Activities that are fun, social, engaging and put something at stake are positive for your health no matter age or condition. What can you do if you suffer from dementia and are living at a Special Housing? According to research you should dance, visit the garden, get tactile massage discuss artworks etc. Still, despite all these proposals there are many voices from this domain, telling stories about living without live. Suffering from dementia may affect your ability to speak for your self and initiate activities. How can we know what they want and not what we think they need but they don’t seem to get or might not even want? Why don’t we ask them?We propose more focus on participation and design methods to guide the way.In this report, the author discusses the experience in conducting a Participatory Design research project intended to develop a technological and a related organizational intervention. The aim was to support people with dementia living in a Special Housing with fun and engaging activities. A short description of Participatory Design as an approach within research projects and a description of how it was used in this research study are given. We then discuss the experience in conducting the research, some of the users’ comments and responses, challenges, success stories and drawbacks when trying to design and test an activity in a readymade setting with fixed schema for several weeks ahead. The overall reflection being that Participatory Design has great potential for interventional projects and research focusing on leisure activities in everyday life for people with dementia.We proposes this being due to the two concepts – participation and design

Syftet med examensarbetet var att beskriva hur personer med fibromyalgi upplevde att fritidsaktiviteter påverkades av smärta. Som datainsamlingsmetod valdes en intervju. Semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med tio kvinnor. Frågorna utformades från centrala begrepp i The Model of Human Occupation. Inklusionskriterierna var att deltagarna skulle ha diagnosen fibromyalgi och vara i arbetsför ålder. De hade även ett lönearbete, ideellt arbete eller deltog i eftergymnasiala studier på minst deltid. Intervjuerna analyserades utifrån en kvalitativ innehållsanalys och resultatet presenterades i form av fem huvudkategorier med tillhörande underkategorier. De fem huvudkategorierna som beskrev smärtans påverkan på fritidsaktiviteter var; Miljöns betydelse, Aktivitetsbe-gränsningar, Anpassningsstrategier, Aktiviteter för smärtlindring och Balans i vardagen. Smärtan hade gjort att informanterna tvingats välja bort några av de fritidsaktiviteter de utförde tidigare. De fortsatte att engagera sig i fritidsaktiviteter som hade ett stort värde för dem om smärtan inte upplevdes för begränsande under eller efter utförandet. Miljön och aktivitetens krav påverkade tillsammans med smärtan aktivitetsutförandet.

Syftet med den här erfarenhetsbaserade och vetenskapliga essän är att genom reflektion kring erfarenheterna, relevant litteratur och forskning undersöka olika arbetssätt för lärare och fritidspedagoger att kunna hjälpa och stötta barn i svåra livssituationer. Essän tar sin början i tre berättelser om barn i svåra livssituationer, efter det följer ett tydliggörande av dilemmat i berättelserna. I undersökningen kopplas problematiken i berättelserna ihop med olika arbetssätt för hur lärare och fritidspedagoger kan hjälpa barn i svåra livssituationer. För- och nackdelar med de olika arbetssätten behandlas och diskuteras. Genom reflektion kring problemområdet uppstår kunskap och medvetenhet om hur det är lämpligt att lärare och fritidspedagoger stöttar och hjälper barn i svåra livssituationer. Relationen mellan praktisk och teoretisk kunskap diskuteras samt hur känslor kan användas som kunskapskälla. Jag för också en diskussion om de egenskaper jag anser vara viktiga hos lärare och fritidspedagoger, för att ha förmågan att hjälpa barn i svåra livssituationer. Jag undersöker vad som står i skolans styrdokument om det här problemområdet och hur det enligt dessa kan eller bör behandlas. Slutsatsen är att det många gånger är ett svårt arbete att hjälpa och stötta barn i svåra livssituationer och att lärare och fritidspedagoger ständigt behöver reflektera över och diskutera möjliga metoder i arbetet. / The purpose of this experience-based scientific essay is to reflect on the experiences, relevant literature and research to examine different approaches for teachers and leisure pedagogues to help and support children in difficult life situations. The essay begins with three stories about children in difficult life situations, after that follows a clarification of the dilemma in the stories. The study links the problems in the stories with different approaches on how teachers and leisure pedagogues can help children in difficult life situations. The positive and negative aspects of the different methods are also discussed. By reflecting on the problem area knowledge and awareness arises which is useful for teachers and leisure pedagogues to support and help children in difficult life situations. The relation between practical and theoretical knowledge is discussed as well as how emotions can be used asa source of knowledge. I also discuss the features I think are important to teachers and leisure pedagogues, to have the ability to help children in difficult life situations. I investigate if the national curriculum says anything about this problem area and how it describes that it should be addressed. The conclusion is that it often is a difficult job to help and support children in difficult life situations and teachers and leisure pedagogues constantly need to reflect on and discuss possible methods of work.

Guidebooks are argued to be significant elements of the tourism infrastructure (Koshar, 1998), influencing the perception of destinations and the travel practices of millions of tourists (Gilbert, 1999). Guidebooks have been depicted as mediators, interpreters, and communicators of place and people, yet the examination of these texts as part of tourism has received little attention in the academic literature. There are few studies focusing on what information guidebooks are presenting to tourists (Bhattacharyya, 1997; Lew, 1991; McGregor, 2000). <br /><br /> In pursuit of cultural, environmental, and leisure experiences, tourists are going all over the world and there is increasing concern over the economic, socio-cultural, and environmental impacts of this activity. Information on these impacts can be found in academic literature and government reports, but rarely is it presented to tourists. <br /><br /> The purpose of this study is to analyse and describe how travel guidebooks communicate information on socio-cultural, environmental, and other destination specific issues. The republic of Peru was the case study area for this research. <br /><br /> Destination data was collected through interviews with tourism representatives in Perú, Destination Management Organisation (DMO) website analysis, and participant observation. This data was analysed to provide a coding scheme for the current issues and impacts in Peru relating to tourism. This coding scheme was used to analyse the content of the most commonly used commercial guidebooks for Peru (Lonely Planet, South American Handbook, Rough Guide) to understand if and how guidebooks are addressing current issues in Peru tourism. <br /><br /> Qualitative content analysis of destination data resulted in 29 emergent categories which were evaluated based on theme distributions (socio-cultural, environmental, and other) and source information. Categories were grouped based on importance values to allow for further examination of the main issues and impacts involved in Peru tourism. <br /><br /> Qualitative analysis of guidebook content resulted in 4 additional categories for a total of 33 items. This was followed by quantitative analysis of guidebook content to better understand theme distributions, statement types, marketing communication types, and relationships with original category intentions. Guidebook content was organised into groups based on importance values and compared with the importance groups found in the destination data to determine differences in category relevance. <br /><br /> The implications of this research in presenting information to tourists are discussed in terms of their relevance to socio-cultural and environmental interpretation, marketing and communication theory, and responsible tourism. Similarities and differences found in comparing destination and guidebook data are examined. Findings and discussions based on this research indicate that the role of the guidebook is multi-dimensional. These texts, juxtaposed between host and guest, mediate and interpret ecological, cultural, and social information. Findings of this research suggest that though guidebooks are involved in persuasive messaging which raises issues of power and representation, guidebooks are the only popular tourist information source in Peru attempting to influence tourists to reduce cultural and environmental impacts. This discussion is followed by suggestions for future research in this area.

This thesis explores the relationship between place attachment and pro-environmental behaviour expressed by visitors to Point Pelee National Park. Place attachment, the functional, cognitive and emotional bond with a place, may play a role in promoting environmentally responsible behaviours. This may be especially true of place-specific pro-environmental behaviours; however place attachment may also have a "carry-over" effect in that its impact on individuals' self identity may also foster pro-environmental behaviour in individuals' every day lives. <br /><br /> An exploration of these relationships was achieved, first by measuring the intensity of place attachment and pro-environment behavioural intentions expressed by visitors to Point Pelee National Park. This was followed by an examination of the relationship between these two constructs using correlation analysis and structural equation modeling. Data was collected with a mail-based self-completed questionnaire. A quota sample of visitors to Point Pelee National Park was utilized. A response rate of 32% (<em>n</em> = 355) was achieved. <br /><br /> The relationship between place attachment and pro-environmental intentions was explored further through the measurement of several related variables. These factors include place satisfaction (based on an appraisal of nature, social and activity-based environments), motivation for visiting the park (related to social interaction and nature observation, as well as activity-based and learning opportunities), distance between the park and visitors' residences, membership in environmental organizations, and visitation patterns including visitation to the park during childhood, length of affiliation with the park, length of visit to the park, and frequency of visitation to the park. Theoretical and empirical research suggests that these factors may affect place attachment, pro-environment behavioural intentions, and/or the relationship between these two constructs. <br /><br /> Study results found positive associations between place attachment and all of these variables with the exception of visitation motives associated with learning and engaging in a favourite activity. The strongest predictive relationships were observed with anti-substitution (the inability of an individual to substitute the park for another destination because of a lack of resources such as time or money or a lack of awareness of comparable sites) followed by frequency of visits to the park; park commitment (based on Friends group membership and donations of time and money to the Friends group); Friends of Point Pelee (FoPP) membership; and park relationship (which was based on visitation to the park as a child and length of affiliation); and, satisfaction with the park. <br /><br /> Results support the proposition that place attachment has a strong positive association with both park-specific pro-environment behavioural intentions (e. g. , Write letters in support of Point Pelee N. P. and similar protected areas) as well as general pro-environment behavioural intentions (e. g. , Pay extra for transportation if it is environmentally-friendly). Place attachment strongly predicted park-specific, and moderately predicted general pro-environmental intentions. A number of other variables had an indirect effect on park-specific intentions; notable effects were demonstrated by frequency of visits; park relationship; visitation to the park as a child; place satisfaction; social satisfaction; FoPP membership; and, park commitment; anti-substitution. These affects were mediated by place attachment. After place attachment the strongest predictors of park-specific intentions were anti-substitution; frequency of visits; park commitment; and, general environmental commitment (which was based on membership in an environmental organization and donations of time and money to that organization). <br /><br /> Place attachment was not the only direct predicator of general pro-environmental intentions; general environmental commitment and membership in an environmental organization also directly predicted general pro-environmental intentions. Notable indirect effects, mediated by place attachment were produced by frequency of visits; park relationship; FoPP membership; park commitment; and anti-substitution. The strongest predictors of general pro-environmental intentions were general environmental commitment, followed by place attachment, membership in an environmental organization, and frequency of park visitation. <br /><br /> These findings correspond with much of the literature published on place attachment formation and the development of pro-environmental behaviours. The most notable contribution of this study is its comparison of place attachment's impact on general versus place-specific behaviours, and the role that several related variables play in this relationship.

Cultural tourism provides opportunities for ethnic minorities to showcase their cultures, customs and heritage. At the same time, it causes a series of tensions and issues of authenticity and commodification have been the subjects of lively debate among tourism researchers. However, little research has been done to date concerning the roles of stakeholders who authenticate cultural resources. This thesis develops a conceptual framework that is employed to enhance understanding of the authenticity of cultural tourism when ethnic Li communities in Hainan Island, China, experience tourism development. Folk villages are used as a significant point of access for investigating the tensions which emerge in authenticating cultural resources. Four key stakeholders are identified: (1) governments; (2) tourism businesses; (3) visitors; and, (4) ethnic communities. Five pairs of yardsticks were developed based upon Swain's (1989) work to examine the issue of authentification. These constructs are: non-commercialization versus commodification, cultural evolution versus museumification, economic development versus cultural preservation, ethnic autonomy versus state regulation, and mass tourism development versus sustainable cultural tourism. The findings suggest that authenticity is relative rather than absolute and, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Therefore, it is necessary to shift from a previous focus on the nature and identification of authenticity to the more tractable question of authentification. The various stakeholders exhibit different positions with respect to the various paradoxes and the tensions that exist between their poles. For example, governments pay more attention on the control of ethnic autonomy whilst tourism businesses prioritize the economic development. Tourists exhibit blurred perceptions of authenticity whilst ethnic minority supports the maintenance of their of culture but gives priority to jobs and remuneration. This thesis demonstrates that it is more useful to evaluate who authenticates and the interests that such claims serve, rather than to adhere to some absolute standard of 'authentic' ethnicity. It makes recommendations for tourism planners, such as ethnic participation in the decision-making process, the development of strategic alliance among tourism stakeholders, and the taking of steps to promote the maintenance of Li culture. It also suggests opportunities for applying this conceptual framework of cultural tourism to other different situations, both within Hainan and elsewhere.

The documentation of Recreation Therapy and Leisure Opportunities in Long-term Care The Recreation Therapy discipline at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (SHSC) has undergone a series of research initiatives to ensure a patient focused philosophy is integrated into their practice. The purpose of the study is the development of documentation procedures that will enable the recreation therapy practitioners to engage in authentic and professional documentation of the residents’ experiences in recreation therapy and leisure opportunities based on a patient focused philosophy. This research project followed an action research methodology and was guided by a hermeneutic framework adapted from Karkainen and Eriksson (2004). The recreation therapists at SHSC were involved in all aspects of the project as co-research participants. This project employed a variety data collection techniques including focus groups, a hermeneutic dialogue, self-reflective activities and active application sessions. The information collected through the various data collection phases in this project led to the creation of a new documentation framework and associated sample documentation, which allow for a more patient focused documentation process. A series of quality indicators were also developed in this project to help authentically express the experiences in leisure and recreation of the residents living at SHSC. This research project has added to the growing base of knowledge focused on the integration of a patient focused care philosophy into the recreation therapy practice at SHSC.

Unsatisfactory working conditions and job stress may be indicative of working in a society where work-life balance is a desired, but often elusive, goal (Duxbury & Higgins, 2001; Smola & Sutton, 2002; Sturges & Guest, 2004). Working conditions in the healthcare sector are reported to be particularly problematic and stress inducing compared to other work sectors (Yassi, Ostry, Spiegel, Walsh, & de Boer, 2002). In fact, quality of work life (QOWL) among healthcare workers is believed to have deteriorated to the point where it is impeding the capacity of the system to recruit and retain staff needed to provide effective patient care (Koehoorn, Lowe, Rondeau, Schellenberg, & Wager, 2002). The purpose of the study was to examine the experiences of healthcare staff who participate in QOWL initiatives aimed to provide employees with creative, educational, and fun activities designed to address feelings of stress. This study included thirteen staff members from disciplines that comprise the Health Care Team at a facility specializing in aging and veteran's care. Data were collected through conversational interviews with staff from each of the following disciplines: nursing, recreation therapy, physiotherapy, creative arts, clinical nutrition, social work, audiology, occupational therapy, and pastoral care. The data were deconstructed into common themes through an open-ended process, which lead to the identification of common experiences across the data provided by the staff. Upon further comparison of the themes, it was identified that work demands were believed to detract from care provision and strained manager relations were believed to minimize quality of care. However, a strong professional identity was evident as staff described being able to rise above adversity and use their skills and competencies to provide quality care to residents. The data also suggested QOWL initiatives seem to be valuable because they provide opportunities for staff to interact socially. This interaction helps foster and strengthen connections amongst staff, which they feel transfers to the work place through improved working relationships. Participants described feelings of personal gratification that can be derived from team cohesiveness. They also acknowledged the carry over value that team work brings to residents by way of improved care provision. Furthermore, the relationships that staff members develop with one another were viewed as sources of strength, particularly in times of increased stress. In addition to the social element associated with the QOWL initiatives, these initiatives also seem to address a need for restoration, humour, and balance within the work day. Without planned opportunities for rejuvenation and humour appreciation, participants admitted that they would seldom take the time to incorporate these into their work day. Therefore, QOWL initiatives can provide staff with a reason to take a break and find their balance. The findings indicate the factors affecting QOWL are varied and complex. The findings also indicate that there can be a paradoxical nature to work within a health care setting. Paradoxes exist in relation to the provision of professional care and the provision of minimized care. Paradoxes also exist in relation to the expressed need for restoration, humour, and balance and the low priority staff will place on taking time to fulfill these needs.

In recent years, research related to older adults and long-term care has been growing. Although much research in the past was focused on biomedical issues, more recent research has examined psychosocial issues faced by older adults within the long-term care setting. Despite the increase in literature and research on aging, long-term care, and dementia, there are still many gaps in our understanding of these phenomena. The concepts of body, self-identity, and place have received some attention over the last decade or so, but little systematic attempt has linked these concepts together, especially with relation to older adults and long-term care. In addition, the adjustment process of older adults into the long-term care facility has been examined, but the socialization processes have not been systematically examined. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the process of socialization for new residents into the long-term care culture and environment, specifically focussing on how identities, bodies, and place are constructed and reconstructed by residents. Three residents were recruited for this study from a home for the aged in northwestern Ontario. Participant observation and three interviews over a six-month period with these residents focussed on concepts of place, self, and the body, as well as adjustment. Fifteen staff were also interviewed initially to gain an understanding of the long-term care environment and culture. Thirteen staff and two family members were interviewed at the end of the six-month period to gain an understanding of their perceptions of the resident’s transition into the long-term care facility. The findings indicate that a dismantling of the self occurs prior to coming into long-term care. Life in long-term care was described as living an altered life. Once admitted to the home for the aged, two types of socialization processes occurred—institutional and (inter)personal. Institutional socialization processes consisted of placing the body, defining the body, focussing on the body, managing the body, and relating to the body. Placing the body refers to the placement within the physical and social environment, residents’ adjustment to a new place, and how space within the facility was used. Defining the body refers to the assessments that were used just after admission which were focussed on the body as dysfunctional and limited. Focussing on the body occurred through the institution’s focus on body care, as well as the residents’ focus on their aging and unpredictable bodies, with a greater awareness of mortality and the immanence of death. Managing the body occurred through routines, risk management, and waiting. Finally, relating to the body referred to the boundaries of relationships that were defined, both resident relationships and staff relationships. The (inter)personal socialization processes capture the ways that residents internalized the institutional socialization processes. Internalizing the body refers to being a number and being a burden. Accommodating the body suggests ways in which residents complied to the institutional socialization processes. Accepting-resisting the body refers to the struggle residents had in accepting and fighting becoming a body, body limitations, and life in the institution. Re-creating the body illustrates ways in which residents reclaimed the body and alternative identities. All of these processes came together to create institutional bodies. These findings lead to a greater understanding of the ways in which body, self and identity, and place are intertwined. The institution served as a container for life, defining each of the lifeworld existentials. Lived space became institutional space, as personal space was redefined by the institution. Lived time also became structured by the institution, as temporal dimensions were defined by institutional time. The lived other became the institutional other, as staff became institutional brokers, attempting to balance the needs of the residents while adhering to the rules and regulations of the institution. The lived body also became the institutional body. The care encounter brought these dimensions together, and was the site for the production of institutional bodies. The findings of this study invite a rethinking of conceptions of the body and old age, particularly within the context of institutionalization, with bodies viewed as repositories of memories and containing both youth and age, rather than age as a ‘mask’. Residents exist within paradoxical rhythms of life, and thus, old age and institutionalization are not easily defined or theorized, but rather, reflect the complexity of lived experience.

Abstract This study explores decision making amongst ski area management. In particular, it examined how ski area managers are challenged by the risk and uncertainty as a result of weather and visitor activity patterns. Prospect theory suggests that response to uncertain conditions may not result from the application of rational thought processes (Tversky & Kahneman, 2000). Instead, decision makers may fall victim to any number of seemingly arbitrary rules or processes as they attempt to deal with uncertainty. Ski operations in southern British Columbia were chosen for study because of the importance of ski operations to the economy of this region as well as the challenging and variable weather events they have recently experienced. For example, this area hosts international and regional visitors as well as major events like the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and Paralympic Games events. As a result, there is considerable interest in creating ski conditions that are of international calibre. However, the Vancouver and the Coast Mountains faced a weather anomaly of warm, wet weather in January 2005. Nearby regions experienced equally problematic weather conditions the following December. The task here was to discover how ski area managers were coping with the uncertainty created by variable weather patterns. This study utilized qualitative methods. In total, 16 ski area managers participated in semi-structured interviews between the months of November 2006 and March 2007. Interviews were conducted within three British Columbia tourism regions: Vancouver and Coast Mountains, Thompson Okanagan, and Kootenay Rockies. The most common weather disturbances to selectively or entirely impact ski operations were high winds, cold temperatures, avalanche hazards, and lightning. Managers used both rules and tools to deal with the uncertainty created by weather conditions. In terms of rules, they often relied upon heuristic strategies (cognitive rules of thumb) to help with decision making. They tended to open and close at the same time each year for example. Often these heuristics were based on historical weather data and skier visitation rates. Many managers reported being unaffected by existing biases in their decision making or falling victim to escalation of commitment (often reported in decision making studies). These managers also relied on a variety of tools to reduce uncertainty during decision making. These tools included the use of management teams, reliance on experience and individual expertise, historical weather and skier data, and reliance upon business models. For example, most of those interviewed reported extensive efforts to enhance operational sustainability. They focused on diversification (of winter products and year round activities), slope development (summer grooming), snowmaking, and environmental sustainability initiatives. In each case, the goal seemed one of reducing uncertainty in an inherently uncertain situation. Industry and market trends were impacted by improved ski technology and the increasing popularity of internet and last minute holiday bookings.