Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Leisure, Obesity And Weight Loss: An Exploration Of Leisure, The Public Health Ecological Model Of Obesity And Identity Theory, Weber Player

All Dissertations

Obesity is a global health crisis with complex causal relationships. From the mid 1990s to 2010, obesity related research in the clinical and social sciences has exploded. This expansion has resulted in a proliferation of obesity-related articles published in top-tier journals and the creation of new journals solely devoted to obesity research. In contrast within leisure scholarship, a review of leisure journals reveals that published research on the relationship of leisure, obesity and weight loss is minimal. However, numerous leisure scholarship/theory principles are relevant to obesity prevention and treatment. Similarly, public health officials have developed numerous systems-oriented multilevel framework models …

Factors Affecting The Sustainability Of Public-Private Collaborations At The Municipal Level: The Case Of Motorcycle Rallies, Anne Burgin Diallo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Urban public-private collaborations promoting large-scale tourist events are increasingly common. The incentive to collaborate, for urban policy-makers, is the perception of the opportunity for economic development, and yet little is known about factors contributing to the sustainability of such urban cross-sector collaborations. The dissertation accomplishes three objectives. First, it combines resource dependence theory (RDT) and goal congruence theory (GCT) to extend our understanding of how collaborating organizations align their respective organizational goals and manage their interdependencies in complex, urban, inter-sectoral, environments. This is accomplished through use of complementary factors from each theory. Second, using qualitative methods, the research applies RDT …

Examining The Space-Time Constraints Concept On Tourist Behavior For Visitors To The South Carolina Coastal Area Of The United States, Sanghoon Kang

All Dissertations

This dissertation explored three themes with regard to the spatial aspects of tourist behavior, conducting three independent analyses. For these analyses, this dissertation research adapted Shoval's (2012) definition of the space-time constraints concept developed by Hagerstrand (1970): the purpose of trip (i.e., authority constraints), the length of visit (i.e., capability constraints), and the composition of travel party (i.e., coupling constraints). The purposes of the three analyses were to examine the relationships 1) between the space-time constraints and the spatial patterns of travel; 2) between ICT use (i.e., smartphones) and the spatial patterns of travel, space-time constraints, tourists' unplanned destination visits, …

Therapeutic Riding And Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Program Evaluation, Brenna Goodwin

All Theses

Therapeutic riding is a commonly used therapeutic approach for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Research supports therapeutic riding for children with ASD; however, the effect of specific sub-types of therapeutic riding (e.g., therapeutic riding drill team) has been under investigated. Furthermore, the role of self-efficacy and other programmatic components (e.g., interaction with horses, interaction with other participants, etc.) of therapeutic riding programs have not been studied, especially among children with ASD. This study evaluated a therapeutic riding drill team for children with ASD to determine if and to what extent self-efficacy and other program components were present. Three forms …

Caring For The Land, Serving People: Creating A Multicultural Forest Service In The Civil Rights Era, Donna Lynn Sinclair

Dissertations and Theses

This qualitative study of representative bureaucracy examines the extension and limitations of liberal democratic rights by connecting environmental and social history with policy, individual decision making, gender, race, and class in American history. It documents major cultural shifts in a homogeneous patriarchal organization, constraints, advancement, and the historical agency of women and minorities. "Creating a Multicultural Forest Service" identifies a relationship between natural and human resources and tells a story of expanding and contracting civil liberties that shifted over time from women and people of color to include the differently-abled and LGBT communities. It includes oral history as a key …

The Management And Stewardship Of A Cetacean Collection, Rebecca Vele

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Cetacean, by definition, is a marine mammal of the order Cetacea; a whale, dolphin or porpoise. In light of their social intellect and friendly appearance, cetaceans are used in institutions such as zoos and aquariums as a source of education and entertainment for the public. Before the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, cetaceans were captured worldwide including in U.S. waters. In the United States today, there are over 224 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Out of those 224, 34 of these institutions display cetaceans.

Even though the Marine Mammal Protection Act “Prohibits, with …

Application Of Heritage Tourism Development Frameworks To Jenkins County, Georgia, Shelby R. Herrin

Honors College Theses

With the decline of traditional agriculture and extraction industries, many small towns in the Southeast US are facing challenges of economic decline and looking for alternative development trajectories. The city of Millen in Jenkins County, Georgia is one of such small towns. With the discovery of a large Civil War heritage resource, Millen’s administration became interested in developing the town’s tourism potential. However, the community possesses neither the resources nor knowledge to develop and promote this potential. In this project, the combination of Gunn’s functioning tourism system model as a conceptual framework and Jamal and Getz’s three-step collaborative community tourism …

Identifying The Importance And Performance Perceptions Of Positive Youth Development Features In Camps Worldwide, Chelsea Marie Schwabe

All Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine international camp professionals' perceptions of the importance and performance of Eccles and Gootman's (2002) Eight Features that Maximize Positive Youth Development. Members of the International Camping Fellowship, ages 18 and older and of different demographic backgrounds, were asked for their perceived importance and performance ratings of the eight features on a five point Likert scale. The data were used to create importance-performance matrices using Martilla and James' (1977) Importance-Performance Analysis technique in order to create visual depictions of the recorded perceptions. This cross-cultural, cross-sectional study utilized Importance-Performance Analysis to create a snapshot …

Appalachian Festival Proposal, Timothy Rainer, Cassie Grate, Callen Thompson, Amy Gadd

Senior Year Experience Student Projects

A proposal to the city of Columbus to hold an Appalachian Festival in Goodale Park to increase awareness of Appalachian culture in the city.

Restaurant Revenue Management: Examining Reservation Policy Implications At Fine Dining Restaurants, Nanishka Hernandez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the restaurant industry, some patrons do not honor their reservations, especially on holidays. Grounded in postpositivism and system theories, the purpose of this comparative study was to examine the impact of implementing a credit card payment policy for fine dining restaurants reservations and no shows after implementation of a credit card guarantee policy at a high-end hotel located in the southeast United States. Data were collected from archival records provided by the hotel executives. According to the results of a Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, there was a statistically significant decrease in the number of no shows, p < .001, after the implementation of the credit card guarantee policy. In a paired sample t-test, there was a statistically significant decrease in the number of reservations, p < .001, after implementation of the credit card guarantee policy. The implications for positive social change include the potential to increase understanding of payment policies as they relate to the restaurant industry. Service industry managers can benefit from implementing payment policies that can vary from specific dates, seasons, and type of services. Customers will also benefit by being able to make reservations not originally possible due to demand. The current study adds to service industry knowledge, increasing the understanding of payment policies as they relate to restaurant industry. Conducting a similar study in other service industries in the future may lead to a better understanding of the nature of policies and customers' traits and behaviors.

Longitudinal Variation In Environmental Impact At Rock Climbing Areas In The Red River Gorge Limits Of Acceptable Change Study Area, Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky, Nicholas Walendziak

Online Theses and Dissertations

Recreation ecology began in the 1960s to measure the impacts of recreation on ecosystems. Area of environmental impact is an important objective to assess recreational impact. However, few researchers have examined the trends of these impacts over time. This study measures the environmental area of impact at eight climbing areas, in Red River Gorge, Kentucky, over a six year period, to determine impact trends. The results of this research will help recreation ecologists and land managers understand environmental impacts over time, and possibly predict future impact scenarios. The hypothesis of this research is the total mean area of impact at …

Understanding Visitor Experiences At The Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, Jessica A. Brown

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

The Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument (UMRBNM) is known for unique recreation opportunities on a wild and scenic river. Visitor’s experiences are complex and can be influenced by new management regulations, perceived conflict, and crowding, which can impact overall user satisfaction. This study examines the breadth of visitor experiences on the UMRBNM and assesses stakeholders’ satisfaction of BLM management. Using a qualitative approach, in-depth phone interviews were conducted with Key Informants. Those interviewed represent a diverse group of stakeholders including advisory council members, non-profits and friends groups, outfitters and guides, and local officials. Interviews explored visitor experiences, satisfaction with …

A Gis Assessment Of Ecoregion Representation In Chile's Existing And Proposed Integrated Network Of Protected Areas, Jessica Schutz

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Chile's state designated protected areas are reported to show representation bias and to be unable to meet conservation goals. Private protected areas are considered an important tool to resolve these issues, which has led to support for increasing the role of private protected areas in Chile and creating an integrated public-private protected area network. But the validity of the capacity of private protected areas to fix Chile's state protected area network bias, and the advantage of creating an integrated protected area network, have not been assessed. This study uses the most recent data on Chile's state, private, and international protected …

The Evolution Of Joint Management In Western Australia Parks And The Indigenous Tourism Nexus, Lori-Ann Shibish

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Since the early 2000s, park management approaches to protected area governance have undergone a significant transformation, driven by the realisation that long-term conservation outcomes depend on participation in decision-making by stakeholders. To meet these challenges one of the measures being adopted by park managers is to engage in joint management arrangements. Recent changes to the conservation legislation in Western Australia provides the capacity for the Department of Parks and Wildlife (Parks and Wildlife) to enter into joint management arrangements with Aboriginal traditional owners and others for the management of protected areas, regardless of the land vesting or tenure. Joint management …

Identifying And Evaluating Revenue Strategies For Parks And Recreation Departments Across The Western United States, Beth Pinkston

Master's Projects

No abstract provided.

Stepping Out From The Crowd: (Re)Branding Jamaica's Tourism Product Through Sports And Culture, Thelca Patrice White

Masters Theses

Branding and marketing, in a world where much emphasis is placed on commercialism, are inextricably linked, and carry significant weight. Brands, as we have come to know them, are seemingly ubiquitous, and represent an omnipresent way for many businesses to communicate vital information about their products to existing, as well as, prospective customers. However, while many persons consider branding to be directly related to huge corporations, branding has expanded its repertoire to include nations. While many scholars of marketing and branding have placed keen attention on the branding of corporations, very little attention has been placed on the branding of …