Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:28:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2003-12-11Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:57:02Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 carreiro_ea_me_rcla.pdf: 1139053 bytes, checksum: b366f8da0fd73b37e744fd0c4c3c5b73 (MD5) / O objetivo principal deste estudo é identificar as atividades físicas associadas ao ecoturismo no município de Itapetininga, localizado no interior do estado de São Paulo, para analisar alguns aspectos da interferência dessas atividades no meio ambiente, como ocorre sua organização, a interface com o poder público e o papel da Organização não-governamental como mediadora destas questões. Procura-se analisar o impacto, na cultura local, das atividades conhecidas como esportes de aventura; as suas conexões com as práticas do ecoturismo; e se as mesmas implicam em algum envolvimento ou preocupação com a comunidade local. Os procedimentos da pesquisa foram desenvolvidos com um enfoque qualitativo, estruturado através de entrevistas direcionadas ao poder público, a uma organização não-governamental e a uma empresa organizadora de eventos de ecoturismo. Destacam-se neste trabalho, a análise e o recorte histórico das atividades de lazer desenvolvidas na cidade de Itapetininga, principalmente nos séculos XIX e XX, desde as atividades livres e intermitentes até as atividades institucionalizadas. Considerações sobre a comunidade; a natureza e a cultura; o lazer e o turismo também fazem parte das análises. No âmbito da Educação Física foi analisada a aproximação do trabalho desenvolvido pelos profissionais da área, com os pressupostos teóricos descritos acima. Assim, poderiam ser alavancados mais estudos sobre as novas modalidades esportivas, como as do esporte de aventura. Observa-se que essas práticas muitas vezes se desenvolvem sem critérios adequados, e ficam dispersas entre as fases de planejamento, execução e avaliação. Entendemos que a Educação Física pode desempenhar um papel fundamental como mediadora desta discussão. Os profissionais da área deveriam ter a capacidade de se concentrar em qualquer uma das três esferas estudadas... . / The main objective with this study is to identify physical activities associated to eco-tourism in the County of Itapetininga, located at São Paulo State inner area, in order to analyze some interference aspects of those activities in the environment, how their organization occurs, the relations with the Public Government, and the Non-Governmental Organization's role as mediator of such questions. It also searches to analyze the impact of the activities known as adventure sports in the local culture; their connections with eco-tourism practices; and whether those same activities result in any commitment or concern about the local community. The research procedures were developed upon a qualitative focus, which had been structured by means of interviews directed to the Public Government, to a Non-Governmental Organization, and to an eco-tourism events management company. The analysis and the historical excerpts of the leisure activities developed in the County of Itapetininga, mainly in the Nineteenth and the Twentieth Centuries, from intermittent and free activities to institutionalized activities are also highlighted in this research. Considerations on the community, nature and culture, leisure and tourism are part of such analysis too. The nearing between the work developed by professionals and the theoretical assumptions formerly described was analyzed in the Physical Education area. Therefore, could be launched other studies on new sports, such as adventure sports. It has been observed that those practices are often developed without adequate criteria, and disperse among planning, execution and evaluation phases. We understand that Physical Education can play a fundamental role as mediator in this discussion. Professionals of the area should have the ability to concentrate on any of the three studied domains. In other words... (Complete abstract, click electronic address below).

Orientador: Carmen Maria Aguiar / Banca: Leila Marrach Basto de Albuquerque / Banca: Wenceslao Machado de Oliveira Junior / Resumo: O objetivo principal deste estudo é identificar as atividades físicas associadas ao ecoturismo no município de Itapetininga, localizado no interior do estado de São Paulo, para analisar alguns aspectos da interferência dessas atividades no meio ambiente, como ocorre sua organização, a interface com o poder público e o papel da Organização não-governamental como mediadora destas questões. Procura-se analisar o impacto, na cultura local, das atividades conhecidas como esportes de aventura; as suas conexões com as práticas do ecoturismo; e se as mesmas implicam em algum envolvimento ou preocupação com a comunidade local. Os procedimentos da pesquisa foram desenvolvidos com um enfoque qualitativo, estruturado através de entrevistas direcionadas ao poder público, a uma organização não-governamental e a uma empresa organizadora de eventos de ecoturismo. Destacam-se neste trabalho, a análise e o recorte histórico das atividades de lazer desenvolvidas na cidade de Itapetininga, principalmente nos séculos XIX e XX, desde as atividades livres e intermitentes até as atividades institucionalizadas. Considerações sobre a comunidade; a natureza e a cultura; o lazer e o turismo também fazem parte das análises. No âmbito da Educação Física foi analisada a aproximação do trabalho desenvolvido pelos profissionais da área, com os pressupostos teóricos descritos acima. Assim, poderiam ser alavancados mais estudos sobre as novas modalidades esportivas, como as do esporte de aventura. Observa-se que essas práticas muitas vezes se desenvolvem sem critérios adequados, e ficam dispersas entre as fases de planejamento, execução e avaliação. Entendemos que a Educação Física pode desempenhar um papel fundamental como mediadora desta discussão. Os profissionais da área deveriam ter a capacidade de se concentrar em qualquer uma das três esferas estudadas... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo). / Abstract: The main objective with this study is to identify physical activities associated to eco-tourism in the County of Itapetininga, located at São Paulo State inner area, in order to analyze some interference aspects of those activities in the environment, how their organization occurs, the relations with the Public Government, and the Non-Governmental Organization's role as mediator of such questions. It also searches to analyze the impact of the activities known as adventure sports in the local culture; their connections with eco-tourism practices; and whether those same activities result in any commitment or concern about the local community. The research procedures were developed upon a qualitative focus, which had been structured by means of interviews directed to the Public Government, to a Non-Governmental Organization, and to an eco-tourism events management company. The analysis and the historical excerpts of the leisure activities developed in the County of Itapetininga, mainly in the Nineteenth and the Twentieth Centuries, from intermittent and free activities to institutionalized activities are also highlighted in this research. Considerations on the community, nature and culture, leisure and tourism are part of such analysis too. The nearing between the work developed by professionals and the theoretical assumptions formerly described was analyzed in the Physical Education area. Therefore, could be launched other studies on new sports, such as adventure sports. It has been observed that those practices are often developed without adequate criteria, and disperse among planning, execution and evaluation phases. We understand that Physical Education can play a fundamental role as mediator in this discussion. Professionals of the area should have the ability to concentrate on any of the three studied domains. In other words... (Complete abstract, click electronic address below). / Mestre

Orientador: Heloisa Turini Bruhns / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Educação Fisica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-07T22:41:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Pimentel_GiulianoGomesdeAssis_D.pdf: 1546010 bytes, checksum: 12af1d0d91aa42d43ff9d5a7dc90be81 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: Vôo livre é uma atividade física de aventura na natureza (AFAN) cuja característica é decolar de um local elevado e manter-se voando com a utilização de correntes de ar. No país há mais de 5.000 praticantes, entre pilotos e pilotas de parapente e asa-delta. A maioria desses praticantes de vôo livre o realiza como opção de lazer, tendo forte relação com seu estilo de vida e com a formação de redes de socialidade. Via de regra não se voa sozinho, mas em grupos de afinidade. Outra característica societal é que homens e mulheres voam juntos. Embora fosse esperado encontrar corpos jovens e atléticos, fatores como a tecnologia, permitem que diferentes pessoas participem: a quantidade de pessoas com idade acima dos 30 anos nesse esporte é destacável. Geralmente são os mais jovens que se arriscam nessas aventuras. Intriga ainda o fato de o vôo livre ser adotado como lazer de pessoas comuns do cotidiano, já que apresenta riscos à vida. Nesse sentido, o estudo considerou socialidade, corpo e risco como dimensões essenciais à compreensão desta AFAN. Considerando os problemas já mencionados, o objetivo foi compreender significados dados ao risco, ao corpo e à socialidade a partir da prática corporal do vôo livre. Para tanto, numa apropriação da pesquisa etnográfica, foi realizado estudo de campo por meio de observação participante, entrevistas e registros de imagens em Terra Rica, Paraná. Vinte e duas pessoas participaram das entrevistas. A amostra foi intencional e não probabilística, determinada pela saturação dos dados. O referencial teórico de base foi buscado em Michel Maffesoli, privilegiando suas discussões sobre socialidade, potência da socialidade, nomadismo, tribalização, sensibilidade teórica, razão sensível, teoria erótica, ética da estética e enraizamento dinâmico. Destacam-se entre as evidências descritas: a ênfase racional no trinômio equipamento-piloto-condição; a efervescência societal em torno do vôo como estilo de vida; a estruturação dos momentos do vôo analogamente ao ritual; a percepção sensível da espiritualidade e da natureza na fase de suspensão; ambigüidades e contradições nas práticas e representações sobre corpo e risco. Numa vida pautada pela rotina e estresse, o vôo surge como um pólo diferenciado. As pessoas transitam entre essas duas esferas (cotidiano e lazer), evidenciando o enraizamento dinâmico na contemporaneidade. Nessa prática corporal, que explora liminarmente as emoções em situação de risco, pilotos incorporam a lógica de se auto responsabilizarem pelos erros. Assim mesmo, dado o risco real implicado, não existe um corpo ideal imune à imponderabilidade dos acidentes. Desta forma, aspectos de uma racionalidade sensível, como a solidariedade grupal ou a intuição, se fazem incorporadas na experiência dos voadores e voadoras como uma complementaridade ¿ contraditória ¿ à técnica e à tecnologia na gestão dos riscos no vôo livre. Essas interações, não passíveis de síntese, reforçam a tese de que risco, corpo e socialidade são elementos prioritários no entendimento da coletividade de sujeitos que praticam um esporte de risco num momento de suas vidas não mais relacionado à juventude / Abstract: Hand Gliding is an adventurous physical activity in nature (APAN) whose feature is to take off from a high place and keep flying by using the draughts of air. In Brazil, there are more than 5,000 sports people, including pilots of hang glides and parachutes. Most of these hang gliders fly for leisure, and it has strong relation with their life style and with socializing nets formation. Usually they do not fly by themselves, but in groups of affinity. Another society feature is that men and women fly together. Although young and athletic people are expected, some factors, such as technology, allow different people to participate, and the number of people over 30 years old in this sport is remarkable. Generally, only young people take these risks. It is also intriguing the fact that hang gliding is adopted as leisure by ordinary people, as it has perils of life. Thus, this study has considered socialization, body and risk as essential dimensions to understand this APAN. Taking the mentioned problems into account, the objective was to understand the meanings given to risk, body and socialization from hang gliding corporal practice. To that, appropriating ethnographic research, a study was performed by observing the people and interviewing them and also through images recorded in Terra Rica, Paraná. Twenty two people were interviewed. The sample was intentional and not probabilistic, determined by data saturation. The theoretical base reference was taken from Michel Maffesoli, with relevance to his discussions on socialization, socialization potency, nomadism, tribalization, theoretical sensitiveness, sensitive reason, erotic theory, esthetic ethic and dynamic root taking. Among the reported evidences there are outstanding ones: rational emphasis on the trinomial equipment pilot-condition; gathering effervescence around flight as a life style; structure of moments of flight similar to rites; sensitive perception of spirituality and nature in suspension phase; ambiguities and contradictions in practices and representations about body and risk. In a life replete of routine and stress, the flight comes as a different pole. People transit between these two ambits (routine and leisure), showing dynamic root taking in contemporaneity. In this corporal practice, that explores emotions in risky situations, the pilots incorporate the logic of being responsible for the mistakes, even though there is not an ideal body immune to imponderability of the accidents, given the real risk. Consequently, aspects of a sensitive rationality, as group sympathy or intuition are incorporated in fliers¿ experiences as complements ¿ contradictory ¿ to technique and technology in risks managing in hang gliding. These interactions, not able to be synthesized, support the thesis that risk, body and socialization are prior elements when understanding the collectivity of subjects that do a risky sport in a certain moment of their lives not related to youth anymore / Doutorado / Estudos do Lazer / Doutor em Educação Física

Bakgrund: Traditionellt har litteraturen i äventyrsidrott varit inriktad på risker och/ eller fysiskt eller emotionellt obehag. Det finns dock ett växande utbud av litteratur där hälsa och välbefinnande är i fokus. Det finns även studier som främjar positiva resultat, där betydelsen av autonomi och personlig relevans lyfts fram. De utmanar de riskfyllda teorierna genom att antyda att det som är essentiellt för att främja välbefinnandet är naturliga miljöer och underliggande psykologiska processer. Syfte: Syftet med den här uppsatsen är att analysera studier där personer som deltar i AES har intervjuats. I stället för att endast fokusera på risktagande kommer fokus också att riktas mot hälsa/välbefinnande i dessa texter och hur AES på olika vis kan frambringa detta. Metod: För den här uppsatsen valdes kvalitativ litteraturstudie som metod och för analysen valdes riktad innehållsanalys. Datan har samlats in genom sökningar i vetenskapliga databaser. Resultat: I de olika artiklarna framkom det bland annat att deltagarna upplevde att aktiviteten bidrog till ökad fysisk och mental hälsa. Naturen och den sociala biten var en viktig del av upplevelsen, så också känslan av frihet och utmaningar. Risker och rädsla kunde även ses som något positivt. Slutsats: AES är inte endast till för personer som vill utsätta sig för faror, det visar på en mångfald av motiv till deltagandet som också kan bidra till att öka deltagarnas hälsa och välbefinnande på flera olika sätt, där bland annat naturupplevelser, social samvaro och frihet spelar en betydande roll. Risktagandet är också involverat som en av de faktorer som kan gynna deltagarnas välmående. / Background: Traditionally, the literature in adventure sports has focused on risks and / or physical or emotional discomfort. However, there is a growing range of literature where health and well-being are in focus. There are also studies that promote positive results, where the importance of autonomy and personal relevance is emphasized. They challenge the risky theories by suggesting that what is essential for the promotion of well-being are natural environments and underlying psychological processes. Aim: The aim of this essay is to analyze studies in which people participating in AES have been interviewed. Instead of focusing only on risk-taking, the focus will also be on health / well-being in these texts and how AES can produce this in different ways. Method: For this essay, qualitative literature study was chosen as the method and for the analysis, targeted content analysis was chosen. The data has been collected through searches in scientific databases. Results: In the various articles, it emerged, among other things, that the participants felt that the activity contributed to increased physical and mental health. Nature and the social aspect were an important part of the experience, as was the feeling of freedom and challenges. Risks and fears could also be seen as something positive. Conclusion: AES is not only for people who want to expose themselves to dangers, it shows a variety of motives for participation that can also contribute to increasing participants' health and well-being in several different ways, where, among other things, nature experiences, social interaction and freedom play a significant role. Risk-taking is also involved as one of the factors that can benefit participants' well-being.

The physicality of sports and outdoor life offers great opportunities for intensive experiences – participants ”feel” the happening in their bodies. As well as looking upon physical activity mainly as something instrumental, as for example in competitive sports and exercise culture, other aspects can also be central, for instance the pure joy of movement. The existential or expressive side of physical activity is examined in this doctoral thesis. In order to study such experiential quality more thoroughly, the author’s attention turns to adventure sports participants, as they appear to have a capacity for becoming highly involved and seeking very intense experiences. Who is involved in adventure sports? Why are they engaged in a sport that demands such great hardships and risk-taking? What do they get out of it? The overall objective of the thesis is to shed light on adventure sports as a practice and to discuss the educational significance of flow and other experiential qualities in adventure sports and in schools. The analyses are based on three empirical sub-studies. The first began with a questionnaire that 161 adventure sports participants responded to. This was followed by an interview study of eleven men and three women, all of whom had extensive experience in adventure sports. The categories of sport were evenly divided between climbing, off-piste skiing and hang gliding. In the second sub-study a detailed investigation of climbing was carried out. A notable sportification has brought about a very clear and interesting change in parts of this activity. Six traditional/adventure climbers and six sport climbers were interviewed, of which half were men and half women. All the climbers were experienced and very much involved in their sport. The aim of the third sub-study was to seek an answer as to whether pupils have experiences in their daily school life that are similar to those of adventure sports participants. An ESM (Experience Sampling Method) investigation was carried out with 60 pupils in compulsory school year nine (corresponding to UK schools’ year eleven) from four different schools. The pupils’ parents answered a special parent questionnaire including questions about academic and professional backgrounds, living conditions, habits, interests, attitudes and leisure time activities. The results were analysed taking into consideration the phenomenological perspective and structuralistic or more correctly expressed the cultural sociological perspective. Mihály Csikszentmihályi’s theoretical argument on optimal experiences, which in turn is based on the flow concept, constitutes the phenomenological foundation. Pierre Bourdieu’s concept apparatus and theories were used to closely examine the participants’ backgrounds, life histories and current living situations. The study shows that a preference for adventure sports is clearly linked to the participants’ backgrounds and earlier life experiences. A behavioural pattern is incorporated and developed into an embodied capacity to master a practice, a result of a long learning process. Participants were clearly concordant in these respects. Participants emphasise the abundant opportunities for intensive experiences that arise from adventure sports. It is a matter of something multidimentional: the active body, outdoor life in natural surroundings, exacting and clear goals, total focus, and about exercising control. This approach presents a model for identification of content qualities, which together create the dynamics that form the meaningful rewards that result from participation in adventure sports. The dimensions include flow experiences, but also go beyond them. The deep sense of presence, the physical involvement, the fact that they can choose the path and increase the degree of difficulty themselves – and simultaneously counter this new challenge with increased capacity so that they are engaged at the ”right level” – also provide favourable conditions for a stimulating and successful learning experience. The observation was made that it was primarily in the practical and aesthetic subjects that school pupils had the same deep feeling of presence together with a meaningful and pleasurable holistic experience as the adventure sports participants had. Here they were actively involved with their hands or with their whole bodies, and they could make their own choices and be in control of the activity, which for most pupils led to a strong feeling of satisfaction.

Orientador: Suraya Cristina Darido / Banca: Silvana Venâncio / Banca: Gisele Maria Schwartz / Resumo: As Atividades Físicas de Aventura são uma realidade, fruto de um grande desenvolvimento ocorrido principalmente nas duas últimas décadas. São eventos relacionados ao Surf, Skate, Ralis, Corridas de Aventura, entre muitos outros, vivenciados em várias faixas etárias. Além disso, As Atividades Físicas de Aventura estão sendo largamente difundidas em documentários sobre expedições e reportagens ecoturísticas que envolvem várias de suas modalidades, tais como: Rapel, Tirolesa, Corrida de Aventura, Trekking ou, ainda, outras atividades chamadas esportes radicais. Essas práticas têm atraído a prática e o consumo de grande parte dos jovens e adultos brasileiros, chegando a competir, em preferência, com alguns esportes tradicionais do país. É preciso incentivar a prática das Atividades Físicas de Aventura (A.F.A.) também na escola é, o que significa estreitar relações com as discussões sobre preservação ambiental e desenvolvimento sustentável. Assim, o objetivo desse estudo foi arrolar uma série de atividades relacionadas às Atividades Físicas de Aventura possíveis de serem realizadas na escola, apontando as três dimensões do conteúdo. Explorar e descrever essas atividades como uma possibilidade pedagógica real na escola, capaz de fazer parte do currículo comum da Educação Física como valor de conhecimento, tanto quanto qualquer dos conteúdos tradicionais da área. Foram apresentadas, enquanto possibilidades pedagógicas de atividades de aventura nas três dimensões dos conteúdos (Procedimental, Conceitual e Atitudinal), os seguintes temas; - Corridas de Orientação, Trekking ou Enduro à pé; - Montanhismo; - Atividades sobre Rodas; - Atividades Físicas de Aventura Aquáticas. Os resultados do estudo indicam que é possível inserir A.F.A. na escola; que essas atividades são significativas pedagogicamente e são bem aceitas pela comunidade escolar. / Abstract: Adventure Physical Activities are a reality today, as a result of a great development occurred mainly in the last two decades. They consist of events related to Surf, Skate, Ralis, Adventure Races, among others, experienced in several different age groups. Moreover, Adventure Physical Activities have been largely broadcast in documentaries about expeditions and eco-touristic reports involving several modalities, such as Rapel, Tirolesa, Adventure Race, Trekking and other activities called extreme sports. These activities have attracted the attention and participation of a great number of Brazilian teenagers and young adults, and they have been even competing in preference with some traditional sports in the country. It's necessary to encourage the practice of the Adventure Physical Activities also in the schools, what would mean to make closer relations with the discussions on environment conservation and sustainable development. So, the objective of this research was to list a range of activities related to the Adventure Physical Activities which can be practiced at school, pointing out the three dimensions of the content. To explore and describe these activities as a real pedagogical possibility at school, capable of being part of the common curriculum of Physical Education as a knowledge value, as much as any of the traditional contents of the area. The following themes were presented as pedagogical possibilities of adventure activities in the three dimensions of content (Procedural, Conceptive, and Behavioral): Orienteering, Trekking, or Enduro a pé, Mountain Climbing, Activities on Wheels, Adventure Physical Activities in Water. The results of the research indicate that it is possible to introduce Adventure Physical Activities in schools, that these activities are meaningful from a pedagogical standpoint, and well accepted by the school community. / Mestre

Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-20T13:49:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 eniorauajopereiral.pdf: 7960694 bytes, checksum: 21b8d0df3e0691ecc2dafa79dadfac59 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-03-26 / Este trabalho tem por objetivo resgatar memórias das atividades na natureza desenvolvidas nas aulas práticas da disciplina de Excursionismo do Curso de Licenciatura em Educação Física da Universidade Federal de Pelotas e verificar quais foram os aspectos mais significativos revelados pelos alunos a respeito dessas práticas. Para o estudo, utilizamos a narrativa e a artografia para mapear documentos dos registros imagéticos (fotos e filmes), escritos e falados (questionários, avaliações, depoimentos), referentes a essas atividades. A partir dos poimentos dos alunos, extraídos das respostas do questionário de avaliação da disciplina, realizamos algumas reflexões sobre as palavras e olhares dos mesmos em relação às aulas práticas. Dentre os aspectos revelados aparecem a interação das lações entre sujeito, meio ambiente natural e sua preservação; o fortalecimento das aprendizagens e conhecimento pela experiência; a potencialização das atitudes, das sensibilidades e das relações sociais; e a troca de conhecimentos através da indissociabilidade e da interdisciplinaridade como contribuições para a formação acadêmica. Concluímos o estudo assinalando a importância de as Atividades Físicas na Natureza conquistarem um espaço maior nos currículos dos cursos superiores de Educação Física, ampliando e intensificando as intervenções no âmbito do ensino, da pesquisa e da extensão. / This work describes a rescue of memories of activities in nature development in practice classes of subject of Excursionism of degree in Physical Education in University Federal of Pelotas and check which was the more significant aspects reveled by the students about these practices. To the study we used the narrative and cartography to map documents of imagetic registers (photos and films), wrote and spoken (questionaries, evaluations, point of views) refered to these activities. According to the student s opinions took to the answers of evaluations questionary of subject, we realize some reflextions about words and point of views of them in relation to the practice classes.Among the aspects revelead appered the interaction of relations between the citizen and natural environment and its preservation; the strengthening of learning and knowledge by experience, the potentialization of actitudes, the sensibility and social relations, and exchange of knowledge through the indissociability, and interdisciplinarity as contributions to the academic formation. To conclude the study we point the importance of Physical activities in nature get a bigger space in curriculum of high courses of Physical Education, extending and intensifying the intervations in range education of research and extension

The physicality of sports and outdoor life offers great opportunities for intensive experiences – participants ”feel” the happening in their bodies. As well as looking upon physical activity mainly as something instrumental, as for example in competitive sports and exercise culture, other aspects can also be central, for instance the pure joy of movement. The existential or expressive side of physical activity is examined in this doctoral thesis. In order to study such experiential quality more thoroughly, the author’s attention turns to adventure sports participants, as they appear to have a capacity for becoming highly involved and seeking very intense experiences. Who is involved in adventure sports? Why are they engaged in a sport that demands such great hardships and risk-taking? What do they get out of it? The overall objective of the thesis is to shed light on adventure sports as a practice and to discuss the educational significance of flow and other experiential qualities in adventure sports and in schools. The analyses are based on three empirical sub-studies. The first began with a questionnaire that 161 adventure sports participants responded to. This was followed by an interview study of eleven men and three women, all of whom had extensive experience in adventure sports. The categories of sport were evenly divided between climbing, off-piste skiing and hang gliding. In the second sub-study a detailed investigation of climbing was carried out. A notable sportification has brought about a very clear and interesting change in parts of this activity. Six traditional/adventure climbers and six sport climbers were interviewed, of which half were men and half women. All the climbers were experienced and very much involved in their sport. The aim of the third sub-study was to seek an answer as to whether pupils have experiences in their daily school life that are similar to those of adventure sports participants. An ESM (Experience Sampling Method) investigation was carried out with 60 pupils in compulsory school year nine (corresponding to UK schools’ year eleven) from four different schools. The pupils’ parents answered a special parent questionnaire including questions about academic and professional backgrounds, living conditions, habits, interests, attitudes and leisure time activities. The results were analysed taking into consideration the phenomenological perspective and structuralistic or more correctly expressed the cultural sociological perspective. Mihály Csikszentmihályi’s theoretical argument on optimal experiences, which in turn is based on the flow concept, constitutes the phenomenological foundation. Pierre Bourdieu’s concept apparatus and theories were used to closely examine the participants’ backgrounds, life histories and current living situations. The study shows that a preference for adventure sports is clearly linked to the participants’ backgrounds and earlier life experiences. A behavioural pattern is incorporated and developed into an embodied capacity to master a practice, a result of a long learning process. Participants were clearly concordant in these respects. Participants emphasise the abundant opportunities for intensive experiences that arise from adventure sports. It is a matter of something multidimentional: the active body, outdoor life in natural surroundings, exacting and clear goals, total focus, and about exercising control. This approach presents a model for identification of content qualities, which together create the dynamics that form the meaningful rewards that result from participation in adventure sports. The dimensions include flow experiences, but also go beyond them. The deep sense of presence, the physical involvement, the fact that they can choose the path and increase the degree of difficulty themselves – and simultaneously counter this new challenge with increased capacity so that they are engaged at the ”right level” – also provide favourable conditions for a stimulating and successful learning experience. The observation was made that it was primarily in the practical and aesthetic subjects that school pupils had the same deep feeling of presence together with a meaningful and pleasurable holistic experience as the adventure sports participants had. Here they were actively involved with their hands or with their whole bodies, and they could make their own choices and be in control of the activity, which for most pupils led to a strong feeling of satisfaction.

<p>The aim of this study has been to examine what students within the sport of skydiving think about their education and the social spirit of the community. The purpose of the study is thereby to answer the study's aim through the following questions; how does group dynamics and social solidarity work within the skydiving community, how do the students feel about group dynamics and social solidarity within the skydiving community, and what factors makes the students feel included or respectively excluded from the spirit of the togetherness?</p><p>The theoretical part of the study focuses on group dynamics and groups overall. Further on earlier research within adventure sports and skydiving regarding group dynamics and community spirit is presented. My survey is based on 35 interviews with skydiving students.</p><p>The result shows that the community spirit within skydiving sports is described by the students as very special, unique, and strong among the members. Overall the students have a very positive picture of the social solidarity within the skydiving sports but according to some students it also appears difficult to be included as a beginner. Excluding factors can be divided into two parts, educational factors and contacts with instructors, and time when the skydiving is called off for the day when some students do not know where to go, or who to talk to. Including factors are when people offer to help, give the students support or when they are invited to social activities during the evenings. My main conclusion is that the instructors and experienced skydivers attitude towards the students are very important to create a safe environment giving the students the confidence they need to get through their education. This is the most critical factor to make them feel welcome into the sport, and that they are also included within the spirit of togetherness. This key factor decides if they will want to stay in the skydiving community.</p>

The aim of this study has been to examine what students within the sport of skydiving think about their education and the social spirit of the community. The purpose of the study is thereby to answer the study's aim through the following questions; how does group dynamics and social solidarity work within the skydiving community, how do the students feel about group dynamics and social solidarity within the skydiving community, and what factors makes the students feel included or respectively excluded from the spirit of the togetherness? The theoretical part of the study focuses on group dynamics and groups overall. Further on earlier research within adventure sports and skydiving regarding group dynamics and community spirit is presented. My survey is based on 35 interviews with skydiving students. The result shows that the community spirit within skydiving sports is described by the students as very special, unique, and strong among the members. Overall the students have a very positive picture of the social solidarity within the skydiving sports but according to some students it also appears difficult to be included as a beginner. Excluding factors can be divided into two parts, educational factors and contacts with instructors, and time when the skydiving is called off for the day when some students do not know where to go, or who to talk to. Including factors are when people offer to help, give the students support or when they are invited to social activities during the evenings. My main conclusion is that the instructors and experienced skydivers attitude towards the students are very important to create a safe environment giving the students the confidence they need to get through their education. This is the most critical factor to make them feel welcome into the sport, and that they are also included within the spirit of togetherness. This key factor decides if they will want to stay in the skydiving community.