Spending time in or around bodies of water or ‘blue spaces’ can benefit human health and well-bei... more Spending time in or around bodies of water or ‘blue spaces’ can benefit human health and well-being. A growing body of evidence suggests immersion in blue space, e.g., participating in ‘wild’ swimming, can be particularly beneficial for both physical and mental health. To date, wild swimming and health research has primarily focused on the experience of individuals who swim in the sea. Empirical studies of the health-promoting potential of swimming in freshwater environments, such as lochs and lakes, are lacking, despite the popularity of this practice in many countries and the vastly different physical and hydrological properties of freshwater and coastal environments. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between loch (lake) swimming and health and well-being for adults living in Scotland and determine the importance of perceptions of place and risk in this relationship. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve wild swimmers who regularly swim in lochs...
As policy and funding associated with informal/unpaid/family caring develops, more attention has ... more As policy and funding associated with informal/unpaid/family caring develops, more attention has been given to data that support and inform such policy. In particular, evidence around aspects of inequality is often expressed in geographical variations between places in terms of numbers and rates. In general, to date, research on informal caring has focused little on how such variations can be visualised and analysed. This short article looks at the mapping of data from Irish censuses between 2002 and 2016 to: first, explore and visualise patterns of caring, including high-intensity caring. A second broad aim is to use different spatial techniques, including location quotients and clustering, to provide more robust visualisations of spatial variations. Finally, some putative links are but forward between the variable geographical distributions of caring and changes in legislation and policy for carers in Ireland during that same period.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020
Although a large body of research supports the theory that exposure to nature results in mental h... more Although a large body of research supports the theory that exposure to nature results in mental health benefits, research evidence on the effects of having a view of green space from home is still scarce. The aim of the present study is to assess the impact that access to a green space view from home has on anxiety and depression. This is a cross-sectional study extracting data from the “2018 Green Spaces, Daily Habits and Urban Health Survey” conducted in Carmona (Spain). The study included variables on sociodemographic and lifestyle, view of green spaces from home, self-perceived health status, and risk of anxiety and depression measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Chi-square tests were used to assess variable’s associations and a multiple linear regression models used to identify the variables explaining the risk of anxiety and depression, taking into account sociodemographic characteristics, frequency of visits and view of green spaces from home. Acco...
The term 'therapeutic landscapes' was first coined by health geographer, Wilbert Gesler, ... more The term 'therapeutic landscapes' was first coined by health geographer, Wilbert Gesler, in 1992 to explore why certain environments seem to contribute to a healing sense of place. Since then, the concept and its applications have evolved and expanded as researchers have examined the dynamic material, affective and socio-cultural roots and routes to experiences of health and wellbeing in specific places. Drawing on a scoping review of studies of these wider therapeutic landscapes published between 2007 and 2016, this paper explores how, where, and to what benefit the 'therapeutic landscapes' concept has been applied to date, and how such applications have contributed to its critical evolution as a relevant and useful concept in health geography. Building on themes included in two earlier (1999, 2007) edited volumes on Therapeutic Landscapes, we summarise the key themes identified in the review, broadly in keeping with the core material, social, spiritual and symbolic...
This paper responds to Winder and Le Heron’s (2017) article on the Blue Economy and starts by ack... more This paper responds to Winder and Le Heron’s (2017) article on the Blue Economy and starts by acknowledging their laudable attempt to critically examine the terminology and in particular its economic framing. Their articulation of how this can be extended to consider bioeconomic relations, ethics and politics and where geographers play a role in innovative forms of knowledge production is then critically examined. I suggest that the term blue needs to be examined more fully alongside the term economic and identify a range of complex palettes and forms that need to be considered. In addition, I propose that health in a range of forms, both human and non-human, might be fed into the mix to deepen their discussion of both value and ethics of care. Finally, the notion of ‘one blue’, following the example of ‘one health’, is tentatively suggested as a conceptual term to deepen their call for stronger aspects of therapeutic assemblage thinking to be fed into future ocean and marine manage...
Spatial Justice and the Irish Crisis focuses on the key political, economic and social geographie... more Spatial Justice and the Irish Crisis focuses on the key political, economic and social geographies defining contemporary Ireland arising from the financial crisis. The concept of ‘spatial justice’ provides a cogent entry point into debates around austerity and social justice, and this volume offers a nuanced and geographically specific critique of everyday concerns of citizens, planners and government officials alike. Each chapter offers a detailed examination of core aspects of the crisis and its management, including issues of housing, planning and the environment, health, education, migration and unemployment, with analyses extending beyond the academy to questions of policy, governmentality, public participation and active citizenship. The volume features key contributions from prominent geographers across Ireland, north and south, along with leading geographers from the UK and North America. Contributors include: Danny Dorling, John Agnew, Rory Hearne, Rob Kitchin, Cian O’Callaghan, Marie Mahon, Anna R. Davies, David Meredith, Jon Paul Faulkner, Des McCafferty, Eileen Humphreys, Ronan Foley, Adrian Kavanagh, Mary Gilmartin, Gerry Kearns and an interview between David Harvey and John Morrissey.
With the increased acceptance of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) within society, new... more With the increased acceptance of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) within society, new research reflects deeper folk health histories beyond formal medical spaces. The contested relationships between formal and informal medicine have deep provenance and as scientific medicine began to professionalise in the 19th century, lay health knowledges were simultaneously absorbed and disempowered (Porter 1997). In particular, the 'medical gaze' and the responses of informal medicine to this gaze were framed around themes of power, regulation, authenticity and narrative reputation. These responses were emplaced and mobile; enacted within multiple settings by multiple agents and structures over time. The work is drawn from secondary material from Ireland, which identify more indigenous narratives of health and act as potential sources for medical humanities. While assumptions have been made as to the place of folk-medicine being essentially rural, evidence will be presented ...
This paper explores swimming as a healthy body-water engagement in blue space at selected outdoor... more This paper explores swimming as a healthy body-water engagement in blue space at selected outdoor Irish swimming spots. Associated theoretical underpinnings draw from non-representational theories (NRT). Taking as a starting point the idea of immersion, the paper argues for a deeper application of NRT to blue space settings. In addition, the paper reflects recent therapeutic geographies research on differential experiences of health and wellbeing linked to such immersions. Methodologically, the paper uses observer participation and swimmer's own voices to draw affective and embodied accounts from on and within water. The act of swimming as an emplaced and performed therapeutic encounter is highlighted along with a more critical discussion of contested narratives associated with risk and respect. Theoretical learning suggests the need for greater attention to the production of affect from across the life-course and a fuller articulation of the in-betweenness of theory and empiric...
Spending time in or around bodies of water or ‘blue spaces’ can benefit human health and well-bei... more Spending time in or around bodies of water or ‘blue spaces’ can benefit human health and well-being. A growing body of evidence suggests immersion in blue space, e.g., participating in ‘wild’ swimming, can be particularly beneficial for both physical and mental health. To date, wild swimming and health research has primarily focused on the experience of individuals who swim in the sea. Empirical studies of the health-promoting potential of swimming in freshwater environments, such as lochs and lakes, are lacking, despite the popularity of this practice in many countries and the vastly different physical and hydrological properties of freshwater and coastal environments. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between loch (lake) swimming and health and well-being for adults living in Scotland and determine the importance of perceptions of place and risk in this relationship. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve wild swimmers who regularly swim in lochs...
As policy and funding associated with informal/unpaid/family caring develops, more attention has ... more As policy and funding associated with informal/unpaid/family caring develops, more attention has been given to data that support and inform such policy. In particular, evidence around aspects of inequality is often expressed in geographical variations between places in terms of numbers and rates. In general, to date, research on informal caring has focused little on how such variations can be visualised and analysed. This short article looks at the mapping of data from Irish censuses between 2002 and 2016 to: first, explore and visualise patterns of caring, including high-intensity caring. A second broad aim is to use different spatial techniques, including location quotients and clustering, to provide more robust visualisations of spatial variations. Finally, some putative links are but forward between the variable geographical distributions of caring and changes in legislation and policy for carers in Ireland during that same period.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020
Although a large body of research supports the theory that exposure to nature results in mental h... more Although a large body of research supports the theory that exposure to nature results in mental health benefits, research evidence on the effects of having a view of green space from home is still scarce. The aim of the present study is to assess the impact that access to a green space view from home has on anxiety and depression. This is a cross-sectional study extracting data from the “2018 Green Spaces, Daily Habits and Urban Health Survey” conducted in Carmona (Spain). The study included variables on sociodemographic and lifestyle, view of green spaces from home, self-perceived health status, and risk of anxiety and depression measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Chi-square tests were used to assess variable’s associations and a multiple linear regression models used to identify the variables explaining the risk of anxiety and depression, taking into account sociodemographic characteristics, frequency of visits and view of green spaces from home. Acco...
The term 'therapeutic landscapes' was first coined by health geographer, Wilbert Gesler, ... more The term 'therapeutic landscapes' was first coined by health geographer, Wilbert Gesler, in 1992 to explore why certain environments seem to contribute to a healing sense of place. Since then, the concept and its applications have evolved and expanded as researchers have examined the dynamic material, affective and socio-cultural roots and routes to experiences of health and wellbeing in specific places. Drawing on a scoping review of studies of these wider therapeutic landscapes published between 2007 and 2016, this paper explores how, where, and to what benefit the 'therapeutic landscapes' concept has been applied to date, and how such applications have contributed to its critical evolution as a relevant and useful concept in health geography. Building on themes included in two earlier (1999, 2007) edited volumes on Therapeutic Landscapes, we summarise the key themes identified in the review, broadly in keeping with the core material, social, spiritual and symbolic...
This paper responds to Winder and Le Heron’s (2017) article on the Blue Economy and starts by ack... more This paper responds to Winder and Le Heron’s (2017) article on the Blue Economy and starts by acknowledging their laudable attempt to critically examine the terminology and in particular its economic framing. Their articulation of how this can be extended to consider bioeconomic relations, ethics and politics and where geographers play a role in innovative forms of knowledge production is then critically examined. I suggest that the term blue needs to be examined more fully alongside the term economic and identify a range of complex palettes and forms that need to be considered. In addition, I propose that health in a range of forms, both human and non-human, might be fed into the mix to deepen their discussion of both value and ethics of care. Finally, the notion of ‘one blue’, following the example of ‘one health’, is tentatively suggested as a conceptual term to deepen their call for stronger aspects of therapeutic assemblage thinking to be fed into future ocean and marine manage...
Spatial Justice and the Irish Crisis focuses on the key political, economic and social geographie... more Spatial Justice and the Irish Crisis focuses on the key political, economic and social geographies defining contemporary Ireland arising from the financial crisis. The concept of ‘spatial justice’ provides a cogent entry point into debates around austerity and social justice, and this volume offers a nuanced and geographically specific critique of everyday concerns of citizens, planners and government officials alike. Each chapter offers a detailed examination of core aspects of the crisis and its management, including issues of housing, planning and the environment, health, education, migration and unemployment, with analyses extending beyond the academy to questions of policy, governmentality, public participation and active citizenship. The volume features key contributions from prominent geographers across Ireland, north and south, along with leading geographers from the UK and North America. Contributors include: Danny Dorling, John Agnew, Rory Hearne, Rob Kitchin, Cian O’Callaghan, Marie Mahon, Anna R. Davies, David Meredith, Jon Paul Faulkner, Des McCafferty, Eileen Humphreys, Ronan Foley, Adrian Kavanagh, Mary Gilmartin, Gerry Kearns and an interview between David Harvey and John Morrissey.
With the increased acceptance of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) within society, new... more With the increased acceptance of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) within society, new research reflects deeper folk health histories beyond formal medical spaces. The contested relationships between formal and informal medicine have deep provenance and as scientific medicine began to professionalise in the 19th century, lay health knowledges were simultaneously absorbed and disempowered (Porter 1997). In particular, the 'medical gaze' and the responses of informal medicine to this gaze were framed around themes of power, regulation, authenticity and narrative reputation. These responses were emplaced and mobile; enacted within multiple settings by multiple agents and structures over time. The work is drawn from secondary material from Ireland, which identify more indigenous narratives of health and act as potential sources for medical humanities. While assumptions have been made as to the place of folk-medicine being essentially rural, evidence will be presented ...
This paper explores swimming as a healthy body-water engagement in blue space at selected outdoor... more This paper explores swimming as a healthy body-water engagement in blue space at selected outdoor Irish swimming spots. Associated theoretical underpinnings draw from non-representational theories (NRT). Taking as a starting point the idea of immersion, the paper argues for a deeper application of NRT to blue space settings. In addition, the paper reflects recent therapeutic geographies research on differential experiences of health and wellbeing linked to such immersions. Methodologically, the paper uses observer participation and swimmer's own voices to draw affective and embodied accounts from on and within water. The act of swimming as an emplaced and performed therapeutic encounter is highlighted along with a more critical discussion of contested narratives associated with risk and respect. Theoretical learning suggests the need for greater attention to the production of affect from across the life-course and a fuller articulation of the in-betweenness of theory and empiric...
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Papers by Ronan Foley