Canada’s aging population is expected to have an impact on all public institutions; for public libraries, the emergence of a large, multi-generational user group of older adults challenges the current paradigm of services to seniors. This thesis examines a subset of this user group: baby boomer library patrons who are in a caring relationship with elders. It investigates how these patrons interact with the public library both for themselves, and as carers, in order to reveal library-related issues particular to this growing segment of the population. The study takes place within a conceptual framework derived from the ethic of care, and from emerging theories of library-as-place rooted in the fields of human geography and sociology. Using a qualitative instrumental case study method, long form interviews were conducted with respondents recruited through theoretical sampling extended by snowball sampling. While not generalizable, findings suggest that while these baby boomer respondents value their libraries deeply, there is potential to create services and practices more attuned to the needs of older adults who are in relationships with elders.

This dissertation examined health care utilization patterns across conventional health care (CHC), complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and public health care (PHC) systems among Canadians aged fifty and older. I argued that utilization research is currently limited by a primary focus on discrete use of health care services, largely within the CHC system (i.e., medical doctors, specialists, hospitals). However substantial growth in use of CAM and PHC, particularly among late middle-age cohorts, suggests the need to widen the research lens from discretionary service use within health care systems to include medical pluralism or use across health care systems. To address the lack of research on medical pluralism and the need for a comprehensive overview of service use, I used two different strategies to create discrete patterns of service use and non-use. To frame the predictors of these patterns, a medical pluralism paradigm was proposed, which suggests that there are distinct social location and health characteristics that may explain use across health care systems. Five hypotheses were tested using data pooled from two cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey (Cycles 2.1 [2003] and 3.1 [2005]) to create an overall sample (n=117,824). Results from the deductive (variable oriented) and inductive (person centred) strategies were compared. Differences in both the number and form of patterns are apparent. Across both strategies, the most common pattern is dual use of CHC (medical visits, specialist visits) and PHC (flu shots, sex-specific screening) but not CAM (chiropractors, other CAM providers). Consistent with the literature, women use more types of services overall than do men. The gender effect is significantly mediated by age: older men are less likely to use services across the three health care systems than older women. Strong evidence for a socioeconomic gradient in medical pluralism is also found. Higher levels of income and education increase the likelihood of using services across the three health care systems compared to low and middle levels of both income and education. The relationship between race and health service use was much less significant. Long-term immigrants demonstrate tri-use patterns close to those of Canadian born individuals; however, service differentials remain even after controlling for health needs, in favour of native-born Canadians. Medical pluralism is also associated with health related-need as support was found for both illness and wellness care. Lastly, regional differences point to a greater likelihood of medical pluralism in western Canada, but not always in urban areas. In future, a longitudinal examination of medical pluralism is necessary and would help establish the sequencing of services and how services are used in relation to the disablement process. Health policy would thus benefit from insight into the extent of service duplication for specific conditions and clarify the role of medical doctors in referral processes. / Graduate

Canada’s aging population is expected to have an impact on all public institutions; for public libraries, the emergence of a large, multi-generational user group of older adults challenges the current paradigm of services to seniors. This thesis examines a subset of this user group: baby boomer library patrons who are in a caring relationship with elders. It investigates how these patrons interact with the public library both for themselves, and as carers, in order to reveal library-related issues particular to this growing segment of the population. The study takes place within a conceptual framework derived from the ethic of care, and from emerging theories of library-as-place rooted in the fields of human geography and sociology. Using a qualitative instrumental case study method, long form interviews were conducted with respondents recruited through theoretical sampling extended by snowball sampling. While not generalizable, findings suggest that while these baby boomer respondents value their libraries deeply, there is potential to create services and practices more attuned to the needs of older adults who are in relationships with elders.

Formal succession planning strategies for retiring Baby Boomer generation of leaders in nonprofit organizations (NPOs) are nonexistent in many NPOs, including faith-based NPOs. Top NPO leaders possess vital organizational knowledge and experience. The lack of strategic succession planning adversely affects organizational sustainability and mission fulfillment. Guided by the conceptual framework of knowledge transfer, the current study supplies a description of succession planning strategies used in faith-based organizations that have Boomer leaders. This multiple case study included 3 faith-based NPOs in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties in Florida and their top-level leaders. They supplied descriptions of formal succession planning strategies through semistructured interviews and through related organizational documents. An inductive analysis of the data revealed that (a) key leaders were the initiators for developing a strategic plan for succession, (b) boards of directors were critical to the process, and (c) leadership transition, planned or unplanned, required preparation and documented policies that must be reviewed at regular intervals. Leadership development is a valuable practice, which contributes to succession planning strategy. Influential leaders and board members of NPOs may receive inspiration to engage in succession planning strategies to maintain capable and prepared leaders at the top levels of the organizations as a means to ensure organizational sustainability and mission fulfillment. Positive social change happens in communities by encouraging a positive societal culture and identity through uninterrupted NPO services and programs. Improving the lives of community members enhances the communities in which they live.

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Cette recherche s’intéresse aux enjeux de l’habitat de demain de la génération des baby-boomers, tout particulièrement ceux nés entre 1945 et 1953, qui arrivent aujourd’hui à la retraite. C’est au carrefour de la vision de ce que signifie habiter selon des auteurs comme Benoit Goetz ( 2011), des philosophes comme Heidegger (1958), Bachelard (1957), Benjamin (1955), Büber (1962) ou encore Deleuze (1980) d’une part, soulignant les facteurs de porosité et les liens aux autres, et d’autre part les caractéristiques des baby-boomers telles que présentées par Jean François Sirinelli (2003) et Josée Garceau (2012), que se situe la recherche. Cette génération informée entend rester active et pratique des « adeptions » qui influencent par les gestes un savoir habiter et par là son habitat. L’étude de terrain a sondé les aspirations des baby-boomers en ce qui concerne leur choix résidentiel pour l’avenir, pour comprendre sur quelles valeurs et vers quels buts leur projet se construit. Le choix de méthodologies qualitatives s’appuie sur le visionnement préalable d’un film récent : Et si on vivait tous ensemble. Des entretiens semi-dirigés, auprès de cinq baby-boomers, de 60 à 65 ans, effectués en deux phases avec verbatim approuvés,étaient basés sur trois thèmes : la mémoire, l’adeption et le projet. Entre autres résultats, sont confirmés avec variantes, plusieurs concepts théoriques, comme ceux de porosité et d’ouverture par la fenêtre à la fois physique et virtuelle, mais soulignent le spectre de la maison de retraite et des préoccupations financières concernant l’avenir d’un habitat nécessairement autonome. Cette génération imprégnée par le monde technologique veut avoir accès à tout ce que propose la modernité sans pour autant perdre le sens de l’historicité de leur vie. Nés dans un monde en bouillonnement, les baby-boomers ont réinventé chaque étape de leur existence, ce qui laisse préfigurer que cette génération s’apprête à réinventer la retraite et ses sites domiciliaires. Aussi l’approche design devra-t-elle complètement se renouveler pour ces nouveaux usagers. / This study is about the stakes of how the baby boomer generation, in particular those born between 1945 and 1954 who are currently retiring, will deal with their living spaces. I shall take into account the multiple visions of Benoit Goetz (2011), Heidegger (1958), Bachelard (1957), Benjamin (1955), Büber (1962) and Deleuze (1980) who analyze what it means to live in a given living space. Indeed not only must porosity factors and increasing relations between beings be analyzed but also the characteristics of these baby boomers themselves with regards to who they are as Jean Francois Sirinelli (2003) and Josée Garceau (2012) have done. This new generation of baby boomers hopes to remain active and in order to do so seeks to adapt and influence their living spaces as well as their conceptualizations of what it means to “live”. This current study has asked baby boomers what their visions are for their future residential choices in order to grasp on what values and for what goals their project is based on,. This was done by having five baby boomer between the age of 60-65 to watch the movie Et si on vivait tous ensemble. Afterwards, semi-directed interviews, based on their memory of the movie, what adaptions they foresee in addition to how they see their future, were conducted in two different phases with approved verbatim. The findings were then compared and confirmed with different theoretical frameworks such as porosity and opening of a physical and virtual window. At the same time, retirement homes and the financial considerations behind an aging population were taken into account. This generation, immersed in technology wants to have access to such modern technology without losing the feeling of controlling their lives and story. Born in an innovation and changing time, they have already proven capable of changing and reinventing each stage of their life. This, therefore, leaves us to believe that they will do the same with their vision of retirement and living spaces. Hence, tomorrow’s design models will have to renew itself for its new users.

S’il est établi que le baby-boomer québécois francophone issu de la tradition catholique s’est distancié de cette dernière, nous observons aussi qu’il continue à s’y identifier à chaque recensement. Ce mémoire propose une démarche et des outils permettant de décrire l’expérience de foi de celui-ci. Il s’agit de la théologie de l’intime, dont la genèse et son expérimentation sont présentés dans le cadre d’une recherche conduite auprès de sujets appartenant à cette population. Cette approche s’articule à travers trois dialogues complémentaires et interdépendants : la quête de l’essence, la démarche d’incarnation et le défi identitaire. L’expérimentation démontre que le caractère pluridisciplinaire de la théologie de l’intime réussit à décrire de façon congruente l’expérience de foi de baby-boomers dont elle confirme aussi la cohérence, malgré le constat d’un décalage doctrinal avec le catholicisme. Le mémoire conclut en proposant d’autres perspectives d’application de la théologie de l’intime. / Even if we know that the Quebec French-speaking baby-boomer of catholic tradition stepped back from the latter, we also observe that he continues to become identified with it in every census. This report proposes an approach and tools allowing to describe the experience of faith of this one. It is about the intimate theology, of which the genesis and its experiment are presented within the framework of a research led with subjects belonging to this population. This approach articulates through three complementary and interdependent dialogues: the quest for essence, the embodiment process and the identity challenge. The experiment demonstrates that the multidisciplinary character of the intimate theology describes in a congruent way some baby-boomers’ experience of faith, the coherence of which it also confirms, in spite of the report of a doctrinal gap with the Catholicism. The report ends by proposing other perspectives of application of the intimate theology.

Four generations of workers share the workforce for the first time in history. Business leaders' failure to address generational conflict may lead to low productivity, high turnover rates, employee frustration, and reduced profits. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of business leaders, managers, and supervisors in leading a multigenerational workforce within their companies. The conceptual framework was based on McClelland's theory, identifying key motivators that drive characteristics of people, including affiliation. A purposive sample of 20 local employees, spanning 4 generations from the retail grocery industry in Hampton Roads, Virginia, were interviewed to explore general characteristics, attitudes, values, and behaviors at work. Transcribed interview data were divided into categories to find shared phenomenon and identify themes based on the participants' perceptions. The findings were categorized and coded, patterns were established, and themes were generated to answer the central research question. Trustworthiness of the interpretations was achieved through member checking. The findings from this study revealed that the employees perceived that business leaders, managers, and supervisors lacked sufficient knowledge to successfully communicate with their employees or peers from different generations in the workplace. The employees perceived that those communication failures and lack of interaction between the different generations generated conflict. The implications for positive social change include the potential to bridge the gap between younger and older workers and minimize conflict resulting from miscommunication among the different age groups.

The objectives of this research project were to (1) explore perceptions and experiences related to body dissatisfaction, aging, and the use of body work practices among baby boomer and older women; and (2) explore healthy eating attitudes and barriers, food choice influences, dieting behaviours, and food product usage/attitudes among these women. Fourteen focus groups with baby boomer and older women were conducted in urban and rural areas of Manitoba (n=137). Participants also completed a questionnaire and height and weight measurements. Body image, aging and food were intimately connected in women’s lives. Feelings about the body were closely connected to the experience of aging and perceptions of the body influenced food choices and attitudes. This thesis adds value to the existing literature by exploring the connections between aging, food, and the body, from the perspectives of baby boomer and older women.

Thesis (M.G.S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Sociology and Gerontology, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 47-49).