Abstract
Smoking affects a large number of persons, in particular young women. The more smoking is integrated into the construct of identity, the more difficult it is to quit. However, research has focused much less on the identity issue than on examining other factors that influence smoking. Through a qualitative lens and from a social constructionist perspective, thematic analysis was applied to the accounts of three young women (two smokers and a non-smoker) based on transcripts from a focus group. The purpose was to analyse the construct of identity in relation to smoking as a way of bringing useful insights for future research. Four common themes were identified, which reveal the key features of individuality, independence, rationality
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It is a small-scale study involving three young women (19-21 year-old), students at a British University. ‘Jane’ is an occasional smoker (19), ‘Rosie’ (21) is a non-smoker, and ‘Kylie’ (20) is a regular smoker. Prior consent was obtained through research contracts. A focus groups was organized at the University, the topics being chosen in light of the relevant literature.
Qualitative analysis was chosen as the most appropriate for the purpose of the study, which is to give an insight into individual experiences, as opposed to predicting general phenomena. The epistemological perspective of social constructionism allowed focusing on the construction of meanings, as opposed to an objective reality assumed through what participants say (Willig,2013).
The study focused on young women’s accounts of their experience with smoking during adolescence and early adulthood years as a way to construct identity. Given that the question of identity is a broader question that the question of smoking itself, the participants included not only smokers but also a non-smoker. The aim was to look for common themes among smokers and non-smokers, rather than to analyse their accounts separately, therefore thematic analysis was considered
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This is in line with the fact that the study was based on a small sample (three participants) and was meant to serve as pilot for future research, therefore flexibility and usefulness should prevail over comprehensiveness and methodological