Yoga and Identity - a research on the influence of yoga on identity
Author
Goldt, Dajana
Term
4. term
Publication year
2020
Submitted on
2020-06-02
Abstract
This thesis examines how the practice of yoga influences identity formation. Addressing a gap in which yoga and identity are often treated separately, it asks: How does the practice of yoga influence identity? Three sub-questions focus on perceived health, attitudes, and behavior. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with active practitioners who had practiced regularly for at least two years; due to COVID-19, interviews were held via video calls, recorded, transcribed, thematically coded, and analyzed using narrative analysis to foreground each participant’s story. The analysis is guided by an identity-focused theoretical framework (including Kegan, Social Identity Theory, and Hall) and supported by secondary literature; because participants were largely inactive on social media, a brief review of German yoga teacher Mady Morrison’s Instagram account was included as supplementary material. Findings indicate that yoga shapes participants’ identities through perceived effects on physical and mental health, shifts in attitudes, and behavioral changes; for many, the practice is integrated into daily life and understood as part of their self-concept. The study provides a foundation for future research and recommends larger-scale or longitudinal studies, ideally incorporating participant observation, to enable broader generalization.
Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan yogapraksis påvirker identitetsdannelse. Med udgangspunkt i et videnshul, hvor yoga og identitet ofte behandles adskilt, formuleres forskningsspørgsmålet: Hvordan påvirker yogapraksis identitet? Tre delspørgsmål retter sig mod oplevet sundhed, attituder og adfærd. Der er gennemført ti semistrukturerede interviews med aktive yogaudøvere, som har praktiseret regelmæssigt i mindst to år; på grund af COVID-19 blev samtalerne afholdt som videoopkald, optaget, transskriberet og tematisk kodet og efterfølgende analyseret gennem narrativ analyse for at fremhæve hver deltagers historie. Analysen bygger på et teoretisk rammeværk om identitet (bl.a. Kegan, Social Identity Theory og Hall) og understøttes af sekundærlitteratur; på grund af begrænset social medie-aktivitet blandt deltagerne indgår desuden en supplerende gennemgang af den tyske yogalærer Mady Morrisons Instagram-konto. Resultaterne viser, at yoga påvirker deltagernes identitet gennem oplevede effekter på fysisk og mental sundhed, ændringer i attituder og justeringer af adfærd; for mange er praksissen blevet integreret i hverdagen og opfattet som en del af deres selvforståelse. Studiet peger på behov for større eller længerevarende undersøgelser, gerne med deltagerobservation, for at kunne generalisere bredere.
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