This research examined notions of belonging and sense of community through a set of layered lenses that integrated a social model of aging with phenomenology to gain a better understanding of the lived experiences of individuals residing in a long-term care (LTC) home. Conducted in a for-profit LTC home in Ontario, this study analyzed messaging in marketing materials supplied to potential residents and their families in anticipation of a move to a LTC home and in the staff policies and procedures manuals using document and narrative analysis. Themes emerging from this phase were then compared with the first-hand experiences of living in a LTC home as told by residents through the use of a focus group (n=6) and individual interviews (n=6) and experiences of working in a LTC home as described by interviews with staff (n=6). Analysis of marketing documents revealed the theme of let us be your caring community. As messaged in these documents, the LTC home supported residents by caring, embodying the ideals of home through natural living spaces, and supporting meaningful personal connections. This contrasted with messages found in the staff policy manuals. Divided discourses highlighted the tangible complexities of implementing a person-centered philosophy within a business model by describing the industry of care, prescribed customer service, fabricating normalcy and, to a much lesser extent, promoting the practice of person-centered care. Residents’ phenomenological stories illustrated variable un/belonging within a LTC home. Personal experiences of the institutional erosion of belonging, congregate nature of living in a LTC home, changing nature of personal relationships and the prescriptive living environment routinized day-to-day experiences and provided a stark contrast between belonging in community and un/belonging in a LTC home. Weaving belonging into daily tasks described how staff members laboured daily at working to personalize LTC home living, and how they were helpless to prevent losses in community and belonging. After completing the research and analysis of the promotional materials, policy and procedures manuals, and resident and staff transcripts I conducted a broader level analysis of all four sets of themes in order to get a sense of the whole. I concluded there were five tensions of: constructing home from the outside; person-centered care within a biomedical, business model; promoting individuality in a congregate structure; synthetic connections at the expense of long-standing relationships; and fostering living in a death-indifferent culture which justified society’s need to divide and regulate. Incorporating a range of data including promotional materials, policy and procedures manuals, and the voices of both residents and staff, these tensions are not only implicit in the culture of Manor House but within the overarching structure of LTC homes in general and have deep implications on the standing and status bestowed upon older adults in Canadian culture. My intention was to bring to light the contextualized lived experiences of individuals living at Manor House and highlight the structural and social barriers that continue to produce discrimination by “problematizing” aging and subsequently fostering notions of presumably acceptable dividing practices (Foucault, 1982) within society. By examining meanings and experiences of community in a LTC home, and also recognizing the systemic, structural and cultural factors that may shape those experiences, I sought to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the lifeworlds of individuals living within a LTC home.

This thesis contains empirical studies of portfolio choice and asset prices. The first two chapters deal with incorporating labor supply into models traditionally only focusing on consumption. Can the risk premium on stocks be better understood when taking labor supply into account? This is the topic of the first chapter. Do possibilities of varying labor supply, and thus hedging stock market risk, help explain the stock ownership patterns of households? This question is what the second chapter tries to answer. If labor income moves with the stock market, an attempt should be made to hedge this with a lower share of stocks in the portfolio and, but do households act according to this rule? This is what the third chapter investigates. Chapter one, Labor Supply Flexibility and Portfolio Choice: Evidence from the PSID, examines the relationship between labor supply flexibility and portfolio choice. Theoretical articles have shown that, ceteris paribus, the optimal portfolio share of risky assets (stocks) increases with labor supply flexibility, due to increased possibilities of hedging financial risk by adjusting the labor supply. Using PSID household data, this hypothesis is tested using a direct measure of labor supply flexibility from survey questions. The results indicate that the total portfolio share is increased by labor supply flexibility. When separated, most of this effect seems to come from the increased probability of stock ownership due to flexible labor, rather than an increased portfolio share among stockholders. Chapter two, Can Leisure Explain the Equity Premium Puzzle? An Empirical Investigation, investigates the asset pricing properties of non-separable utility functions with consumption and leisure. The parameter restrictions needed to match the historical equity premium are explored using US data on consumption, hours and returns. Empirically, it is shown that to match the equity premium with a low level of risk aversion, consumption and leisure need to be strong complements, i.e. have a very low substitution elasticity. Chapter three, Income Risk and Stockholdings: Evidence from Swedish Microdata, examines the relationship between income risk and portfolio choice. It empirically investigates whether the stock market risk (the covariation with the stock market) in labor income is reflected by an offsetting lower share of stocks in financial portfolios, an effect that has been shown to exist in theoretical articles. Swedish microdata from HINK on households’ income and wealth are used for this purpose. In repeated cross-sections, households are divided into "portfolio cohorts" corresponding to percentiles of the share of stocks in financial assets. Income risk, i.e. the regression beta of (log) income growth on aggregate stock returns, is compared for the different groups. As predicted by theory, the results provide some support for a negative relationship between income risk and the share of stocks. / Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögsk., 2004

Motivation is an important aspect of learning in educational leisure settings because it affects the choices visitors make regarding what to attend to, the amount of effort they devote to learning, and the extent to which they enjoy the experience. Commonly, however, visitors seek entertainment, social or restorative experiences as well as, or in preference to, a learning experience. This research investigates the impact of motivational factors on the experience of learning in educational leisure settings. Motivational factors are considered in terms of four components - personal goals, capability beliefs, context beliefs and situational incentives. The experience of learning is considered in terms of visitors’ perceptions of the experience, rather than objective measures of learning outcomes, as the experience itself is seen as the desired outcome of the visit. Visitors to six different educational leisure settings in South East Queensland were invited to participate in the research, including a museum, an art gallery, a wildlife centre, an aquarium, and guided tours of natural and cultural heritage sites. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using questionnaires (499 participants) and interviews (52 participants) in order to ascertain the importance to visitors of different types of learning experiences; identify the extent to which motivations for learning vary across sites and visitor groups; investigate the relationships between the educational, entertainment, social and restorative aspects of the visitors’ experience; and examine the impact of motivational factors on visitors’ experience of learning in leisure settings. The findings support the importance of learning to visitors in a range of educational leisure settings. Visitors seek an experience that combines elements of learning and discovery, and is perceived to be both effortless and fun. It is concluded that the characteristics of learning in educational leisure settings contribute to a synergy between the educational and entertainment aspects of the experience. Situational factors are more important than personal factors in motivating visitors to engage in and experience this type of learning. This is of great significance to educational leisure settings as it implies that sites have a reasonable degree of control over the motivational factors that influence visitor engagement in learning.

This research study was divided into three phases. Phase I included 157 university undergraduate students. It was designed to assess the content (face) validity of the Leisure Exercise Efficacy Scale (LEES). Phase II consisted of 240 university undergraduates. This phase investigated the internal consistency, factorial structure, and construct validity of the LEES. Phase III was the main study, a total of 331 university undergraduate students were involved. It has three objectives: 1) to examine the theoretical relationships among the variables of "leisure exercise efficacy", "leisure exercise motives", "leisure exercise barriers", and "leisure exercise behaviours" of university students using Social Cognitive Theory as the framework; 2) to assess the effect of a required physical education program, with interventions based on Bandura's self-efficacy theory, on the leisure exercise behaviours of university students; and 3) to examine the role that the Hong Kong environment plays and identify possible ways to increase university students' participation in leisure exercise. Path analysis results showed that leisure exercise efficacy was a significant and direct predictor of leisure exercise behaviours 3 months after the commencement of the semester. The re-specified Model of University Students' Leisure Exercise Behaviours was found to be tenable. However, repeated measures analysis of variance results showed that there were no significant 3-way interaction effects (Group x Gender x Assessment Time) or 2-way interaction effects (Gender x Assessment Time) (Group x Assessment Time) for all variables. Qualitative results showed three perceived leisure exercise barriers: 1) time; 2) attitudes towards exercise; and 3) structural. Three general dimensions emerged from the qualitative data to increase university students' participation in leisure exercise: 1) reinforcement of leisure exercise efficacy; 2) enhancement of leisure exercise motives; and 3) encouragement of a university sports culture. Practical implications of the research findings and recommendations for future research are given in this study.

Thesis (M Reg & Urb Plan)--University of South Australia, 1997

Abstract Drawing on the serious leisure perspective, social world theory, and social network analysis this thesis utilizes an exploratory methodology to develop a structural view of a social world network of 49 social actors comprised of the grassroots associations and the allied organisations expressly concerned with amateur artists in a regional Australian city. Semistructured interviews were conducted with spokespeople in leadership and management roles with the associations and organisations. The purpose of the interviews was to develop an understanding of the key attributes of the grassroots associations and the function of the allied commercial, cultural, and educational organisations, and to discover the patterns of links between these two types of social actors. In addition, the interviews explored the types of social world participation among the associational memberships; and the role, rewards, and costs experienced by the spokespeople who were fulfilling coordinating duties in the grassroots associations. The research found that associations of amateur artists were active in the local community coordinating their memberships, activities, and assets to provide calendars of events for the participants in a regional social world of the creative arts and that, the allied organisations provided complementary goods and services. Further, it emerged that links of varying intensity connecting the associations and organisations coalesced into a network. This comprised a cluster of social actors connected by their concern with actors, dancers, and musicians; a cluster of social actors connected by their concern with craft practitioners, community cultural development workers, visual artists, and writers; and of social actors with bilateral links connecting the two clusters. Also mixed serious leisure emerged as a significant mode of participation among the sample of grassroots association spokespeople who were interviewed and this was important to the sustainability of their associations over time. There are three major outcomes from the research. First, structural concepts from social network analysis in combination with social world theory developed into definition of a community level serious leisure network; second, this definition proved empirically viable in the research context, and third, a model to depict the phenomenon of a community level serious leisure network has emerged from the exploratory process. The findings have both theoretical and empirical implications. Theoretically, they assist research into the structure of community level leisure provision. The findings also encourage investigation of mixed serious leisure. Empirically, the application of network knowledge to improve community leisure resources can improve the outcomes for the social actors involved and the community in which they are embedded.

In the 1990s, the bubble of the Japanese miracle economy burst and the country fell into recession. Following this, Japan experienced considerable economic and social transformation, including a reconsideration of its approach to work and employment. Among the consequences of these changes, such as unprecedented mobility in the labour market and an increase in part-time employment, there was a shift in lifestyle values, particularly those of middle class Japanese. In contrast to the traditional Japanese work ethic and company-orientated lifestyle which prized collectivism and self-sacrifice, new lifestyle values were largely centred on attaining an improved life-work balance which was less structured and more ‘Western.’ These new individualised lifestyle values began to be reflected in a new-found interest in leisure, characterised by a shift from group-oriented leisure activities to more individualised and personalised ones. There has been another very significant change of great relevance to this thesis: an increased and unprecedented interest in overseas tourism and migration. This thesis discusses an intriguing new dynamic between the transformation of the economy and the Japanese engagement with tourism and migration. Until the 1990s, due to the guaranteed lifetime employment and the prevalence of seniority systems of Japanese corporations, there was a relatively stable life model among Japan’s middle class. In addition to healthy demand in the domestic labour market and work-dominated lifestyle, stable work opportunities meant this group rarely considered pursuing individual tourism and migration. However, since the 1990s, increasing numbers of young middle class Japanese began to drift from the safe and assured life model and chose to live abroad. This thesis, based on qualitative methodology and in-depth interviews with 31 Japanese migrants to Queensland, is a study of Japanese lifestyle migration to Australia. It draws upon several important topics and theories in contemporary sociology including globalisation, transnationalism, migration and tourism. The complex linkages between these themes are an important characteristic of this thesis and are discussed in the literature review of Chapter 2. The methodological issues of this research are presented in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 contextualises lifestyle migration against the background of broader history of Japanese migration to Australia. The chapters that follow examine three key themes pertinent to exploring the interrelationship between social transformation in Japanese society in the 1990s, changing lifestyle values and migration to Australia. Chapter 5 considers the implications of social transformation of Japanese society, specifically focusing on the lifestyle value shifts as push factors in a broad sense. Chapter 6 explores the pull factors and focuses on motivations for migration to Australia. Chapter 7 examines the lives of Japanese lifestyle migrants in Australia and highlights a unique settlement process characterised by the lack of upward social mobility, the absence of geographical concentration of Japanese migrants and the impact this has on the formation of a sustainable ethnic community. Finally, Chapter 8 summarises the argument of this thesis and discusses its contribution to the field of sociology. Possible directions for future research are also outlined.

Abstract Drawing on the serious leisure perspective, social world theory, and social network analysis this thesis utilizes an exploratory methodology to develop a structural view of a social world network of 49 social actors comprised of the grassroots associations and the allied organisations expressly concerned with amateur artists in a regional Australian city. Semistructured interviews were conducted with spokespeople in leadership and management roles with the associations and organisations. The purpose of the interviews was to develop an understanding of the key attributes of the grassroots associations and the function of the allied commercial, cultural, and educational organisations, and to discover the patterns of links between these two types of social actors. In addition, the interviews explored the types of social world participation among the associational memberships; and the role, rewards, and costs experienced by the spokespeople who were fulfilling coordinating duties in the grassroots associations. The research found that associations of amateur artists were active in the local community coordinating their memberships, activities, and assets to provide calendars of events for the participants in a regional social world of the creative arts and that, the allied organisations provided complementary goods and services. Further, it emerged that links of varying intensity connecting the associations and organisations coalesced into a network. This comprised a cluster of social actors connected by their concern with actors, dancers, and musicians; a cluster of social actors connected by their concern with craft practitioners, community cultural development workers, visual artists, and writers; and of social actors with bilateral links connecting the two clusters. Also mixed serious leisure emerged as a significant mode of participation among the sample of grassroots association spokespeople who were interviewed and this was important to the sustainability of their associations over time. There are three major outcomes from the research. First, structural concepts from social network analysis in combination with social world theory developed into definition of a community level serious leisure network; second, this definition proved empirically viable in the research context, and third, a model to depict the phenomenon of a community level serious leisure network has emerged from the exploratory process. The findings have both theoretical and empirical implications. Theoretically, they assist research into the structure of community level leisure provision. The findings also encourage investigation of mixed serious leisure. Empirically, the application of network knowledge to improve community leisure resources can improve the outcomes for the social actors involved and the community in which they are embedded.

In the 1990s, the bubble of the Japanese miracle economy burst and the country fell into recession. Following this, Japan experienced considerable economic and social transformation, including a reconsideration of its approach to work and employment. Among the consequences of these changes, such as unprecedented mobility in the labour market and an increase in part-time employment, there was a shift in lifestyle values, particularly those of middle class Japanese. In contrast to the traditional Japanese work ethic and company-orientated lifestyle which prized collectivism and self-sacrifice, new lifestyle values were largely centred on attaining an improved life-work balance which was less structured and more ‘Western.’ These new individualised lifestyle values began to be reflected in a new-found interest in leisure, characterised by a shift from group-oriented leisure activities to more individualised and personalised ones. There has been another very significant change of great relevance to this thesis: an increased and unprecedented interest in overseas tourism and migration. This thesis discusses an intriguing new dynamic between the transformation of the economy and the Japanese engagement with tourism and migration. Until the 1990s, due to the guaranteed lifetime employment and the prevalence of seniority systems of Japanese corporations, there was a relatively stable life model among Japan’s middle class. In addition to healthy demand in the domestic labour market and work-dominated lifestyle, stable work opportunities meant this group rarely considered pursuing individual tourism and migration. However, since the 1990s, increasing numbers of young middle class Japanese began to drift from the safe and assured life model and chose to live abroad. This thesis, based on qualitative methodology and in-depth interviews with 31 Japanese migrants to Queensland, is a study of Japanese lifestyle migration to Australia. It draws upon several important topics and theories in contemporary sociology including globalisation, transnationalism, migration and tourism. The complex linkages between these themes are an important characteristic of this thesis and are discussed in the literature review of Chapter 2. The methodological issues of this research are presented in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 contextualises lifestyle migration against the background of broader history of Japanese migration to Australia. The chapters that follow examine three key themes pertinent to exploring the interrelationship between social transformation in Japanese society in the 1990s, changing lifestyle values and migration to Australia. Chapter 5 considers the implications of social transformation of Japanese society, specifically focusing on the lifestyle value shifts as push factors in a broad sense. Chapter 6 explores the pull factors and focuses on motivations for migration to Australia. Chapter 7 examines the lives of Japanese lifestyle migrants in Australia and highlights a unique settlement process characterised by the lack of upward social mobility, the absence of geographical concentration of Japanese migrants and the impact this has on the formation of a sustainable ethnic community. Finally, Chapter 8 summarises the argument of this thesis and discusses its contribution to the field of sociology. Possible directions for future research are also outlined.

In the 1990s, the bubble of the Japanese miracle economy burst and the country fell into recession. Following this, Japan experienced considerable economic and social transformation, including a reconsideration of its approach to work and employment. Among the consequences of these changes, such as unprecedented mobility in the labour market and an increase in part-time employment, there was a shift in lifestyle values, particularly those of middle class Japanese. In contrast to the traditional Japanese work ethic and company-orientated lifestyle which prized collectivism and self-sacrifice, new lifestyle values were largely centred on attaining an improved life-work balance which was less structured and more ‘Western.’ These new individualised lifestyle values began to be reflected in a new-found interest in leisure, characterised by a shift from group-oriented leisure activities to more individualised and personalised ones. There has been another very significant change of great relevance to this thesis: an increased and unprecedented interest in overseas tourism and migration. This thesis discusses an intriguing new dynamic between the transformation of the economy and the Japanese engagement with tourism and migration. Until the 1990s, due to the guaranteed lifetime employment and the prevalence of seniority systems of Japanese corporations, there was a relatively stable life model among Japan’s middle class. In addition to healthy demand in the domestic labour market and work-dominated lifestyle, stable work opportunities meant this group rarely considered pursuing individual tourism and migration. However, since the 1990s, increasing numbers of young middle class Japanese began to drift from the safe and assured life model and chose to live abroad. This thesis, based on qualitative methodology and in-depth interviews with 31 Japanese migrants to Queensland, is a study of Japanese lifestyle migration to Australia. It draws upon several important topics and theories in contemporary sociology including globalisation, transnationalism, migration and tourism. The complex linkages between these themes are an important characteristic of this thesis and are discussed in the literature review of Chapter 2. The methodological issues of this research are presented in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 contextualises lifestyle migration against the background of broader history of Japanese migration to Australia. The chapters that follow examine three key themes pertinent to exploring the interrelationship between social transformation in Japanese society in the 1990s, changing lifestyle values and migration to Australia. Chapter 5 considers the implications of social transformation of Japanese society, specifically focusing on the lifestyle value shifts as push factors in a broad sense. Chapter 6 explores the pull factors and focuses on motivations for migration to Australia. Chapter 7 examines the lives of Japanese lifestyle migrants in Australia and highlights a unique settlement process characterised by the lack of upward social mobility, the absence of geographical concentration of Japanese migrants and the impact this has on the formation of a sustainable ethnic community. Finally, Chapter 8 summarises the argument of this thesis and discusses its contribution to the field of sociology. Possible directions for future research are also outlined.