Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University, 1940. / Vita. Published also without thesis note. Bibliography: p. 375-390.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University, 1940. / Vita. Published also without thesis note. Bibliography: p. 375-390.

No description available.

No description available.

Older Americans will comprise 22.9% of the population by the year 2050 (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1989). The literature has focused attention on the informal networks and leisure activities of the older adult. Most older adults have an effective network of close relationships with family and friends.Schein (1985) suggests that impaired hearing reduces communication resulting in social withdrawal and diminished participation in leisure activities. Only recently has research addressed the impact of subjective memory impairment. The literature on self-reported memory complaints and objective measures of performance are mixed.The purpose of this study was to better understand the role self-reported hearing impairment and memory impairment have on the social contact and leisure activities of community adults. Results indicate that gender is a significant indicator of social contact. The hypothesis that individuals reporting memory difficulties would differ significantly in social contact and leisure activities from unimpaired individuals was supported. No significant multivariate effect appeared for hearing on social contact or leisure activities. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

This study reported responses regarding factors which influenced the initial involvement and retention in sport by athletes with visual impairments competing at national and international levels. Fifty-five (55) athletes with visual impairments (40 male and 15 female) in attendance at five of the 1992 United States Association for Blind Athletes (USABA) national championships were interviewed. The championships included: judo, track & field (divided into two separate competitions; sprinters and field events; and distance runners), swimming, and goal ball. Athletes who were selected for and did participate in the Paralympics in Barcelona numbered 24. Biographic and demographic information were gathered in addition to 43 descriptive and open-ended questions in hour-long interviews.In general, the athletes interviewed were successful in their early contacts with sport, did not think of themselves as handicapped, disabled, or physically challenged, preferred to be referred to as visually impaired, and came from very supportive families who did not hinder their progress in sport. The positive factors perceived to influence involvement in sport were quality of life issues. Factors mentioned included: fun, health and fitness, friendships, and competition. Other comments of interest not falling into the above categories included: "high level of success", "satisfaction", "challenge", "enjoyment", "increased self-esteem", "self-confidence", "puts life in perspective", "I have a better outlook", "it balances my life", and "keeps my life normal".For a person with a visual impairment, sport seems to have some unique contributing qualities. Participation in sport was an important part of the lives of these athletes and contributed greatly to improved confidence and self-esteem, and to their efforts to be accepted by society in general. Sport was the means to an end and not the end itself as evidenced in the relatively small number of responses (nine out of 55) relating 'winning' as reason for involvement. Failure did not mean losing as defined by the score at the end of a competition. At this time in the history of sport for athletes with visual impairments, it appears that involvement in sport is a great asset to personal life satisfaction. / Department of Educational Leadership

"Victorianism" is a highly controversial, sometimes ironic, term penned by historians throughout various works that has come to hold dramatic weight in both its meaning and its influence. Though the term is usually most closely associated with nineteenth century England, Victorianism was a highly influential movement in American culture simultaneously as well, specifically in the spheres of home, work, and play. Of those, "play," or leisure, is undoubtedly the least explored, especially before the latter decades of the twentieth century. Prior to this period, most literature about the Victorians, with the exception of a few works, only dealt with masculinity, religion, and the rigid dynamic of the nineteenth century household. Recently, historians like James Walvin, Pamela Horn, and Hugh Cunningham have attempted to draw attention to Victorian leisure with excellent works on pastimes and society during the nineteenth century, but they represent only a few. However, many works of this caliber focus on England, the "birthplace" of Victorianism. Thus, this work attempts to emphasize that the cultural phenomenon of Victorianism was just as present in the United States. Despite the recurring themes of the home and the workplace so often chosen by scholars, it is actually within the realm of leisure that the controversial issues of the Victorian period and its people can be best observed. Class, race, and gender were three major components of the Victorian culture that shaped the various forms of leisure and recreation, as well as the specific restrictions on those amusements. All of these factors had a shared, tremendous influence on the progress (or lack thereof) towards a more modern era and society that occurred at the turn of the twentieth century. iv In the pages to follow, the numerous contradictions and paradoxes of Victorian leisure in America will be examined, ultimately demonstrating how pastimes and recreation (and their outlets) in the mid to late nineteenth century were neither truly Victorian nor truly progressive, but indeed a combination of both. This creates further irony during this controversial period. However, before exploring these outlets, the term "Victorian" will be examined while placing it into the context of mid to late nineteenth century Americans who belonged to all classes of travelers. It will become apparent that American Victorians had much invested in their values, but were also willing to break the rules regarding certain amusements and pleasures. Moreover, the "democratization" of leisure will be highlighted as the upper and lower classes began to enjoy the same recreations. Marked innovations of the period will also be discussed, as to highlight their importance on Victorian leisure and its development, which will also be referred to throughout the chapters. These topics will be addressed before examining the specific Victorian leisure culture of two of America’s oldest seaside destinations: Cape May and Atlantic City, both in New Jersey. The guests, accommodations and transportation, and offerings at these resort towns will act as a mirror into mid to late nineteenth century culture. There, the contradictory ideals and rules of Victorianism are exhibited as the resorts rose to prominence. The decline of "elite-only" leisure and the rise of the "excursionist" will be examined throughout the progression of the towns’ growth and boom periods. Exploring the ironies of Victorian leisure through the proverbial lens of Cape May and Atlantic City proves effective, as the towns came to represent opposite ends of the "socially acceptable" spectrum after a short period, and were full of similar inconsistencies and paradoxes themselves. Additionally, their current fates remain a product of their polarized v Victorian heydays, further proving the influence of seaside resort culture, the late Victorian period, and its ideals on the broader field of American leisure history.