leisure Studies) from Brock University, 1996
Research Interests
My research explores the roles of leisure in women’s health and
wellbeing from a feminist, interpretative framework. In my view, it is
difficult to capture an understanding of health experiences solely through
the documentation of physiological causes, psychological outcomes, and
technological solutions, the focus of much research to date. Every day
life events and experiences also warrant attention. Consequently, my research
directs attention away from the medicalization of women’s health
issues. Instead, I focus on a more a holistic approach to women’s
health including their emotional and social well-being. One of my previous
research projects explored the roles of leisure in women’s experiences
of menopause and mid-life. I also studied the roles of leisure in a woman’s
experience with infertility. Further, I am currently initiating a research
project exploring the experiences of breast cancer survivors who belong
to a dragon boat racing team called ‘Dragons Abreast’. The
purpose of this research is to explore how participation in dragon boat
racing serves to encourage women living with breast cancer to lead full
and active lives and to understand the rewards of recreational exercise
for women living with breast cancer – two purposes of the dragon
boat racing team. In conducting this research, I hope to contribute to
the body of research on cancer care by furthering an understanding of
leisure’s role in women’s quality of life.
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