Movements in a broader perspective – A study of women in a mountainous village in Nepal

Abstract

Human movement and function are central concepts in physiotherapy. The sociologist Pierre Bourdieu's theory including the concept of habitus, capital and field, provides an analytical tool for understanding how social structures are incorporated. The aim of this study was to describe female body movements in a non-western society and to suggest how physiotherapists may study movements in a broader perspective. Method: A one-year qualitative fieldwork was carried out in a mountainous village in Nepal. A group of women were followed through their daily living activities. Rudolph Laban's model was used for movement analyses. Findings: Generally, the movements of women in the fertile age were expressed by a direct and bounded flow with little use of personal space and rotation of the body. When men were present, the young women's bodies appeared concave with more restricted movements. Postmenopausal women's movements were flexible with a much freer flow compared with the young ones. The free flow was also observed in the youngest girls before the age of menarche. Conclusion: The findings from this study illustrate how structures, relationships, norms and values in the social field are incorporated and expressed in movements influencing human function in ways that should be considered within physiotherapy.