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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Two research approaches were combined to study the perceptions, understandings and expectations of visitors, managers and local communities sharing the desert landscape within the recently created Pinacate Biosphere Reserve, Sonora Mexico. The psychophysical approach was applied to measure visitor's perceptions of scenic beauty and quality of outdoor experience in the Reserve. Students at the University of Arizona and tourists at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument rated views from the road and major attractions presented as color slides arranged in a "virtual trip." Results indicated high internal reliability and consensus in ratings between groups. The highest ratings of scenic beauty were associated with lush vegetation, columnar cacti, rugged geological formations and volcanic features. Travel direction and order of "visitation" for the four major attraction sites were important variables affecting scenic beauty ratings (for road views) and enjoyment of the trip (for attractions), respectively. Questionnaires, structured and open interviews, and review of public meeting documents were used to assess and contrast the three different population's understandings and expectations regarding the shared desert landscape. The major themes that emerged focused on the trade-offs between environmental conservation goals and development needs of the communities living, or having vested interests in the Pinacate Reserve. Local community (Ejidos) members favored greater emphasis on utilization of natural resources for economic development. Biosphere managers held strongly to their environmental protection mandates, but struggled to find a balance between conservation goals and community needs. Eco-tourism was viewed by both populations as the most attractive option for achieving such a balance. Visitors agreed that tourism activities should contribute to the welfare of local residents, but in a direct trade-off they much more strongly favored management policies that protect the natural desert environment.

In an attempt to identify the net benefits of different allocations of western water resources, resource economists have developed several techniques to value nonconsumptive water uses--uses which are not well-represented in the marketplace. The application of these techniques to sites with flowing streams and riparian ecosystems is the topic of this thesis. A survey incorporating the travel cost method, the contingent valuation method, and local economic impact analysis was used to assess the benefits of the Hassayampa River Preserve near Wickenburg, Arizona. Wildlife viewing is the primary visitor activity at this site, and is fully dependent on the availability of water in the Hassayampa River. This riparian site produces economic benefits that, while previously unmeasured and unaccounted for, should be included in future water allocation decisions.

The western guest ranch evolved out of an era when American literature, film, and radio romanticized the cowboy and his landscape as symbols of the frontier west. As with architectural style, landscape imagery was a powerful tool in conveying social trends. Research briefly details the evolution of the dude ranch and its development in southeastern Arizona. Specific area of study is the San Simon and Sulphur Springs Valley of present day Cochise County, Arizona. A brief history of the region's settlement is provided. The location, landscape, facilities, and entertainment of eight guest "dude" ranches in the study area is described. A detailed examination of Faraway Ranch is provided, including site plans, photographs, and inventory of existing vegetation. The vernacular landscape of the southeastern Arizona guest ranch is identified. Reasons for the appeal of a guest ranch and its landscape to patrons is described.

This item was digitized as part of the Million Books Project led by Carnegie Mellon University and supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Cornell University coordinated the participation of land-grant and agricultural libraries in providing historical agricultural information for the digitization project; the University of Arizona Libraries, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the Office of Arid Lands Studies collaborated in the selection and provision of material for the digitization project. / Reprinted by permission of Junior Extension Service, University of Illinois

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No description available.

<p> This study is an exploratory phenomenological investigation into wilderness users' self-reports about their wilderness experience in two wilderness areas in the Verde Valley, located in north central Arizona. The research inquiry states: <i>What are wilderness users' self-reported reasons for exploring the wilderness, and what effects do they (the users) report after their explorations?</i> The research inquiry strives to investigate the <i>phenomenon</i> that surrounds the <i>wilderness experience</i> and visitors' reasons for their explorations in the wilderness. The data were collected on three weekends in March 2013 at three different trailheads located on the wilderness boundaries of Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness and Sycamore Canyon Wilderness. Over 200 participants contributed data. The data were collected using a demographic form, a questionnaire, and one open-ended interview question. Results from the research found that 88% of participants in the research hold a college education or higher. Over 25% of the participants went to the wilderness areas for the natural environment, which includes the climate, terrain, and rocks. All participants commented on one of the five themes as effects the wilderness had upon them. The five themes were spiritual connectedness, acknowledgement of physical beauty, emotional expression of self, awareness of physical impact, and psychological translation of well-being. Over fifty years of wilderness visitor research supported these research findings. In addition, results, recommendations, limitations, and conclusions are drawn from the research that supported current trends and establishes new ones. The research is built upon pervious wilderness visitor research, and provides a foundation for future research to continue.</p>

Elite level coaches spend a considerable amount of time creating a vision, establishing a seasonal plan, training, and working with assistant coaches (Côté & Salmela, 1996; Vallée & Bloom, 2005). Expert team sport coaches' ability to work with their assistant coaching staff has been noted as a key element of their success (Bloom, 1997). Assistant coaches' roles include helping with team organization, practice planning, and coaching during competitions (Reynaud, 2005). Research has shown head coaches influence their assistant coaches' behaviours and approaches through mentoring and guidance (Bloom, Durand-Bush, Schinke, & Salmela,1998; Côté, 2006). In football, assistant coaches are particularly important due to large roster sizes and the specialization of playing positions. As a result, head football coaches spend considerable time and effort selecting and developing their assistant coaches. The purpose of the present study was twofold: to examine the criteria head coaches used in selecting their assistant coaches and to examine the career progression, and coaching roles and responsibilities of head assistant football coaches in Canada. Semi structured open ended interviews were conducted with 6 successful Canadian head University football coaches who were identified by a panel of experts familiar with this sport. The sample of coaches won numerous coaching awards (e.g., coach of the year), had team success (e.g., winning Vanier Cup), and were recognized for strong programs in both the classroom and their communities. Head coaches looked for assistants who cared about their athletes, had important personal values concerning loyalty and education, and possessed strong leadership skills. In addition, head coaches chose assistants who possessed a large base of football knowledge from their success as both an athlete and as an assistant coach. In addition, they described the importance of hiring assistant coaches who had different areas of expertise from their own. These results represent one of the first empirical accounts of the knowledge used by head coaches for selecting assistant coaches. In addition, this study represents new information on the primary roles and responsibilities of head assistant coaches. These results will be of interest and benefit to both head coaches and assistant coaches. / Les entraineurs de niveau élite passent un temps important à créer une vision, établir un plan saisonnier, concevoir des programmes d'entrainement, et travailler avec leurs entraineurs adjoints (Côté & Salmela, 1996; Vallée & Bloom, 2005). La capacité des entraineurs de sport d'équipe à travailler avec leur entraineurs adjoints est considérée comme un élément essentiel à leur succès (Bloom, 1997). Le rôle des entraineurs adjoints inclut le soutien à l'entraineur chef dans l'organisation, la planification des entrainements, et les instructions lors des compétitions (Reynaud, 2005). La littérature a démontré que les entraineurs en chef influencent le comportement et l'approche de leurs entraineurs adjoints par leurs orientations et conseils (Bloom, Durand-Bush, Schinke, & Salmela, 1998; Côté, 2006). Au football, les entraineurs adjoints sont particulièrement importants en raison du grand nombre de joueurs et la spécialisation des nombreuses positions. En conséquence, les entraineurs chef au football prennent beaucoup de temps et mettent des efforts considérables à la sélection et au développement de leurs entraineurs adjoints. Le but de l'étude actuelle était double. Elle avait d'abord pour but d'examiner les critères utilisés par les entraineurs chef dans la sélection de leurs entraineurs adjoints ainsi que d'analyser la progression de carrière de l'entraineur adjoint et par le fait même ses rôles et ses responsabilités au football canadien. Des entretiens ouverts semi-structurés ont été menées avec 6 entraineurs chef de football universitaire canadiens qui avaient été identifiés à priori par un panel d'experts en football canadien. Les entraineurs dans cet échantillon ont remporté de nombreux prix individuels (i.e., l'entraineur de l'année), ont eu du succès avec leurs équipes (i.e., gagner la Coupe Vanier), et sont reconnus pour leurs programmes solides à la fois dans la salle de classe et dans leurs communautés. Les entraineurs en chef ont dit rechercher des assistants qui se soucient de leurs athlètes, qui préconisent la loyauté et l'éducation, et qui possèdent un fort leadership. De plus, les entraineurs chef choisissent des assistants qui possèdent une grande connaissance du football reflétée par leur succès comme athlète et comme entraineur adjoint. Ils ont aussi décrit l'importance d'embaucher des entraineurs adjoints qui ont différents domaines d'expertise Ces résultats représentent l'un des premiers portraits empiriques des connaissances utilisées par les entraineurs en chef dans le but de sélectionner leurs entraineurs adjoints. Par ailleurs, cette étude fournit une information nouvelle sur les principaux rôles et responsabilités des entraineurs adjoints. Ces résultats sauront intéresser et profiter à la fois aux entraineurs en chef et entraineurs adjoints.