Retirement is a significant life transition for many older adults, and historically most retirement planning focusses on financial planning. Not only is there far less importance placed on non-financial retirement planning, but also there is also little research on what planning priorities contribute to retirement satisfaction. This dissertation presents two studies conducted with the purpose of identifying these priorities. Study one involved one-on-one semi-structured interviews of 16 retired and non-retired individuals who were engaged in an endurance serious leisure sport. It revealed similarities and differences between pre-retired and retired participants as well as overall contradictions between participants’ perceived and practised retirement strategies. While a general lack of leisure retirement planning was observed, self-determination theory’s precepts of autonomy, competence, and relatedness fulfilment were predominant in the significance the endurance sport held for participants’ retirement plans and appeared to contribute significantly to retirement well-being. The second study was a sequential transformative mixed-method design of 50 retired individuals involving an online survey and focus group discussion and was founded on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Serious Leisure Perspective (SLP). Qualitative data were analysed using Constant Comparison Method, Word Count, and Classical Content Analysis. Quantitative methods were applied to determine if retirement satisfaction and vitality related to SDT constructs. Using multiple linear regression analyses, autonomy (β = .43; 95% CI .04 - .22; p = .01), leisure priority (β =.28; 95% CI -.01 - .33; p =.05), and casual leisure competence (β =.68; 95% CI .02 - .59; p =.04) emerged as items most related to retirement satisfaction, while relatedness (β .32; 95% CI .14 – 1.44; p = .02) and autonomy satisfaction (β =.27; 95% CI -.01 – 1.26; p =.05) were associated with vitality. / Graduate

Ce travail de thèse propose d’interroger la place des loisirs de chasse, de pêche, de cueillette et d’observation naturaliste dans la préservation des espaces naturels de l’estuaire de la Seine. Le cadre conceptuel s’appuie sur la sociologie du loisir nord-américaine pour traiter ces activités selon la Perspective des Loisirs Sérieux. À travers une méthodologie qui mêle l’ethnographie, l’entretien récit de vie et le questionnaire, ces loisirs sont présentés comme le support de conflits mais aussi d’engagements, liés à l’étude, à la gestion et à la valorisation de la nature. L’analyse lie l’immersion dans l’environnement et la pratique de la prédation avec la construction de convictions écologiques d’ordre sociopolitique. La mise en cohérence de ces convictions est assurée par des passeurs qui font usage du loisir comme d’un outil de transaction sociale : il est un support de communication utilisé pour mettre en réseau les différents acteurs institutionnels et associatifs qui s’investissent dans la préservation de la nature. / This thesis proposes to question hunters, anglers, gatherers and wildlife watchers as part of the network which preserve the natural spaces around the river Seine estuary. The conceptual framework is based on North American sociology of leisure. These activities are considered according to the Serious Leisure Perspective. Through a methodology that combines ethnography, interviews and survey, these activities are described as support for volunteering.The analysis links the practice of predation with ecological convictions. Leisure is also used as a communication medium and help creating a consistent network to preserve nature.

The purpose of this study was to identify and assess Texas community orchestras and create a demographic and musical profile of participants. This was accomplished through use of two online questionnaires. A director survey questionnaire determined the organizational status of each orchestra. The directors surveyed were leaders in these organizations who provided information about their orchestras’ founding, budget, and membership numbers. The participant survey questionnaire was adapted from Bowen’s 1995 study of community band participants in the southeastern United States. Participant data included educational and musical training, musical activities, and demographics. Bowen’s study guided this venture in expanding a profile of community musicians to include those in community orchestras. Eleven of the 18 community orchestras identified in Texas responded to the questionnaires distributed, with 361 participant questionnaires returned. Although many music making opportunities for adults are available in Texas, the existence of only 18 community orchestras in the state indicates a tremendous gap between school music making and adult music making in these types of ensembles, given 44,000 Texas school orchestras reported competing in 2010–2011. Research has shown that making music increases the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual wellbeing of those who take part. As serious leisure, community music making experiences enable those involved an opportunity to engage in a challenging, satisfying, and meaningful activity. All members of a community should have access to such opportunities because these activities may improve their quality of life. According to the profiles in the participant survey questionnaires, the following activities may encourage more participation in adult music making: Offering diverse music making opportunities, intergenerational music activities, encouraging community music experiences, and the modeling adult music making by teachers.

No description available.

The emergence of astrocasting on the Internet offered an opportunity to study the creation of a Social Media site, and determine the influence of the participants’ perception of this leisure activity and their motivation for it. The Night Skies Network was examined under a Social Media theoretical framework. The motivation for astrocasting was studied using the Self-Determination Theory of Motivation, and its perception as a leisure activity using the Serious Leisure Perspective. The methodology used included a focus group that provided a qualitative perspective, and an on-line questionnaire using the Serious Leisure Inventory and Measure and the Leisure Motivation Scale for quantitative data. The results showed that the Night Skies Network did meet the requirements for a Social Media site, that the participants considered astrocasting as a serious leisure activity, and that they were intrinsically motivated towards it, with a strong emphasis on the Intrinsic Motivation to Know.

The emergence of astrocasting on the Internet offered an opportunity to study the creation of a Social Media site, and determine the influence of the participants’ perception of this leisure activity and their motivation for it. The Night Skies Network was examined under a Social Media theoretical framework. The motivation for astrocasting was studied using the Self-Determination Theory of Motivation, and its perception as a leisure activity using the Serious Leisure Perspective. The methodology used included a focus group that provided a qualitative perspective, and an on-line questionnaire using the Serious Leisure Inventory and Measure and the Leisure Motivation Scale for quantitative data. The results showed that the Night Skies Network did meet the requirements for a Social Media site, that the participants considered astrocasting as a serious leisure activity, and that they were intrinsically motivated towards it, with a strong emphasis on the Intrinsic Motivation to Know.

The emergence of astrocasting on the Internet offered an opportunity to study the creation of a Social Media site, and determine the influence of the participants’ perception of this leisure activity and their motivation for it. The Night Skies Network was examined under a Social Media theoretical framework. The motivation for astrocasting was studied using the Self-Determination Theory of Motivation, and its perception as a leisure activity using the Serious Leisure Perspective. The methodology used included a focus group that provided a qualitative perspective, and an on-line questionnaire using the Serious Leisure Inventory and Measure and the Leisure Motivation Scale for quantitative data. The results showed that the Night Skies Network did meet the requirements for a Social Media site, that the participants considered astrocasting as a serious leisure activity, and that they were intrinsically motivated towards it, with a strong emphasis on the Intrinsic Motivation to Know.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:28:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-12-19Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:15:47Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 teixeira_hmc_me_rcla.pdf: 1116839 bytes, checksum: ff3c562b03cc61ae90f11dbf053ba3b2 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O presente estudo tem como objetivo investigar a festa do Bumba-meu-boi na configuração do estilo de vida e lazer da comunidade da Maioba como fator decisivo de organização interna do grupo. Os sujeitos dessa pesquisa são os participantes do Bumba-meu-boi da Maioba em suas vivências com a festa, no contexto das interações entre eles, seus atributos simbólicos e as ressonâncias dessa manifestação dentro e fora da comunidade. Os indicadores analisados foram organizados observando-se os hábitos e costumes, relações interpessoais e representação da festa durante no ciclo de apresentações do Bumba-meu-boi no festejo junino em São Luís (MA). O estudo revela que por meio dessa festa a comunidade da Maioba desenvolve uma série de atividades que representam o seu estilo de vida e lazer. Na medida em que os participantes contribuem para a organização do grupo por meio de suas atribuições, estes buscam realizá-las de maneira compromissada e responsável, seja de forma amadora, casual, como passa tempo ou voluntária. Assim, a comunidade se permite reviver sua memória, fortalecer as relações interpessoais, relações familiares, de amizade e devoção aos ritos que ocorrem em face da festa do Bumba-meu-boi. Os momentos vivenciados na festa configuram, portanto, um espaço de divertimento, descontração e lazer para os membros da comunidade, bem como para visitantes de outras localidades. / The present study has as objective to investigate the party of the Bumba-meu-boi in the configuration of the lifestyle and leisure in the Maioba’s community as decisive factor of the interns’ organization of the group. The subject of that research are the participants of the Maioba’s Bumba-meu-boi in their experiences with the party, in the context of the interactions among them, their symbolic attributes and the resonances of that manifestation inside and out of the community. The analyzed indicators were organized being observed the habits, interpersonal relationships and representation of the party during the presentations’ cycle of the Bumba-meu-boi in religious feasts in honor to the saints, in São Luís (MA). The study reveals that through that party the community of the Maioba develops a series of activities that represent the community’s lifestyle and leisure. Day by day the participants contribute to the organization of the group through their attributions, thus, they to search to execute these attributions with compromise and responsibility, be in way amateur, casual, as pastime or volunteer. Like this, the community allows to revive their memory, to strengthen the interpersonal relationships, family relationships, of friendship and devotion to the rites that happen due the Bumbameu- boi’s party. The moments lived at the party configure, therefore, an entertainment space, amusement and leisure for the community's members, as well as for visitors of (the) other places.

Submitted by FABIANA DA SILVA FRANÇA (fabiana21franca@gmail.com) on 2017-11-23T16:59:44Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ArquivoTotal.pdf: 4506265 bytes, checksum: 5e23e3df8d3af65049c9291add06c26c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-11-23T16:59:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ArquivoTotal.pdf: 4506265 bytes, checksum: 5e23e3df8d3af65049c9291add06c26c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-09-29 / Information literacy, a research topic of interest for Information Science that was firstly developed in academic library context, is extended to other life situations. In doing so, the information process, usually focused on problem-solving process in formal contexts (academic and professional realms), and often represented as some information abilities by the current information literacy standards, is contrasted with other other informational realities, especially those that demonstrate other information natures like the affective and/or emotional, a informational dimension that needs more attention of information practice studies. With a holistic and complementary purpose, and grounded on the sociocognitive theoretical framework of information, this participatory research explores the social world of competitive bodybuilders – understood as a positive context – which is explored by the lights of The Serious Leisure Perspective. Therefore, the amateur competitive bodybuilding is deeply analyzed, showing a fresh perspective for the traditional cognitive information literacy conception. "Problem" and "need" is replaced by "pleasure" and "profound" in the understanding of information engagements (and learning) in information seeking process. Beside the notion of traditional, methodical and abstract learning, this study highlights other (not so defined) ways of knowing and being informed, in which the information use depends on the knowledge adquired put in practice. Through this perspective, the information accuracy is not defined exclusively by the cognitive authority or credibility of information, but also by physical, emotional, affective, socio-cultural aspects of information, and ultimately, by the singularity of participants’ bodies. This study concludes that the positive information point of view, especially in leisure, should be part of the information studies research agenda, since it allows the understanding of other information realities of human life, and how information (and information literacy) contributes to the development of happier and healthier communities, and, at the same time, it helps groups (and practices) to be socially known. / As competências em informação, tópico de pesquisa da Ciência da Informação, nascido no âmbito biblioteconômico do Ensino Superior, é ampliado para outras situações da vida. Para tanto, processos de informação bem-definidos, orientados para a solução de problemas das contexturas formais (acadêmico e profissionais), frequentemente sistematizados em modelos que mapeiam habilidades cognitivas, são contrastados com outras realidades informacionais, especialmente as caracterizadas por outras naturezas de informação, como a afetiva e/ou emocional, a qual carece de interesse da pesquisa das práticas de informação. Com intento holístico e complementar, e munidos de arcabouço teórico sociocognitivo da informação, é realizada pesquisa participante no mundo social dos fisiculturistas competitivos, contexto que é, por natureza, positivo, estabelecido a partir da The Serious Leisure Perspective. Desta feita, o fisculturismo competitivo na modalidade amadora é analisado em profundidade, oferecendo olhar renovado para a visão tradicional das competências em informação. Fatores como “problema” e a “necessidade” cedem espaço para o “prazer” e o “profundo” no entendimento dos engajamentos de busca por informação. Junto ao aprendizado formal, metódico e abstrato, são observados outros meios de estar informado não tão bem definidos, em que o uso da informação depende da aplicação prática do conhecimento adquirido. Por esta visão prática, destaca-se que a precisão da informação não depende exclusivamente da autoridade cognitiva da informação, mas também de aspectos físicos, emocionais, afetivos e socioculturais e, em última instância, da singularidade dos corpos dos participantes. Este estudo conclui que abordagem positiva da informação, especialmente no lazer, deve fazer parte da agenda de pesquisa do campo da informação, já que ela permite a compreensão de outras realidades de informação que compõem a vida humana, e como a informação (e as competências em informação) pode contribuir para o desenvolvimento de comunidades mais felizes e saudáveis, ao mesmo tempo em que, no caso do fisiculturismo competitivo, esta perspectiva pode auxiliar no reconhecimento de grupos (e praticas) socialmente desconhecidos.

The emergence of astrocasting on the Internet offered an opportunity to study the creation of a Social Media site, and determine the influence of the participants’ perception of this leisure activity and their motivation for it. The Night Skies Network was examined under a Social Media theoretical framework. The motivation for astrocasting was studied using the Self-Determination Theory of Motivation, and its perception as a leisure activity using the Serious Leisure Perspective. The methodology used included a focus group that provided a qualitative perspective, and an on-line questionnaire using the Serious Leisure Inventory and Measure and the Leisure Motivation Scale for quantitative data. The results showed that the Night Skies Network did meet the requirements for a Social Media site, that the participants considered astrocasting as a serious leisure activity, and that they were intrinsically motivated towards it, with a strong emphasis on the Intrinsic Motivation to Know.