ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to understand constraints to tennis spectating and constraints negotiation therein. The primary research questions were related to the changing nature of spectating experience, its’ meaning, and spectators’ actions when faced with constraints. The topic of spectating sporting events, consumer loyalty, and leisure constraints have widely been addressed in the literature using quantitative methods. This research attempted to add understanding to the body of literature qualitatively. Data was collected and analyzed using the grounded theory method. This research also attempted to address the recommendation to examine negotiation-efficacy role among various populations and other leisure contexts (Loucks-Atkinson & Mannell, 2007). In depth interviews were conducted with thirteen tennis spectators (six males and seven females) residing in Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Hamilton, Oshawa, and Toronto, Ontario. Spectators varied in age, playing ability, and occupation. Spectating experiences suggested ten constraints, six negotiation strategies, and five steps to minimize the impact of potential future constraints on one’s behaviour. Ten constraints experienced were: 1) too costly to attend a tennis event, 2) uncomfortable and deterrent weather prior and during the event, 3) lack of resources and accessibility to them, 4) time conflict between the event and everyday life, 5) long and time consuming distance to be travelled, 6) poor players’ performance, 7) others’ perception of the sport, 8) sitting too close or too far from the action, 9) tennis not being among top spectators sports in Canada, and 10) difficulty finding a parking spot. The analysis revealed that the perception of these constraints differed based on age, gender, and previous playing experience. Negotiation strategies widely used were: 1) scheduling ahead, 2) using electronic resources for viewing, 3) networking and talking to others, 4) playing tennis, 5) going to a different sporting event, and 6) engaging in interactive activities. Five steps in minimizing the effect of potential future constraints consisted of: 1) being organized, 2) travelling with a friend, 3) gaining knowledge, 4) controlling one’s expectations, and 5) staying committed to the sport. The majority felt in control when negotiating. The constructivist grounded theory revealed that the relationship between constraints, negotiation, and participation in tennis spectating was circular. This relationship implied that although negotiation takes place, it does not eliminate constraints all together, but rather potentially reducing the impact of a constraint. The same constraint may reoccur again in the future and it was understood that as long as tennis spectators are active constraints will exist and negotiation strategies will occur. Constraints in this study were related with negative emotions, reduced enjoyment, physical discomfort which threatened on future tennis spectating behaviour. The main limitation of this study is that the results are not representative of the population and are participant and context specific. Implications for practice may include: establishing a sense of service value, increasing of interactive gaming and activities during inclement weather, betterment of promotional efforts of amateur events and media exposure via local channels of professional tennis events. Future research recommendations include studying a similar topic in a different context, assessing the impact of sport attachment versus player attachment on spectating behaviour of individual sports quantitatively, and conducting an experiment where one of the constraints is manipulated.

This primarily qualitative research study examined the views of first and second year nursing students regarding leisure and its relationship to health. Thirty-two nursing students reflected on their own lived experiences of leisure by completing an on-line survey. Three of the students added depth to the initial survey results by completing the Leisure Attitude Measure (LAM) and participating in a focus group. This study examined how the nursing students understood the concept of leisure and the connection between leisure and health. As well, it explored the implications that this understanding has on Therapeutic Recreation (TR) professionals as they conduct advocacy and education sessions on the field of TR with other members of the interdisciplinary health care team.<p> The students responses were analyzed using an inductive technique with themes emerging from the data. As a group, the students responses touched on many of the components of leisure and connections to health outlined in the literature. However, individual responses were often missing key aspects related to the subjectivity of leisure, the holistic nature of leisure and the potential of leisure and TR in contributing to the treatment of patients. The responses suggest a number of implications for TR professionals as they prepare and deliver educational and advocacy sessions for other staff. From a broader sense, the data raise some areas worth considering in terms of the potential for leisure education within educational and societal contexts.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Reading, 1990. / Includes chp. 3 of Marketing tourism places edited by Gregory J. Ashworth and Brian Goodall titled People, places and priorities, opportunity sets and consumers' holiday choice by Peter Kent. Includes several papers from the 2nd International Conference, Leisure, Labour and Lifestyles : International Comparisons, Sussex University, Brighton, England, Juen 29-July 3, 1988. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 214-253).

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2003. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains v, 84 p. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 73-77).

This thesis explores contemporary health club use, and the meaning of such for those that live and/or work in the city. Focusing on the 'premier' health club sector this study considers the factors that encourage people to become part of the contemporary premier club culture. More specifically, this thesis is concerned with defining the characteristics of the premier club environment and to consider who they attract and why? What are the reasons behind the decision to join a premier club, does it reflect a personal desire to improve ones health and fitness or is it a culmination of social pressures and rational thought? Why is it that premier clubs are located within thriving cities and are they a prominent feature amongst the social network of the city? These questions emerged at a time when 4 million people in the UK held health club membership and premier clubs were receiving increasing media attention. Whilst this rise in popularity of health clubs only equates to 8% of the population holding club membership, it suggests that for a select number of people, health club use is a significant feature of everyday life (Mintell, 2003). Simultaneously, sociology is increasingly concerned with most aspects of health and illness, the state of the body and the impact of it on everyday practices. However, health club use remains a significantly underdeveloped area of sociological inquiry. This qualitative study has focused on the premier club environment, defined within this thesis as 'a club which expands on the common health club model of gym, aerobics studio and pool and offers a better standard of these basic facilities, a wider range of activities and extension services such as spa treatments, dry cleaning and booking services', The research was conducted in four premier clubs in two major UK cities. The empirical findings suggest that premier club use is socially and culturally located. There is a 'social value of health' which infiltrates all channels in society, a value which is particularly strong within the social network of the city. The research has shown that whilst premier club use is obviously, to an extent, a personal quest for bodily improvement, it is motivated by two factors. The first being the 'need' to improve health and fitness as a consequence of working in a high-pressured city workplace and the second, a desire to present a certain 'image of fitness', which again is shaped by the value of health that exists in the city workplace. In conclusion it was found that within the context of the city, body work and the development of a 'workstyle' is a motivating factor behind the decision to join a premier club. Premier club is an integral feature in the process of individualisation as social agents are engaging in a reflexive project of the self, whereby shaping their body and creating an overall image, or a positive workstyle, is of the essence.

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The preparation, marketing and consumption of food are complex social-economic processes that still require an extensive amount of original research, and this is perhaps especially true in cross-cultural contexts. To gain a clearer understanding of the role of food and cuisine in trans-cultural touristic experience, it is necessary to acknowledge multidimensional criteria rather than concentrating solely on one aspect such as food preferences or motivation. Given the scarcity of relevant research, the main purpose of the present study is to analyze food and dining vis-a-vis the phases of the cross-cultural tourist experience, the influences upon it, and its outcomes, through which a deeper insight into the roles of food in the tourist experience can be obtained. The research takes the form of a case study exploring the experiences of both Western and non-Taiwanese Asian tourists in Taiwan. An on-site survey was conducted at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport throughout the month of May 2012. A total of 633 respondents comprising 425 Asian tourists from seven countries and 208 Western tourists from ten countries completed the questionnaire. Results of this study have identified key attributes of how Asian and Western tourists perceived food while travelling in Taiwan, and challenge conventional conceptual approaches to understanding the roles of food in tourism experience, by taking into account the phased nature of touristic experience. Among other findings, Asian tourists in the sample were more likely to view food as a major motivation, and to engage more actively in food experience, than their Western counterparts. The study also upholds the hypothesis that touristic experience is multi-dimensional, insofar as it confirmed the theoretical validity of the phases of the tourist experience (pre-experience, during-experience, and post-experience) for quantitative evaluation of the roles of food and cuisine.