Recreational running is an activity increasing in popularity (Running USA, 2012). The current study sought to gain an ‘insiders’ perspective into the ‘lived experiences’ and social world of distance running so to explore the meaning, value and significance of the activity to the lives of ‘highly committed’ runners in Toronto (Canada). Ethnography of running club participants was used to inform the research. Findings suggest that commitment to distance running was effective for fulfilling a number of human ‘needs’, including for health, fitness, acceptance, belonging, self-esteem, autonomy, competence, relatedness and perhaps self-actualization as proposed by Maslow (1954) and Deci and Ryan (2000). Running was further conceptualized as a “serious leisure” (Stebbins, 1982) which helps explain the process of adaptively incorporating physical activity into one’s life and committing long-term. This research highlights some oft ignored psychological and social benefits of physical activity adherence which may contribute to improved overall health and well-being.

This project offers an analysis of how the transformative power of creative process in learning offers humankind relational connections with the natural environment. It supports the recommendation that educational institutions move towards a transformative creative learning process. The paper argues that by teaching children through assumptions of the world as in constant creative becoming humankind will move toward a more encompassing, coherent story of the universe which allows for the increasing self-actualization of individuals. After offering a theoretical discussion of the transformative power of creativity through the works of Brian Swimme, Edmund OSullivan and Alfred North Whitehead, the author provides descriptive, interpretive and critical narrative accounts of a teaching occasion created by her in which she illustrates her understanding of this transformative power.

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Thesis (M.A.)--Northern Michigan University, 2009. / "14-62709." Bibliography: leaves 54-59.

Thesis (M.A.)--Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 1999. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2823. Typescript. Abstract precedes thesis as, preliminary leaves [2-3]. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 109-112).

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Social Work and Social Administration / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Tiek pasauliniame, tiek Europos, tiek ir Lietuvos kontekste pastaruoju metu pastebimas ženklus moterų aktyvumo padidėjimas. Moterys nesitenkina vien tik žmonos ar mamos vaidmeniu. Šiandieną jos sėkmingai daro karjerą, tobulina profesines žinias, aktyviai dalyvauja visuomeniniame bei politiniame gyvenime. Lietuvos smulkaus ir vidutinio verslo plėtros agentūros duomenimis, pastaraisiais metais didėja ir auga moterų verslininkių vaidmuo ekonomikoje. Spėjama, kad moterų kūrybiškumas ir verslo potencialas yra užslėptas ekonominio augimo ir naujų darbo vietų kūrimo šaltinis. Būdamos užimtos verslu, karjera, šeima ir namais - moterys dar sugeba rasti laiko ir savo profesinių žinių tobulinimui, bendravimui, patirties pasidalijimu su kitomis moterimis klubinėje veikloje. Verslo bei sėkmingai karjerą darančios moterys yra dar labiau užimtos nei verslininkai vyrai, tad įdomu, kaip joms pavyksta atrasti laiko dar ir klubinei veiklai, ir ko jos siekia šioje veikloje. Šiame darbe siekta išsiaiškinti LIONS moterų klubo narių nuomonę apie moterų savirealizacijos galimybes klubinėje veikloje. / In today's World, Europe and even Lithuania context we see a very noticeable women activity. Nowadays it is not enough for them to take care of the house and children, to study at universities, to run their own business. Women take part in different political or social organizations, associations and clubs. What are their expectations? Having so little free time, they waste it on improving our imperfect world. And they have been doing it for more than two hundred years, since one of the earliest and most influential of women's clubs Sorosis was founded in New York City in 1868. As there were no studies in women's club movement in Lithuania, this paper aims to find out what are the expectations of women self-realization and self-actualization, and how they could be fulfilled participating in club activity.

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between self-motivation and action control (decision implementation) as dispositional determinants of adherence to exercise programs at a worksite setting. Past studies have shown self-motivation to be a good measure of individual difference between those who persist in exercise behavior and those who do not. Theorists have suggested that individuals with a high action orientation are more likely to maintain and enact their intentions than those with a high state orientation. This study attempted to objectively test the theories by determining whether or not "regular" exercisers are more likely to demonstrate a high action control orientation and /or self-motivation than "irregular" exercisers. An attempt was also made to determine whether or not action control might be a stronger exercise adherence predictor than self-motivation.Eighty five hospital employees who were members of the wellness center at Ball Memorial Hospital, completed a demographic questionnaire, the Self-Motivation Inventory, and the Action Control Scale. Correlational analysis data indicated "regular" exercisers were more likely to demonstrate self-motivation than "irregular" exercisers. However, multiple regression analysis indicated that neither action control nor self-motivation accounted for more than 7% of the total variance. Further study is recommended. / Institute for Wellness

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of South Florida, 2006. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 107-121).