Empowering Cis-Women in Midlife Through Art-Making: A Heuristic Study
Purpose of the major project/research study:
I, Christina Droumtsekas, as a student art therapist and researcher at the Toronto Art Therapy Institute, am employing an arts-based theoretical method of inquiry to consider how society’s beauty standards might affect women in their midlife stage (age 40s and 50s), and if through the process of creating art that women can find their own sense of empowerment against these standards, in a thesis study for the partial fulfillment of the graduate diploma in art therapy.
I am exhibiting my art responses and research questions for twenty-one days on this website in a password-protected section dedicated to this study. In this section, I am inviting responses and creating a space for dialogue and reflections. This approach may allow me to gather valuable insights and perspectives from individuals who may not be aware of the benefits of art therapy or who may feel more comfortable expressing themselves online. Creating a password-protected section on my website dedicated to my art responses and research questions can provide a safe and interactive space for dialogue and reflection.
I am specifically seeking feedback from cis-women who identify and are entering or currently in the second phase of their lives, between the ages of 40-60.
You are invited to take part in this study beginning on September 1, 2023. I am hoping to gain insights from your comments and lived experiences as a cisgender woman who is in their second phase of life and dealing with challenges around sexual and mental well-being due to societal standards of beauty and sexuality.
What will happen during the major project/study?
- I will post my art reflections for 21 days commencing September 1st, 2023, in the password-protected section of this website. Each artwork will be accompanied by questions about cis-woman’s well-being, sexual health, mental wellness, and societal beauty norms. These questions are designed to encourage self-reflection, spark discussions, and build connections among our diverse community of visitors. You will receive a password after indicating your agreement to participate in the study at the bottom of this page.
- You may comment on any or all content created daily on the page itself or by emailing me directly. You will be required to enter a username in order to post a comment. You are not required to provide your email address in order to post a comment. If you choose to send an email, please note that I will not use your name or any identifying information in this study.
- If you choose to participate in the study by leaving your comments or liking content, I will not use any identifying information (user name, profile information) in the final report of the study.
- The comments you leave on the website and the username you choose for commenting will be visible to other participants. You are strongly encouraged to use a pseudonym when leaving comments to further protect your privacy and confidentiality.
- I will collect the comments you and other participants leave on the website, and look for common themes that arise through the participants’ comments on the daily posts.
Are there any risks to participating in this study?
Some questions or artwork posted may be uncomfortable to respond to; if you wish to withdraw from the study, you may unfollow the account anytime. If you choose to withdraw from the study, this action will confirm that you have withdrawn your consent to participate in the study. I will remove any comments you may have posted previously, and no information will be collected from this study.
The risks involved in participating in this study are minimal however, if you feel triggered and need support during this study, please send me an email at themedusastudy@gmail.com or contact your local crisis center.
Are there any benefits to participating in this study?
Through this study I am hoping to show the benefits that art-making/art therapy may have to empower cis-women in their midlife stage, facing Western Society’s beauty standards for cis-women.
Although this study may not directly benefit you (the participant) at this time, I am hoping that your feedback combined with my own reflective art-making throughout this study may substantiate the empowering and healing potential that creating art can have in reducing the negative impact of current beauty standards for cis- women in their midlife.
I hope that what is learned as a result of this study will help us to better understand the negative impacts that beauty standards can have on women in their midlife. This could help to redefine beauty for a cis-woman in her midlife.
Confidentiality: Who will know what I said or did in the study?
You are participating in this study confidentially. I will not use your name or any information that would allow you to be identified in my final report. No one other than myself and other participants who have joined the study will know that you participated unless you choose to tell them.
Every effort will be made to protect your confidentiality and privacy. However, we may become identifiable through the stories we tell. It is your choice to share as much or as little information as you feel comfortable sharing.
This study will use the website The Medusa Study to collect data, which is an externally hosted cloud-based service. When information is transmitted over the internet, privacy cannot be guaranteed. There is always a risk that your responses may be intercepted by a third party (e.g., government agencies, or hackers). Further, while the platform I use will not collect or use IP addresses or other information which could link your participation to your computer or electronic devices without informing you, there is a small risk with any platform of data that is collected on external servers falling outside the control of the researcher. If you are concerned about this, I would be happy to make alternative arrangements (where possible) for you to participate, perhaps via email. Please contact me for further information.
All data will be securely stored on my laptop which is password and fingerprinted protected. All handwritten notes will be kept in a locked filing cabinet in my home office that no one has access to. All data will be destroyed after the projected completion date of November 31, 2023.
Limits of Confidentiality.
Although I will protect your privacy as outlined above, if any person is at risk of being harmed, or if required by a court of law, I will have to reveal certain personal information to ensure safety, under the following circumstances:
If you’re at risk of seriously harming or killing yourself;
If you’re at risk of harming a specific, identified person;
If you disclose previously undisclosed sexual offenses or other serious violent crimes against identifiable individuals;
If you disclose information that would indicate a particular child (or children) under the age of 18 years has been harmed (physically, sexually, emotionally or neglected) or is at risk of being harmed or neglected;
If you disclose sexual abuse by a regulated health professional, such as a doctor, psychologist, dentist, or nurse. The professional in question will be reported, although it is not necessary to provide your name;
If a court orders your records, they may have to be provided;
If you disclose that a particular individual is in possession of, distributing, or producing sexual images or stories of children under 18.
What if I change my mind about being in the study?
Your participation in this study is voluntary. It is your choice to be part of the study or not. If you decide to be part of the study, you can decide to stop or withdraw at any time. If you decide to withdraw, there will be no consequences for you. In cases of withdrawal, any data or information you have provided will be destroyed unless you indicate otherwise. If you do not wish to comment on the art reflections you do not have to, but you can still be in the study. Your decision whether to be part of the study or not will not affect your relationship with me, and with the Toronto Art Therapy Institute.
What if I change my mind after the completion of the study?
You will not be able to withdraw your consent after the major project/thesis study has been completed and results submitted to the Toronto Art Therapy Institute as partial fulfillment of requirements for graduation by the projected completion date below. The study results may also be published and/or presented in spaces accessible to the public and this website. The projected completion will be November 31, 2023.
The password-protected section including all comments on the website will be permanently removed from the website/ internet on October 31, 2023
Your comments may only be used in my thesis report and possibly in future educational publications and presentations.
By choosing to join the study, you will gain access to the password-protected section, engage with the content, and by leaving a comment, you have read the above research information, are aware of how to contact the researcher to ask questions before participating, and you are consenting to participate in this study by contributing your words.
Guidelines for Participation:
Not to share the password to the protected page on this website with others who have not obtained it by accepting the consent information outlined on this page. If others are interested in this study, simply direct them to this consent page.
Respectful and constructive dialogue only when commenting.
Create and foster a supportive online community.
Support a safe space to share thoughts, stories, and ideas.
No name-calling or disparaging remarks will be tolerated and the user who breaches these guidelines will be removed from the study immediately.
This study has been approved by the Toronto Art Therapy Institute Research and Ethics Committee. Any ethical concerns about the project may be directed to the Research Ethics Committee of The Toronto Art Therapy Institute at torontoarttherapy@bellnet.ca or phone 416-924-6221.
In order to participate in this study and gain access to the password-protected section of this website, please carefully read the above information and fill in the form below stating that you have read and consented to the terms of this study.
If you still have questions please feel free to email me directly at themedusastudy@gmail.com.