A Phenomenology Of Fitness From Consumption To Virtuous Production, Ross Neville

Theses, Doctoral

Although our imagination as policy-makers, legislators, academics, and members of the general public has been captured by the promise of fitness, what is meant by it and whether or not its individualising emphasis is a good thing is much less clear. In response to this question of cultural significance, this thesis provides a phenomenology of fitness. It does so in two important senses and in the context of two distinct parts.
The first half of this thesis (Chapters One and Two) is given to the task of bracketing the natural attitude with respect to fitness; that is, contextualising the question …

Dominican Resort Tourism, Sustainability, And Millennium Development Goals, Vinod Sasidharan, Marilyn E. Hall

Journal of Tourism Insights

The tourism industry continues to be touted as the main income and employment generator for Caribbean nations. In the Dominican Republic (DR), international tourism has become one of the largest industries and is a major contributor to the country’s economic growth. A recent trend in the DR is the development of luxurious residential resort complexes and private resort cities, mainly designed and created for foreign ownership. The Dominican government support for such projects has been very strong due to the economic propensity of these high-end resorts to assist the country in generating local opportunities for stable employment, creating basic infrastructure, …

Value Of Bundled Recreation Amenities In Southern Arizona Communities: A Hedonic Pricing Approach, Eliza Ann Hoffman

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of family-recreation amenities to home valuation in Southern Arizona communities. Although recreation amenities have become a frequent addition to housing developments, little research exists regarding the value these amenities contribute to home valuation. The sample consisted of 600 homes in master-planned communities and 600 homes in comparable traditional subdivisions. Using the hedonic pricing method, this study examined whether the inclusion of recreation amenities provides additional value to homes after structural and locational characteristics were controlled for. Blocked multiple regression analyses were used to determine the contribution of both individual …

The Economic Impact Of Echo Red 2 Red: A Mountain Biking Event, Katie Main, Kadin Hashimoto

2012 Projects

The Keck Summer Collaborative Research Program provides opportunities for Linfield College students and faculty to conduct research on issues related to the Pacific Northwest, and to bring the research findings back into the classroom within the subsequent academic year. Students partner with faculty to conduct research and present their work to other students, Linfield staff and faculty, and community members during a series of brown bag lunches. Katie Main and Kadin Hashimoto conducted research with Jeff McNamee and gave this presentation during the summer of 2012.

Many studies have evaluated the benefits of trails noting improvements in health and fitness, …

The School-Based Family: Coaches And Teachers As Parental Figures For Orphans And Vulnerable Children In Ugandan Schools, Angela Warren

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to qualitatively examine the possible formation of surrogate families within Ugandan schools to provide a context for positive development experiences, especially for orphans who lack positive development opportunities provided by parents. The sample for this study consisted of 66 Ugandan Secondary School students from eight schools in the Mukono district of Uganda. This study found a potentially widespread family formation pattern between students and their teachers/coaches. More than 75% of students self-identified their teacher and/or coach as family. The results provide insight concerning why orphans and vulnerable children are forming surrogate families with staff …

Trends In Online Sport Marketing, Alexandra (Ali) Bickel

Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration

All professional sports teams are using the Internet as a part of their marketing strategy. In order for this to be successful, it is critical for sport marketers to evaluate which Internet marketing trends are being best utilized to connect with fans and website users. The purpose of this study was to determine the best practices in sport marketing in the five major professional sport leagues. Data were collected from five professional sports team’s websites from the NBA, MLB, NHL, NFL and MLS. The instrument used consisted of a checklist with a section for written notes. The results indicated that …

Communication Concepts Through Flavor Of Slo 2012, Quinn Nicole Thompson

Communication Studies

Flavor of SLO is an annual event that is put on through the non-profit organization, United Way. It is a fine wine and food event that the community participates in to raise money for United Way. This senior project focuses on the communication concepts that were applied thoughout the event planning process that includes small group communication, persuasion, and non-profit organizations.

F.A.C.E.S. (Faculty Academic Community Education Showcase): Professional Growth Experiences In A Career University, Paul J. Colbert, Ph.D.

MBA Faculty Conference Papers & Journal Articles

Institutes of higher education exist for the purpose of developing, fostering, nurturing, and stimulating the intellectual growth and development of students. The core values of a college education provide students conceptual and practical educational opportunities that focus on improving their skills and knowledge. These skills and knowledge translate into purposeful, real-life learning experiences. However, in the academic community, learning is not restricted to students. Faculty, too, must be supported and provided opportunities for personal and professional growth and development. Although professional development is not a novel concept in the education profession, schools often take up the gauntlet, but fall short …

Identify Possible Critical Provider Gap(S) In The Package Tours Sold By Travel Agencies In Singapore, Chih Wee Siow

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Package tours are beginning to wane in its popularity and relevancy in today’s sophisticated travel market. This is beginning to show in Singapore as well. The needs and wants of customers are not as well met as compared to the past. If a travel agent wishes to stay profitable in this market segment, it is necessary for the operator to take a good thorough look at its tour packaging value chain. From the nature of the product itself to the end execution of the product, the travel agent needs to review its relevancy and ability to meet customers’ needs. The …

Violence In Youth Sport: Potential Preventative Measures And Solutions, Cheryl Danilewicz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Youth sport events are part of a growing industry to which event venues are tailoring their policies, procedures, and designs. The competitive nature of the events and their participants have caused these venues to examine their existing policies and adjust them to increase security and safety measures for the athletes, coaches, spectators, game officials, and venue staff. Tempers at these events will flare, and in recent years violence is becoming increasingly more common. Parents and athletes have attacked each other, coaches, and game officials due to the intense nature of these events. The result of these acts could range from …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Family Strength And Unity In Family Crucibles, Taralyn Clark

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to qualitatively examine family relationships in families where one adult member was diagnosed with chronic illness resulting in chronic pain to determine why the crucible, or trial, of chronic illness triggered some families to strengthen while others weakened. The introduction of chronic illness instigates a process of change in family life, yet there is a paucity of research examining families in this situation, specifically when the chronic illness results in chronic pain. Utilizing grounded theory methodology and qualitative data analysis methods, dyadic interviews and periods of observation were conducted with six families across the …

Spousal Connectedness And Information And Communication Technology Use, Chelsea Elizabeth Hutchings

Theses and Dissertations

To meet the purpose of the study, three hypotheses were tested: First, it was predicted there was a relationship between spousal connectedness and personal and spousal ICT (information and communication technology) device usage; second, it was predicted satisfaction with personal or spousal ICT device usage were mediators of the primary relationship between spousal connectedness and ICT device usage; and third, it was expected communication moderated the relationship between spousal connectedness and personal ICT device usage. A representative sample of married adults (n=208) were sampled. Personal and spousal ICT device use, satisfaction with personal and spousal ICT device use, spousal connectedness, …

A Qualitative Analysis Of A Corporate Adventure Program, Kimberly Molyneux

Theses and Dissertations

Outdoor adventure learning (OAL) provides a unique environment to teach organizational change. Therefore, there is an implication these programs can be used to foster necessary specific skills such as leading change, innovation, and thriving in hostile environments to lead in the ever-changing corporate world. Little research, however, supports the efficacy of adventure learning in achieving specific outcomes. Skeptics suggested the benefits of OAL programs do not always generalize effectively from the outdoor experience to the workplace. This paper outlines how utilizing strategic skills and theory to conduct OAL programs are effective and impactful in the corporate world. The purpose of …

Surf Lifeguard Perceptions And Practice Of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (Cpr), Kevin Moran, Jonathon Webber

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

While the importance of lifeguards in providing immediate and effective basic life support (BLS) in drowning has been well reported, not a lot is known about how lifeguards perceive the relative value of CPR as a lifeguard skill, their training in it, and the likelihood of resuscitation being successful. A self-complete questionnaire was completed by 252 volunteer surf lifeguards at 16 surf beaches in the Greater Auckland,NZ region. Results show that most lifeguards (65%) had received training in the 3 months before the survey, 83% were willing to perform CPR, few (9%) had used CPR in an emergency, and many …

An Examination Of Star Players' Effects On The Branding Process Of Professional Sports Teams, Nathan David Pifer

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Although various models and real-life examples seem to convey its presence, the relationship between star players and the branding process of professional sports teams is one that remains rather vague and unquantified. Though numerous examples seem to suggest that star players are capable of exerting an effect on a team’s brand, more thorough analysis is required in order to decipher which areas of a brand’s development are more or less affected by these marquee athletes. Taking responses from survey questionnaires containing 40 items pertinent to the topic, this study deployed Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to uncover six underlying factors that …

Exploration And Validation Of The Camp Orientation And Experiences Scale, Mckenzie Lynn Martin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

American summer camps have provided significant life experiences for camp counselors and staff for over 150 years. The purpose of this study was to identify and validate scale measures of philosophy, mission, and vision (PVM) with special regard to any differences in camp affiliation and camp counselor alumni (CCA) PVM manifestation. Preliminary assessment of 83 camp PVM revealed five general constructs in the scale and included: relationships formed, community involvement, environmental ethics, participation in healthful recreation, and religiosity. For the purpose of this study, camp affiliation was chosen as the main effect. This study used purposive sampling to recruit the …

Exploring Inter-Organizational Relationships Between Park And Recreation Agencies With Wounded Warrior Programs And Community Service Organizations, Morgan Alexander Mccreary

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Public recreation departments are funded primarily by tax dollars and over the past thirty years the percentage of funding needed to operate quality recreation programs has steadily decreased and threatened the quantity and quality of programs offered. Presently, park and recreation agencies partner with community entities to offset funding reductions and to offer new and/or ancillary programs. Importantly, partnerships must provide mutual benefits to be successful and the antecedents and factors of inter-organizational relations (IOR) are important to discover. The purpose of this study was to determine factors that might predict IOR between park and recreation agencies with Wounded Warrior …

What Is Mission Critical In The Hotel Guest Room: Examining In-Room Guest Empowerment Technologies, Pelin Nasoz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examined 18 in-room technologies and identified the ones perceived to be mission critical for the hotel guests. It also determined the differences in guest empowerment technology preferences and expectations across generations, purpose of travel, and travel frequency. Moreover, it investigated whether the quality of in-room technologies impacts guests' decision in choosing a hotel.

The data were collected through an online survey. A total of 508 people responded to the survey. An importance and performance analysis was utilized to identify the mission critical in-room technologies for the hotels. The analysis indicated that in-room movie on demand services, in-room wireless …

A Sense Of Place: Examining Music-Based Tourism And Its Implications In Destination Venue Placement, Richard Bret Campbell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Music, and the ability to make it, understand it and interpret it, is one of the characteristics that make us uniquely human. However, when it comes to seeing the performance of live music, there are other variables that come into play when determining where to see a concert. The potential connection between people, music, and a “sense of place” are explored in this examination of music-based tourism. Based on information from journals and related news media, and using parallels to the sports tourism industry, the paper found a distinct connection between humans and music in the context of human development, …

How To Conduct A Successful Tea Tasting Event, Kaye L. Polivka

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Hosting a tea tasting event can be challenging for small tea shop owners or owners new to the industry. Knowledge of tea is not a guarantee a tea tasting will be a success. This handbook will be a reference for tea rooms, coffee shops, spas, restaurants, hotels, and gourmet retail outlets or shops to use when planning a tea tasting events. The objective is to provide tea rooms, coffee shops, spas, restaurants, hotels, gourmet retail outlets or shops and others in the tea industry with the tools to hold a successful tea tasting event. Each tea tasting event will have …

The Jasmine Revolution And The Tourism Industry In Tunisia, Mohamed Becheur

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction:

The tourism industry is one of the most important industries in the world since it employs “more than 250 million people worldwide” (Coshall, 2003, p. 4). This industry, which includes transport, lodging, and catering, is expected to generate $12,119 billion of revenues and 279,346,000 jobs in 2016 (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, 2006). The tourism industry worldwide is also expected to indirectly and directly contribute 10.9% to Gross Domestic Product (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, 2006). However, the tourism industry is an extremely sensitive and vulnerable activity which can be impacted significantly by important events such as terrorism, political insecurity, and natural disasters …

A Review Of San Francisco’S Lodging Industry: Past Performance And Future Implications, Adam N. Szilagyi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the past performance of the San Francisco lodging industry in order to identify future growth potential.

Adaptation Of An Adolescent Coping Assessment For Outdoor Adventure, Melissa S. Russell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to adapt a measure for coping in outdoor adventure activities that reliable and valid inferences could be made. To do this, the constructs were clearly defined; relevant items were written representing the constructs. An expert panel reviewed the items for content validity, and the instrument was administered to subjects to gather evidence supporting the reliability and validity of inferences. The instrument adapted will provide a foundation for future research and understanding related to outdoor adventure coping skills. In addition, evidence supporting the reliability and validity of inferences of the assessment serve to measure outcomes …

The Relationship Between Media In The Home And Family Functioning In Context Of Leisure, Camilla J. Hodge

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between media as family leisure and family functioning among families with at least one adolescent child. Specifically, this study examined the relationship between family functioning and media use, media connection, and media monitoring over time. Furthermore, because the data were nested in families, and because most family leisure research has been limited to individual-level analyses, this study incorporated mixed modeling into its analysis which accounted for family-level and individual-level variance. The sample consisted of 500 families participating in the Flourishing Families (FFP) Project, a longitudinal study of inner-family life involving …

An Economic Impact Analysis For The 2nd Annual Bluegrass, Old-Time Music And Dance Festival In The Village Of Stone Mountain, Georgia., Kevin A. Lane

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Festivals in the Appalachian region may provide a substantial economic impact for host communities. Regionally unique themes like Bluegrass and Old-Time music are substantial draw factors for potential visitors. This paper uses information collected at a small Appalachian themed music festival to project what the economic impact of hosting such an event is. Demographic information and an analysis of the festival visitor drawing area will further project the economic activity affected by the event.

The Role Of Family-Friendly Benefits On Job Self-Efficacy And Organizational Commitment Of Public Park And Recreation Professionals, Michael A. Mulvaney

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

The number of dual-career couples, workers with eldercare responsibility, single-parent families, and working parents with young children has become increasingly common in the American workplace (Breaugh & Frye, 2008) and has led to increased work-family conflicts for the park and recreation professional. In response to these workforce changes, family-friendly employee benefits programs (FFEBP) are becoming more readily available and offered by public park and recreation agencies. Guided by these challenges, this study sought to explore the link between FFEBP and job attitudes (organizational commitment) and employee motivation (self-efficacy) among public park and recreation employees. Specifically, the effects of two FFEBP …

Towards A Decision Making Model For City Break Travel, Gerard Dunne, Sheila Flanagan, Joan Buckley

Articles

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the city break travel decision and in particular to develop a decision making model that reflects the characteristics of this type of trip taking.

Method

The research follows a sequential mixed methods approach consisting of two phases. Phase One involves a quantitative survey of 1,000 visitors to Dublin, from which city break and non city break visitor cohorts are separated and compared. Phase Two entails a qualitative analysis (involving 40 in-depth interviews) that specifically examines the decision making behaviour of city break visitors.

Findings

City break trips were shown to be …

Tourism Studies: Haw Par Villa Theme Park, Joseph W. Miller

Student Publications

This study demonstrates that perceived authenticity of a cultural heritage site should not be overlooked when determining reasons for a decline in tourism. The quality:price ratio of this particular site was shown as a contributing factor to its decline in tourism, but an underlying current of discontent was identified in regards to the perception of the site as a part of Singapore’s distinctive history.

The Relationship Between Family Recreation And Relatedness In Children And Their Families, Kristen Berrett

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to provide insight into the factors contributing to relatedness in children, specifically family recreation, and to look at relatedness between family members (family relatedness), and whether or not family recreation makes a contribution to this construct. Two instruments were used to collect data for this study. The Family Leisure Activity Profile (FLAP) measured family recreation involvement and satisfaction, and the Activity-Feelings States Scales (AFS) measured child and family relatedness. The sample included elementary school children between the ages of 6 years and 12 years (n1=405), and the parents of those children (n2=405). The data …

Fortifying Leisure: A Qualitative Investigation Of Family Leisure In Uganda, Rachel Adams Mcgovern

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine leisure patterns and meanings of leisure among families in the developing East African nation of Uganda, in response to recent calls for more non-Western leisure studies (Chick, 1998; Iwasaki, Nishino, Onda & Bowling, 2007). The three focus questions answered in this study were: (a) what do Ugandans from the Mukono District think leisure is? (b) how is family leisure, in their terms, happening? and (c) in what ways do they think family leisure is important? This study utilized a grounded theory methodology (Glaser & Strauss, 1978) with qualitative data analysis methods. Sixty-eight …