Research directions
Axis 1: Study of Health Practices
This axis analyzes 'health behaviors' as 'social practices' that are contextualized, gendered, and embodied. My research is inspired among others by the Social Practices Theory (Reckwitz, 2002; Blue et al., 2016), examining the meaning individuals attribute to their health practices in specific contexts, considering specific social, material, and/or 'natural' environments. For example, a research project stemming from this axis focuses on the health among professional ballet dancers. This qualitative study highlights the complex relationships between everyday practices, bodies, health, and institutional and sociocultural norms (del Río Carral, Gemignani, & LaMarre, 2023). Other projects explore health, including the 'ecological' dimension, such as the book co-edited with Nicolas Senn, Marie Gaille, and Julia Gonzalez Holguera on the links between environments, health, and clinical practice published by Médecine et Hygiène. My expertise has also contributed to a qualitative project on the links between dietary practices and sustainability among young people in collaboration with the City of Lausanne (PI Grégoire Zimmermann). My interest in studying environments and materialities in relation to health will continue through new projects, given the societal importance of the issues raised by this approach.
Blue, S., Shove, E., Carmona, C., & Kelly, M. P. (2016). Theories of practice and public health: understanding (un) healthy practices. Critical public health, 26(1), 36-50.
del Río Carral, M., LaMarre, A., & Gemignani, M. (2023). “My job is to keep my body healthy”: biopedagogies, beauty and institutional greed in professional ballet. Psychology & Health, 1-18.
Reckwitz, A. (2002). Toward a theory of social practices: A development in culturalist theorizing. European journal of social theory, 5(2), 243-263.
Axis 2. Digital health
This axis focuses on the qualitative study of the links between Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), health, body, and identities. Various projects contribute to this research direction. One of them, the Healthvlogging project, was funded by the FNS Spark program (co-applicant, Prof. Daniel Gatica-Pérez, EPFL). This study explored health practices staged by professional Lifestyle YouTubers using an innovative methodology. The interdisciplinary team, including collaborators in health psychology (Lucia Volpato and Chloé Michoud), studied how the visual and narrative content published by these YouTubers contributes to creating new narratives about health and well-being within an unprecedented media culture. Results suggest that YouTubers convey individualistic views of health and well-being, emphasizing moral imperatives for constant self-improvement. They encourage individuals to engage in constant identity and body work, presenting the behavior change towards a healthy life as an individual 'choice' linked to moral values ('becoming a good person'). The conveyed health approach emphasizes the role of the psychological dimension in change, minimizing the structural and societal dimensions of health and well-being.
Following Healthvlogging, there has been the acquisition of an ongoing FNS research fund, titled "Navigating through a postfeminist social media culture: Young females’ experiences of health and wellbeing - MeStories." This ongoing project aims to analyze how social media culture contributes to constructing identities, bodies, and health practices among young women, exploring sociocultural discourses such as post-feminism. The project involves junior FNS researcher and PhD candidate MSc. Eileen Rabel, and senior FNS researchers PhD. Dulce Ferraz and PhD. Nilima Chowdhury, with the support of Amandine Franzoni.
Axis 3: Methodological Innovation and Adapting Qualitative Research Approaches
My third research line, closely connected to the other two axis, focuses on an in depth reflection around epistemological, ontological, and methodological issues related to qualitative research in psychology. This interest is linked to the constant need to adapt to complex research topics and current societal challenges. Thus, adaptability, flexibility, and creativity guide my approach to conducting high-quality qualitative research. This research axis led me to be a founding member of EQuiP (European society for Qualitative Researchers In Psychology), and become its first president. Furthermore, I regularly collaborate in various national and international projects as a scientific partner and/or co-applicant, given this methodological expertise.
