Since Pine and Gilmore (1999) proclaimed the arrival of the experience economy era, research on tourists’ experiences has become an area of growing interest among scholars and practitioners. Gaining knowledge of the experiential features of tourist activities at historic sites and museums is of paramount importance for tourism operators to understand and satisfy tourists’ widely ranging needs. With this concern in mind, the purpose of this study was to develop a multiple-item scale to measure tourists’ experiences of visiting historic sites and museums. To reach this goal, a questionnaire survey was designed to gather data about tourists’ experiences in this context. Conducted at Fuzimiao (Confucius Temple) in Nanjing city, Jiangsu province, China, in the Summer of 2012 (starting in July and ending in August), the visitor survey had an overall response rate of 88%. A total of 500 questionnaires were used for data analysis. Following the scale construction procedure suggested by DeVellis (2003), first, the literature examining experience constructs was comprehensively reviewed. An initial pool of scale items was generated. Followed by a review from six judges to ensure content validity, a total of thirty items were developed as a basis for measuring tourists’ experiences. Subsequently, the scale’s reliability was assessed with using Cronbach’s alpha value. Alpha was 0.80. The statistical results of the ranked scale item mean show that the top rated experiences of tourists visiting Fuzimiao are “change from work”, “get away”, “relaxing”, “entertainment”, “watch music and dancing performance”, and “chat with locals”. To refine the scale, 11 items that show significantly low corrected item-total correlation scores were eliminated. Deleting these items resulted in an increase in the alpha value from 0.80 to 0.88. The rest items which survived the reliability analyses were subject to exploratory factor analysis (EFA). An interim six-factor model emerged, with the remaining 19 items accounting for 80.29% of the total variance. The six factors were entertainment, culture identity-seeking, education, exploration, relationship development, and escapism. Given the underlying latent variable structure detected from EFA, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to check the proposed measurement structure. Results of the CFA indicate that the measurement model fits the data adequately after the exploration factor was removed from the hypothetical model because measurement structure of this factor was unidentified. The evaluation of the model’s composite reliability, convergent validity and discriminant validity provides good evidence of the reliability and validity of the five factors. The final experiential model, with 17 embedded items in five dimensions (entertainment, culture identity-seeking, education, relationship development, and escapism), was established.

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.

ABSTRACT Over the life course, most people will have multiple encounters with bereavement, one of which is the death of a spouse. Ongoing research on issues associated with bereavement indicates that such a loss is generally the most highly stressful encounter in an adult’s life across the population as a whole. In view of the fact that our population is growing older and most women outlive their husbands, many women find themselves having to learn how to adapt effectively with their loss. This thesis presents the findings of a qualitative study, the purpose of which was to explore the role of leisure and social support in dealing with bereavement among eleven women who had been involved in bereavement support groups following the deaths of their spouses. Data were collected using in-depth interviews. The women described their intense experiences of loss, their involvement in bereavement support groups, the factors that led them to become involved and the ways in which this involvement assisted them in dealing with the loss and in reconstructing their lives. Also, they described the role of leisure in their lives after their loss and the ways in which their involvement in the bereavement support group helped them become re-involved in social leisure. The impact of the support these women received from the professionals and their peers in the bereavement support groups as well as the ways in which their adaptation to their loss was assisted were major themes that emerged from their personal stories. An attempt was made to develop grounded theory or at least a framework that would aid in understanding the relationship between the participants’ involvement in a bereavement support group and their gradual re-involvement in social leisure. It appears that participation in a bereavement support group contributes to a process whereby widows come to accept the loss and adapt or re-construct their lives as single individuals. Throughout the bereavement process, the meaning of leisure for the women in this study shifted from a means of keeping busy and distraction from the stress and anxiety associated with the death of a spouse to one of shared leisure engaged in for pleasure, enjoyment and social connectedness. A need for establishing partnerships between bereavement support groups and community leisure service organizations was identified. These types of links would further facilitate widowed women becoming re-involved in social leisure outside of the support groups in which they participate and help them become more involved in community life in general.

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.

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.

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.

Since Pine and Gilmore (1999) proclaimed the arrival of the experience economy era, research on tourists’ experiences has become an area of growing interest among scholars and practitioners. Gaining knowledge of the experiential features of tourist activities at historic sites and museums is of paramount importance for tourism operators to understand and satisfy tourists’ widely ranging needs. With this concern in mind, the purpose of this study was to develop a multiple-item scale to measure tourists’ experiences of visiting historic sites and museums. To reach this goal, a questionnaire survey was designed to gather data about tourists’ experiences in this context. Conducted at Fuzimiao (Confucius Temple) in Nanjing city, Jiangsu province, China, in the Summer of 2012 (starting in July and ending in August), the visitor survey had an overall response rate of 88%. A total of 500 questionnaires were used for data analysis. Following the scale construction procedure suggested by DeVellis (2003), first, the literature examining experience constructs was comprehensively reviewed. An initial pool of scale items was generated. Followed by a review from six judges to ensure content validity, a total of thirty items were developed as a basis for measuring tourists’ experiences. Subsequently, the scale’s reliability was assessed with using Cronbach’s alpha value. Alpha was 0.80. The statistical results of the ranked scale item mean show that the top rated experiences of tourists visiting Fuzimiao are “change from work”, “get away”, “relaxing”, “entertainment”, “watch music and dancing performance”, and “chat with locals”. To refine the scale, 11 items that show significantly low corrected item-total correlation scores were eliminated. Deleting these items resulted in an increase in the alpha value from 0.80 to 0.88. The rest items which survived the reliability analyses were subject to exploratory factor analysis (EFA). An interim six-factor model emerged, with the remaining 19 items accounting for 80.29% of the total variance. The six factors were entertainment, culture identity-seeking, education, exploration, relationship development, and escapism. Given the underlying latent variable structure detected from EFA, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to check the proposed measurement structure. Results of the CFA indicate that the measurement model fits the data adequately after the exploration factor was removed from the hypothetical model because measurement structure of this factor was unidentified. The evaluation of the model’s composite reliability, convergent validity and discriminant validity provides good evidence of the reliability and validity of the five factors. The final experiential model, with 17 embedded items in five dimensions (entertainment, culture identity-seeking, education, relationship development, and escapism), was established.

While the arts have gained a more prominent place in inclusive educational settings, inclusive arts programming in the context of community recreation requires further exploration. In my practice I have found that while inclusive arts opportunities are in high-demand, programs that run are typically infrequent and short-term, leaving many potential participants without a space to explore the arts. In this research I undertook a phenomenological inquiry into the experience of ten practitioners providing inclusive arts programs. Practitioners were drawn from Southwestern and Northwestern Ontario, and from a variety of arts-based fields. This exploration examined practitioners’ images and understandings of inclusion, disability, the arts, and their experiences with inclusive arts programs. The key essences which emerged as components of the inclusive arts experience for practitioners were: Inclusive Arts as an Enabling Space; Exploring Potential through Creative Expression; Flexibility, Adaptations, and Possibilities for Inclusion; Valuing Sameness and Difference in Ability and the Arts; Practitioners’ Experiences of Receiving Gifts and Feeling Strained; and, Embodying Inclusive Arts Values. Practitioners’ experiences within inclusive arts programs were impacted by the values associated with inclusion and the arts. Practitioners who embodied those values in their everyday life found inclusive arts programming to be highly rewarding and meaningful, despite sometimes significant financial and emotional challenges. The essences are also discussed in relation to three cross-cutting aspects of the practitioners’ experience: the medical and social construction of disability, art as inclusion, and the notion of embodiment.

The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to explore how parents understand and experience their child’s involvement and non-involvement in community leisure experiences. The study involved five parents with children between eight and twenty-one years of age, and asked them about the recreation experiences of their child who had a cognitive and/or physical disability. Narrative methodology enabled a holistic, comprehensive and personal approach to exploring their experiences. Each parent completed two narrative interviews, the first to produce a narrative account and the second to explore the meaning of his or her narrative. This study used a two step analysis process to explore the narratives. The descriptive analysis focused on establishing the context, and creating the narrative account using the interview transcripts and my interpretation of the stories. An interpretive analysis was completed in three phases to explore the purpose of the story, the order and sequence and presentation of self, and explored the cultural practices of the narratives. From the narratives I found many parents told their stories for other parents or recreation practitioners. The key message from the stories was the importance of recreation for social networking for both parent and child. Important spaces from the stories were identified: space to be social, space to succeed and space to be engaged or included. Other characters played critical roles in the recreation experiences. Internal conflict was often experienced by parents where the desire for the child to participate clashed with the parents’ hesitation, concern, or schedule. The final phase of analysis revealed a difference between my understandings of key terms (segregation, integration and inclusion) and the parents’ understandings of those terms. Many parents and children had experienced a level of exclusion both from and within recreation experiences. Inclusion was found to be an enabling and disabling practice. I found gains in political power developed through increases in social and psychological power. Levels of trust and the phases of empowerment were important to the parents’ understandings of inclusion. The conclusions identified the parents as being responsible for negotiating recreation, and the children had an awareness of their disability. Finally, discrepancies about the meaning of segregation, integration and inclusion were identified.

While the arts have gained a more prominent place in inclusive educational settings, inclusive arts programming in the context of community recreation requires further exploration. In my practice I have found that while inclusive arts opportunities are in high-demand, programs that run are typically infrequent and short-term, leaving many potential participants without a space to explore the arts. In this research I undertook a phenomenological inquiry into the experience of ten practitioners providing inclusive arts programs. Practitioners were drawn from Southwestern and Northwestern Ontario, and from a variety of arts-based fields. This exploration examined practitioners’ images and understandings of inclusion, disability, the arts, and their experiences with inclusive arts programs. The key essences which emerged as components of the inclusive arts experience for practitioners were: Inclusive Arts as an Enabling Space; Exploring Potential through Creative Expression; Flexibility, Adaptations, and Possibilities for Inclusion; Valuing Sameness and Difference in Ability and the Arts; Practitioners’ Experiences of Receiving Gifts and Feeling Strained; and, Embodying Inclusive Arts Values. Practitioners’ experiences within inclusive arts programs were impacted by the values associated with inclusion and the arts. Practitioners who embodied those values in their everyday life found inclusive arts programming to be highly rewarding and meaningful, despite sometimes significant financial and emotional challenges. The essences are also discussed in relation to three cross-cutting aspects of the practitioners’ experience: the medical and social construction of disability, art as inclusion, and the notion of embodiment.