Leisure Activities Experienced by Old Women in Farm

농촌여성노인의 여가체험

The purpose of this study was to understand the meaning and essence of leisure activities experienced by older females in rural communities and, in reference to that, to provide basic data to help develop health-promoting nursing intervention programs by investigating the indications of leisure and its effects on older individuals' life process. The qualitative research method of van Manen's Hermeneutical analysis and Phenomenological research are useful to study the true meaning and nature of experiences inherited from their language, belief, culture and social traditions. Consequently, the leisure that the women from the rural community were found to have experienced came down to a total of seven themes or activities: (a) to overcome loneliness through social interaction and get-togethers; (b) to achieve balance between body and mind by engaging in physical activities; (c) to try and help ease the burden on one's children; (d) to simply kill time; (e) to find oneself small pleasures; (f) to learn something new and feel proud; and (g) to live one's life as maintaining communication with the outside world. The study herein confirmed that the female elderly in rural area spend their free time on appreciating the nature, maintaining health and social interaction and hanging around with the peers of similar age to overcome economic woes and the feeling of estrangement unique in the social and economic context of rural communities.

본 연구는 농촌여성노인들이 체험하는 여가생활의 의미와 본질이 무엇인지 이해하고, 그들의 삶의 과정에 있어서 여가생활이 어떤 영향과 의미를 주는지 밝혀내어 건강과 관련된 간호중재 개발을 위한 기초자료를 제공하는데 목적을 두고 있다. 연구방법은 질적연구방법으로 van Manen의 해석학적 현상학적 분석방법을 사용하였다. 그 결과 농촌여성노인이 체험하는 여가생활은 '어울림을 통해 외로움 극복하기', '몸을 활용해 심신(心身)의 조화 이루기', '내 힘으로 자식(子息)의 짐 덜어주기', '무료한 세월보내기', '소소한 즐거움 찾기', '새로운 것을 익히며 뿌듯함 얻기', '세상과 소통하며 살아가기' 등의 7개의 본질적 주제를 도출하였다. 농촌여성노인이 체험하는 여가생활은 자연과 동화되면서, 건강과 사회관계를 유지하는 것으로 나타났다. 또한 농촌의 사회·경제적 특성으로 인한 외로움과 소외감 등을 연배노인들과 어울리며, 이를 극복하기 위한 시간임을 확인할 수 있었다.