Immigrant entrepreneurship’s social and political dimensions remain largely overlooked in leisure studies scholarship. In Canada, investigations of immigrant entrepreneurship have, with very few exceptions, been limited to the economic sphere. Through the theoretical work of Michel Foucault, critical discourse analysis, semi-structured interviews, and participant observation, in this dissertation I expose and explore the intersections between multicultural citizenship discourses and leisure-oriented non-European immigrant entrepreneurship in the Windsor-Essex region of southwestern Ontario. Written in the publishable paper format, this dissertation is comprised of three stand-alone papers: paper one illustrates how citizenship discourses produced and exercised through Canada’s Multiculturalism Act (Canada, 1988) simultaneously inhibit and enable immigrants’ leisure pursuits; paper two demonstrates how non-European immigrants use leisure-based entrepreneurship to affirm and resist constraints exercised through multicultural citizenship discourses; finally, paper three demonstrates how non-European immigrants use leisure-based entrepreneurship to expand their possibilities for recognition and equal rights in the social, cultural, and political spheres of Canadian society. My findings indicate that leisure-based entrepreneurship is an important site for immigrant minorities’ civic engagement. It is a space and a medium to express and sustain distinctive cultural traditions and practices. Further, it serves as a strategy for immigrant minorities to break down barriers and create opportunities for themselves and others to participate in and experience a wide range of leisure traditions and practices. In short, through this dissertation I show that leisure-based entrepreneurship is a technique employed by immigrant minorities to assert their membership in Canadian society and to lay claims to full and equal citizenship rights. Leisure-oriented immigrant entrepreneurship, I argue, is an important site for active citizenship.

Community development (CD) is viewed as a way to improve the social, physical, organizational and economic outcomes of a community. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of a strength training facility on CD and provide an insight into its impact on the community. Qualitative research was conducted by two data collection exercises. The first was a 12-week period, while the second was one week long. A segmented thematic analysis was used to explore the data provided by three target groups and participants’ observations. The findings provided insight into the facility’s contribution to CD in particular, noting that a strength training facility can influence personal, economic, social, environmental and organizational outcomes within a community. The research contributes to the existing literature in leisure by providing evidence of CD from a remote First Nations community. The research reveals how arrangements for physical activities can improve the welfare of a community.

Os jovens brasileiros estão passando por uma situação inédita: mais da metade da população desta faixa etária está acima do peso considerado ideal. Isso ocorreu devido a diversos fatores, como a não priorização da prática de atividade física, por conta de outros interesses, como trabalho ou estudo. Nota-se com isso que diversas iniciativas têm sido tomadas para combater esse quadro alarmante. Dentre elas, há os programas que visam estimular a atividade física nos momentos de lazer desses jovens. Porém, será que tais programas contribuem para a incorporação da atividade física como opção de lazer no cotidiano dos jovens? Tendo este problema em vista, o presente trabalho tem como tema a atividade física e o lazer, e como objeto os jovens participantes do programa SESC Verão. Seus objetivos são estudar o interesse dos jovens entre 12 e 18 anos pela atividade física como opção de lazer, e verificar a influência do SESC Verão no estímulo da prática de atividade física de jovens. Como categorias teóricas foram estabelecidas as relações entre algumas características da juventude e o lazer, o interesse físico-esportivo do lazer e sua interface com os jovens e os equipamentos específicos de lazer e o Serviço Social do Comércio (SESC). Enquanto procedimentos metodológicos foram adotados dois momentos. No primeiro foi feita uma revisão bibliográfica sobre os temas abordados nas categorias teóricas. No segundo foi adotada uma pesquisa qualitativa de caráter exploratório, com a aplicação de roteiro de entrevista focalizada, durante o mês de janeiro, com jovens participantes do programa SESC Verão na edição de 2016, nas unidades Belenzinho e Itaquera, e gestores ligados à organização do programa. Cada edição do programa possui um tema norteador, que são organizados por ciclos, sendo que o atual vai de 2012 a 2016. Esta edição teve o tema Qual o esporte que te move?, apresentando os esportes olímpicos e difundindo e valorizando as modalidades paralímpicas, no ano em que o Brasil sediará uma edição de ambos os jogos. A amostra foi não-representativa, com critério de escolha por conveniência, com o número de entrevistados definidos pela saturação de dados. Através da análise das entrevistas realizadas, confrontadas com as informações obtidas através do levantamento bibliográfico realizado, pode-se dizer que os jovens possuem interesse pela atividade física como opção de lazer, embora ela não seja prioritária, e sua prática visa o divertimento e a descontração. O SESC Verão possui diversos atributos que o torna atraente aos jovens, entre eles, a programação oferecida, a infraestrutura e os instrutores nas atividades, o que faz com que eles prefiram praticar atividades físicas no SESC. Tais elementos dão ao programa um potencial transformador da realidade dos jovens, mostrando diferentes práticas de atividade física que possam ser incorporadas em seu cotidiano / Young Brazilians are going through an unprecedented situation: more than half the population of this age group is overweight. This was due to several factors, such as non prioritization of physical activity owing to other interests, such as work or study. It was noted that several initiatives have been taken to combat this alarming situation. Among them, there are programs that aim to promote physical activity in leisure time of these young people. But is that such programs contribute to the incorporation of physical activity as a leisure option in the daily lives of young people? With this problem in mind, this paper has as its themes physical activity and leisure and as its object the young participants of the SESC Verão program. Its aims are to study the interest of young people between 12 and 18 years for physical activity as a leisure option and to verify the influence of SESC Verão in stimulating the physical activity practice of young people. As theoretical categories were established the relations between some youth characteristics and leisure, physical-sporting interest of leisure and its interface with the young people and the leisure equipments and the Social Service of Commerce (SESC). As methodological procedures, were adopted two moments. At first it was made a bibliographic review based on the topics covered in theoretical categories. In second it was adopted a qualitative research with the application of semi-structured interviews, during January, among young participants of the 2016 SESC Verão edition, in Belenzinho and Itaquera units, and managers linked to this programs organization. Each edition of the program has a central theme, which is organized by cycles, and the current goes from 2012 to 2016. This edition had the theme What is the sport that move you?, presenting the Olympic sports and disseminating and enhancing the Paralympic modalities, in the year that Brazil will host an edition of both games. The sample was unrepresentative, chosen by convenience, with the number of interviews defined by data saturation. By analyzing the interviews, confronted with the information obtained through the bibliographic survey, it can be said that young people have an interest in physical activity as a leisure option, though it is not a priority, and its practice is aimed at amusement and casualness. The SESC Verão program has several attributes that make it attractive to young people, among them, the programming, the infrastructure and the instructors in the activities, which make them prefer to practice physical activity at SESC. These elements give the program a transformative potential of the young peoples reality, showing them different physical activities that can be incorporated into their daily lives

This study examined the contribution of several variables to the prediction of perceived freedom in leisure (PFL) and life satisfaction in older adults. Demographic, health and socioeconomic variables were compared with participation in recreation programs, church involvement and PFL. Church involvement was viewed as a leisure activity rather than a measure of religiosity. The survey instrument incorporated all these variables and was pretested and revised before use in the study. The sample consisted of 198 persons 60 years of age and older who were members of two Southern Baptist churches. Subjects were randomly selected, but persons considered by church staff members to be incapable of completing the survey were eliminated. Surveys were hand delivered and picked up by volunteer workers, and a 38 percent return rate was obtained. Alpha reliability for the church involvement, PFL and life satisfaction scales in the instrument were .87, .94, and .77, respectively. Frequency counts and percentages or means and standard deviations were calculated for the demographic variables. Subjects were categorized by level of involvement in church and community recreation programs. Persons involved in community but not church recreation programs were underrepresented in the sample. A selective sampling procedure was utilized to obtain more respondents in this category, but the data from these individuals were analyzed separately. Stepwise multiple regression analyses were utilized to ascertain the impact of different variables upon PFL and life satisfaction. Three predictors of PFL emerged— participation in recreation programs, church involvement and satisfaction with health. Correlations between these variables and life satisfaction were consistent with the findings in the literature. Inclusion of church involvement, participation in recreation programs and, for the life satisfaction analysis, PFL raised the percentage of variance explained. Thus, greater predictive power emerged using these variables than when only demographic, health and socioeconomic variables were included.

The purpose with this study is to investigate how leisure time-staff in the leisure time centre experience the opportunity to adjust the education for including all children, and what opportunities a principal describes that the leisure time-staff have to create an inclusive environment. The thesis is a qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with four people active in different positions within the school, given us their own perception about the possibilities to adjust the education in the leisure time centre. The result has been analysed by using four dimensions of quality management and a phenomenographic perspective, where we have divided the material in different categories. The results shows that the teacher education is inadequate at providing enough knowledge to work with adjustments in practice. This needs to be compensated by further education and collegial learning, something the school board can provide though it’s not a given matter. During the interviews it occurs that time for organizing and plan the work is crucial for doing the necessary adjustments needed for including all children. Our informants in the leisure time centre agrees that time for organizing and plan the work is crucial for doing the necessary adjustments needed for including all children. The majority of the informant’s experience that they often must give each other more time to plan and, in some cases, they even have to do the planning outside working hours. We interpret that the leisure time staff are dedicated in their effort to creating good opportunities for the children and they are committed to do so even though it is outside the working hours and their mission. Both the principal and the leisure time-staff believe that communication and cooperation is required in the work with adjustments. A factor to streamlining and improving staff’s possibilities to create adjustments to include the children and give them the opportunity to take part of the complementary mission. By using students’ thoughts and ideas, they can create an inclusive environment in the leisure time centre. It shows a common view of children and confidence in the students’ ability to improve the quality work at the leisure time centre. / Syftet med vår studie var att ta reda på hur fritidspersonalen upplever möjligheterna att anpassa verksamheten så att den inkluderar alla elever och även att se vilka förutsättningar som en rektor beskriver att personal i fritidshem har för att skapa en inkluderande miljö. Studien utgår ifrån en kvalitativ undersökning där fyra personer, med olika befattning verksamma inom skolan, genom semistrukturerade intervjuer fått delge sin uppfattning om vilka möjligheter som finns för att anpassa undervisningen i fritidshemmet. Resultatet har analyserats utifrån fyra dimensioner av ett kvalitetsarbete inom skola och ur ett fenomenografiskt perspektiv genom att dela upp materialet i olika kategorier. Resultatet visar att utbildningar inte ger tillräckligt med kunskap för att arbete med anpassningar i praktiken. Detta behöver kompenseras med fortbildningar och kollegialt lärande, något som skolledningen på arbetsplatser kan ge förutsättningar för men inte är en självklarhet. Under intervjuerna framkommer att planeringstid är en viktig förutsättning för att kunna göra de anpassningar som behövs för att inkludera alla elever. Majoriteten av informanterna upplever att de ofta måste ge ytterligare planeringstid till varandra utöver den de redan har, i vissa fall sker även arbetet med att skapa anpassningar utanför arbetstid. Vi tolkar det som att det finns ett engagemang hos personalen att skapa goda förutsättningar för barnen men att detta sträcker sig även utanför deras uppdrag. Både rektor och fritidshemspersonal upplever kommunikation och samarbete som en förutsättning i arbetet med anpassningar. En faktor för att effektivisera och förbättra personalens förutsättningar att skapa anpassningar är att inkludera eleverna och ge dem möjligheten att ta del av det kompletterande uppdraget. Genom att använda sig av elevernas tankar och idéer, kan de skapa en inkluderande miljö i fritidshemmet. Det visar på en gemensam barnsyn och tilltro till elevernas förmåga att förbättra kvalitetsarbetet på fritidshemmet.

This diploma thesis deals with the state of present society and society before 1989 in terms of leisure time society and society of work from the point of view of shop assistants. I would like to approach and understand the phenomenon of work and the very connected phenomenon of free time. We hear this statement very often - "I do not have time for it." However this phenomenon is not new, this phenomenon has already appeared in czech research in 1960s. Based on automation and shortening working hours, since the second half of the 20th century, the amount of leisure time should increase. In 1960s, some theoreticians began to claim that society of work is at the end and moving to leisure time society. But is that really fact? Do we live in a society of work or in a leisure time society? Or none of these options are true? And what about society before 1989? And do work and leisure time differ in different social settings - I mean state socialism and parliamentary democracy? I would like to answer these questions through semi-structured interviews with shop assistants.

The esports industry is a topic that has only recently become of interest to the researchers. In general, there is limited literature about the esports industry and its employment, and when it comes to professional players, it is even more scarce. However, esports is a growing phenomenon, and the professional players involved in that phenomenon require attention. This qualitative study analysed and explained the perceptions of professional esports players about their employment, which was done with the help of the serious leisure concept as well as its characteristics. The interpretive phenomenological approach was used, together with 10 semistructured interviews. In total, 6 individuals including 4 professional esports players and 2 commentators were interviewed. It was found that the line that separates serious leisure from a career for professional esports players is blurred, with many characteristics of serious leisure remaining a part of the players’ employment. These findings add to the literature by opening a window to the understanding of the complexity of careers that develop from hobby and serious leisure pursuits. Furthermore, the findings contribute to the understanding of the employment of professional esports players and the industry as a whole, which can be used to further research the financial stability of esports careers.

Detta är en kvalitativ studie där syftet är att skapa förståelse utifrån fritidslärares perspektiv för vilka förutsättningar det finns för sociala relationer på fritidshemmet. Utifrån frågeställningen: Vad påverkar och hur påverkas sociala relationer enligt fritidslärare? Undersökningen utgår från ett sociokulturellt perspektiv, där mediering, proximala utvecklingszonen samt fantasi och kreativitet har varit vår begreppsbank i analysen. Som metod har semistrukturerade intervjuer använts, där totalt sju fritidslärare intervjuats. Syftet med den semistrukturerad intervjumetoden är att skildra informanternas perspektiv på fenomenet. Intervjuerna har satts i relation till bakgrundslitteratur, forskning samt en teori som menar att människor lär i samspel med varandra.  Resultatet av undersökningen har visat att fritidslärarna anser att den sociala miljön behöver vara trygg för att elevers sociala relationer ska främjas. De menar även att den fysiska miljön måste vara inbjudande för att elever ska kunna skapa sociala relationer. Genom sitt förhållningssätt stödjer fritidslärarna det sociala samspelet som sker på fritidshemmet, både som en hjälpande hand och genom att utmana eleverna till att utföra det själva. Fritidslärarna ser även hur gruppstärkande övningar med eleverna gynnar deras sociala relationer och den sociala miljön. Vidare lyfter fritidslärarna olika aspekter av vad som påverkar elevernas sociala relationer på fritidshemmet, där gemensamma intressen, fantasi och kreativitet, kommunikation, bearbetning och makt synliggörs. Hur elevers sociala relationer påverkas anser fritidslärarna har med samspelet mellan eleverna att göra och hur de utvecklar sociala koder tillsammans. Undersökningen visar att arbetet med elevers sociala relationer är komplext och därför krävs det stöttande, tillgängliga och utmanande fritidslärare som kan hjälpa elever i det sociala samspelet.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur fritidslärare uppfattar samverkan mellan skola och fritidshem, vilka möjligheter och svårigheter som kan finnas ur fritidslärares perspektiv. Tidigare forskning belyser fritidslärares svårigheter för samverkan mellan skolverksamhet och fritidsverksamhet. Studien har använt sig av samverkansteori för att analysera olika ambitionsnivåer för samverkan. Studien bygger på kvalitativa intervjuer med fem fritidslärare i fyra olika kommuner runt om i Sverige. Resultatet har strukturerats genom en tematisk analys. Studiens resultat visar att fritidshemslärarna uppfattade att samverkan är för att få en helhetssyn på eleven. Samverkansarbetet blev ofta svårt eftersom fritidslärares kunskap och kompetens inte togs tillvara, att de blev mer resurs eller lärarassistent. Möjlighet till samverkan fanns beroende på vilken klasslärare arbetet skedde med. Vidare visar resultatet att fritidslärare betonade att samverkan är en ledningsfråga. Ett större ansvar från ledningen när det gäller samverkan efterfrågades. I diskussionen betonades att resultatet bekräftar tidigare forskning vad beträffar svårigheter i samverkan mellan klasslärare och fritidslärare. Enligt samverkansteorin styrks att en bra samverkan kräver att ledningen tar ett större ansvar.

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