Leisure Studies Commons^™

Socio-Cultural And Economic Impacts Of Religious Festivals On Sustainable Local Community Livelihoods In Kerala: The Case Of Palakkad, Dr. Bindu V T Nair, Aiswarya Babu N

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Festivals depict the heritage, culture, and traditions of a particular region. They create a state of exhilaration and enthusiasm. Kerala is a state in southwest India with its own distinct culture and traditions. The state is also known for its religious pluralism. This study attempts to understand the perceived impact of religious festivals on the local community livelihoods in Palakkad, a district in central Kerala. Twelve temples in which religious festivals are held annually, with attendance in the range of thousands, were selected. The selected temples are famous for hosting specific religious festivals which attract a large number of visitors, …

Exploring Climate, Wellbeing, Resilience, And Resistance In 2slgbtq+ Leisure Spaces: A Mixed Methods Study To Advance Inclusion, Tin Vo

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Participating in queer sports groups, rainbow choirs, trans virtual discussion groups and other Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexually and gender diverse (2SLGBTQ+) leisure activities can offer participants safety from societal heterosexism and cisgenderism and opportunities for community connection and peer support, as well as foster their overall wellbeing. Yet, transgender/gender nonconforming (TGNC), racialized, and/or disabled individuals, and those with other diverse identities are often marginalized in these spaces. Though researchers have studied exclusion within 2SLGBTQ+ leisure spaces, relatively little is known about how the climate of these spaces shapes social and mental health outcomes. Connected to …

The Montana Expression 2021: Resident Employment, Relocation, And Outdoor Recreation During Covid-19, Megan Schultz, Carter Bermingham

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This report is a summary of Montana residents and their self-reported use of public lands and waterways during 2020 compared to previous years. Data were collected from January 1st to March 31st of 2021. As a result of the pandemic, the number of people participating in outdoor recreation in certain parts of the country increased significantly – Montana being one of those places. Public lands and waterways, like state and federally managed parks, reported record visitation numbers for some months of 2020. In addition, anecdotal reports from public land managers and tourism partners also suggests that the level of use …

A Needs Assessment Of Butts County After-School Programs And Their Inclusivity, Gracie P. Thompson

Honors College Theses

After-school programs have proven themselves to be a fantastic way for students to gain extra learning and social skills, while not in the usual school setting. Another benefit is to increase physical activity, to lessen the chance of childhood obesity. In Butts county, more specifically Daughtry Elementary School, there is currently an after-school program, but it does not have much of a structure- recreationally or at all. This poses a hidden problem for the students in the school system who may have no one to motivate them to get active, or no one to make them do any kind of …

The Possibilities Are Limitless: A Case Study Of The Best Practices Of User Experience For Apple Inc., Chloe Richardson

Experience Industry Management

In recent years, society has followed the development of user experience practices in technology companies. User experiences contribute to emotional connections between the company and the consumer, memorable experiences associated with the brand, and the design of products. The purpose of this study was to examine the best practices of user experience for Apple Inc. The research for this study was conducted using a best practice case study guide developed by the researcher that examined the user experience Apple provides. The results of this study indicate there are numerous ways Apple creates user experiences. Apple was recognized as a leading …

(S)Expectations Abroad: Male Traveler Interactions With Southeast Asian Economies, Elliot J. Glotfelty, Glenn M. Miles

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Interacting with locals is a highlight of the tourism experience; however, these interactions may be accompanied by unsolicited propositions for the traveler to participate in the sex industry. Through the lens of Thailand’s largely visible sex industry, this work addresses issues of tourism and travel intertwined with the sex industry in greater Southeast Asia. Governments, a variety of businesses and individuals benefiting financially from a burgeoning sex tourism industry encourage persistence of a viable local sex trade. Although subtleties exist between human trafficking, the sex industry, and sex tourism, each can be intertwined. This article provides an overview of the …

An Exploratory Examination Of Perceptions Of Impacts To A Coastal Destination: Tourists Versus Locals, Eric Frauman

Journal of Tourism Insights

Do tourists believe they positively or negatively impact the destinations they visit, particularly those that rely on coastal nature and heritage-based environments to attract visitors? How do tourist’s perceptions compare to residents, and what additional insight might this information provide for destination management organizations (e.g., Convention and Visitors Bureau’s) and local government officials? Furthermore, how do residents perceive their own impacts to the communities they live in? As such, this exploratory study, unlike previous studies, compared tourists and residents perceived impacts to a coastal destination. Statistically significant mean differences were found across the social, economic, and environmental condition impact items …

I Share, Therefore It's Mine, Donald J. Kochan

Donald J. Kochan

Chris Brown: Out Of Control Mess Or Grossly Misunderstood Artist?, Christopher C. Fritch

The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research

In today’s pop culture world, celebrities are seen as perfect individuals with grand houses, cars, and entourages. When Chris Brown came on the scene in the mid-2000s, he was a teenage heartthrob who could do no wrong. That all changed when he brutally beat fellow music superstar and then girlfriend Rihanna in 2009. Brown’s media persona came crashing down, along with seemingly everything else in his life. However, in a situation where many artists would normally descend and never return, Brown has surged back almost to the heights he reached prior to 2009. How did this happen? What does the …

Building Constituency At Yellowstone National Park: Predicting Visitor Support Now And Into The Future, Jacob Daniel Jorgenson, Norma P. Nickerson

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

The purpose of this study was to explore how visitors support Yellowstone National Park, differences in support among groups, and the relationships between support and various behavioral and psychological concepts. An on-site and mail-back survey was conducted. Results indicate that highly salient memories lead to place attachment and are significantly related to increasing park support. High park supporters tended to be older, more experienced with the park, have geotouristic tendencies, and are generally more involved in recreational activities. Practical implications from this research show a need to engage visitors and provide experiences that are likely to lead to park support.

Understanding Park Support: Philanthropy And Other Support For Yellowstone National Park, Geoffrey G. Havens, Norma P. Nickerson

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This report was conducted as one piece of a larger project on visitor support for Yellowstone National Park. Twenty-eight interviews were conducted with park non-profit supporters and repeat visitors to determine how these participants support the park and the reasons behind doing so. Additionally, other causes supported by participants were examined to place park support in a broader philanthropic context. Results revealed that beyond monetary support, activities such as sharing experiences, introducing newcomers to Yellowstone, and educating others about Yellowstone were common support activities utilized by all three groups. Repeat visitors were less likely to give monetary contributions, but otherwise …

Comparing Bicyclists, Non-Bicyclists, And Bus Drivers In Glacier National Park, Norma P. Nickerson, Brian Battaglia

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This report provides a comparison of four Glacier National Park (GNP) user groups on their opinions, attitudes and knowledge of bicycling in Glacier National Park. The four user groups were summer bicyclists, summer non-bicyclists, spring bicyclists, and bus drivers in the park. Results showed significant differences in the four groups on knowledge (bus drivers most knowledgeable), on opinions of bicycling the Going-to-the-Sun Road (summer bicyclists most positive), and future use of the road (summer and spring bicyclists most likely to agree to motorist restrictions on the road).

From The Outside Looking In: A Response To The Hijacking Of Recreational Therapy, Daniel L. Dustin, Kelly S. Bricker, Keri A. Schwab

Keri Schwab

Where does Dr. Austin want his line of thought to lead and what does he expect from the larger field of parks and recreation in return? Is he after reassurance that recreational therapy is valued by the rest of us? Does he want recreation therapists to be acknowledged as the closest thing we have in our midst to medical doctors? Or does he want recreational therapy to disassociate itself from the field of parks and recreation altogether? If recreation therapists want to be viewed as distinct and different from the rest of us, if it is autonomy they are after, …

Spirituality And The Therapeutic Recreation Practitioner: Exploring The Implications For Practice And Research, Angela Wozencroft, Phd, Steven N. Waller Ph.D., Gene A. Hayes, Larry Brown

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

There is a growing body of literature that relates to spirituality and leisure. Within this corpus, several scholars continue to address the relationship between spirituality and therapeutic recreation. Much of the available literature chronicles the health and wellness benefits that accrue to the client/participant but little attention has been devoted to understanding the relationship between the personal spirituality of the therapeutic recreation (TR) professional and its influence on service delivery. The purpose of this essay was three-fold: (1) to examine the influence of spirituality in the work lives of TR practitioners; and (2) to chronicle existing literature that relates to …

The Seven Spices: Pumpkins, Puritans, And Pathogens In Colonial New England, Michael Sharbaugh

Michael D Sharbaugh

Water sources in the United States' New England region are laden with arsenic. Particularly during North America's colonial period--prior to modern filtration processes--arsenic would make it into the colonists' drinking water. In this article, which evokes the biocultural evolution paradigm, it is argued that colonists offset health risks from the contaminant (arsenic poisoning) by ingesting copious amounts of seven spices--cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, vanilla, and ginger. The inclusion of these spices in fall and winter recipes that hail from New England would therefore explain why many Americans associate them not only with the region, but with Thanksgiving and Christmas, …