Leisure as Pathway to Well-Being and Belonging among Iranian Immigrant Women, 30-55 years of age, in Ottawa, Canada

Abstract

This dissertation examines leisure as pathway for well-being, social connection, and belonging among Iranian newcomer immigrant women aged 30 to 55 in Ottawa, Canada. In doing so, this study addresses a gap in the literature and praxis on newcomers and settlement services by exploring how a group of Iranian newcomer women aged 30-55 understand and experience leisure during migration and settlement; what intersecting structural, gendered, and cultural factors constrain or enable their participation; the role a settlement service community-based organization plays in mediating leisure access; and how leisure contributes to their well-being, identity, and belonging.

This manuscript-based dissertation produced three studies in collaboration with a local settlement service organization in Ottawa serving Farsi-speaking newcomers. The three distinct but interconnected studies utilized a mixed methods approach including surveys, facilitation of in-person leisure activities, post-activity evaluations, follow-up feedback sessions and participant observation. The first paper examined leisure preferences and structural access conditions among Farsi-speaking immigrant women (n=40) through a bilingual Farsi-English leisure interest survey. The second study co-designed and facilitated three community-based leisure activities: a group walk along the Rideau Canal; a Classical Persian dance workshop; and a visit to the National Gallery of Canada. Data was collected from post-activity evaluations (n=32), participant observation, and follow-up feedback sessions to explore participants' perceptions on leisure and well-being, social connection, and belonging. The third study examined how a settlement organization can play a role in mediating newcomer women's access to leisure. Grounded in an intersectional feminist theoretical framework and a community-based participatory research methodology, we demonstrate that leisure is not peripheral to immigrant settlement but a socially-embedded dimension of everyday life through which women negotiate identity, care, connection, and belonging. Concluding reflections emphasize the importance of participant-informed and community-supported approaches to inclusive leisure programming for newcomers.