Building from Hannah Pitkin’s work on forms of representative democracy, this thesis demonstrates how differing generational expectations of political representation affect participation in electoral politics. Consistent with earlier work, it confirms that youth voting decreases when young people are less educated, less interested, or when they lack a sense of responsibility. However these factors only explain part—and not necessarily the most important part—of the younger generation’s motivations for voting. The analysis also shows that youth are markedly less likely to vote when young people feel that their values are not aligned with those of political leaders. The relationship between values—or symbolic representation—and voting remains significant and strong for young people even when the classic predictors of voting are included in the model. In fact, symbolic representation is a stronger predictor of voting than such factors as education, political interest, or the sense of responsibility to vote. This new variable is therefore important in understanding why the most recent decline in voting occurs predominantly among youth. Issue campaigns are less likely to move young people one way or another with respect to voting, as the majority of issues do not affect young people directly, if at all. As a consequence youth are left to rely on their own understanding of what political leaders actually stand for to pull them in or entice them to vote. But if the values that young people care about are not symbolically represented by political leaders and their electoral platforms, then youth will have less to vote for, and will likely just stay home and ignore elections altogether. Conversely, if political leaders make modest changes to their campaign strategies that also appeal to values—rather than strictly to interests—we could also see an increase in turnout among youth, and therefore an increase in democratic legitimacy.

Symphonic Engagement is a longitudinal study spanning six years, investigating the reasons and benefits for, and the impact on twelve urban public school students who decided to use their free time to participate and be engaged in extra-curricular activities in string orchestras. Literature and research inform us that the arts can play a significant role in the curriculum, inside and outside school, and this study discusses: the connection of the music curriculum to students’ future lives after secondary school graduation; the place of music education in the curriculum; music in our society; music and the brain; the effect of after-school programs on student engagement; and the pedagogy of arts education. Case study is the qualitative methodology used in this research. Data comes from interviews, field notes, and questionnaires that explore and interrogate the issues surrounding music education. Twelve young participants, from different gender, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds, were interviewed about their lived experiences and involvement with string orchestras, and on the ways in which these experiences have affected them as students and as members of society. The analysis of the data reveals connections between the author’s arts experiences in the public school system, and those of the twelve students interviewed. The teacher-student relationship, equity, family influence, and technology are discussed as factors that can strengthen programs for youth, by deepening engagement in school experiences. This study explores why some teachers and students choose to participate or become engaged in extra-curricular activities and examines the impact on educational communities, on the future direction of string education, and on the relationship of the teaching/learning experience.

Suicide embodies a considerable but often preventable loss of life. As the second leading cause of death for young people in Canada between the ages of 15 and 24, nearly one-quarter of all annual deaths for this age group are accounted for by those who have died by suicide. Greater still is the prevalence of suicidal behaviour. Annually, suicide and suicidal behaviours across the age span are estimated to cost the Canadian economy $2.2 billion. Given the high personal costs to victims, survivors, and taxpayers, it seems crucial that prevention strategies be implemented to reduce the high rate of suicide and suicidal behaviours, as well as to promote mental health, particularly in youth. The promotion of positive mental health and well-being is especially relevant for youth living in rural areas. Fewer mental health resources are available in rural communities than in urban centres. Moreover, youth living in rural, low population density areas often do not believe that their anonymity and right to privacy would be protected if they were to seek mental health services. The present research was carried out to provide a potential foundation for stimulating mental health promotion and suicide prevention approaches, differing by rural and urban community and by gender, before such concerns emerge. Through a survey of 813 (459 rural youth; 354 urban youth) secondary school youth in Eastern Ontario, we examined the inverse association between suicidal ideation and engagement in extracurricular activities, such as sports, music, drama, or community groups. Who is at greatest risk: It was found that rural youth reported significantly more suicidal thoughts than did urban youth (p < .01). Perceived social support accounted for rural and urban differences, while difficulties coping with daily stressors accounted for gender differences, in self-reported suicidal ideation. Thus, “red flags” for communities at risk could include perceived deficits in social support within a given community, as well as having a number of young females who indicate poor coping with daily stressors. What factors to target: Depressive symptoms, risk behaviours, self-esteem, and social support differed in importance in the prediction of suicidal ideation based on rural-urban setting and gender. Results reflecting differences underscore the importance of examining such factors in mental health research. A “one size fits all” approach to youth mental health promotion and suicide prevention does not appear to be a prudent strategy. How to intervene: Youth engagement was explored as one possible means of intervention. In rural youth, personally meaningful engagement and engagement in a number of activities was directly inversely related to suicidal ideation. Regression analyses involving interaction analyses were carried out with youth engagement as a moderator for mental health indicators such as depressive symptoms, risk behaviours, self-esteem, and social support in the prediction of suicidal ideation. Through simple slope analyses, it was found that youth engagement significantly reduces the relationships between suicidal ideation and mental health indicators, particularly for males (p < .001). Therefore, youth engagement appears to be more universally beneficial for rural youth, given that rural dwelling appears to be a risk factor for suicidal ideation. Moreover, for male youth at risk for suicidal ideation, given depressive symptoms, risk behaviours, low self-esteem, and low perceived social support, youth engagement may be of particular benefit. With knowledge of who is at greatest risk for suicidal ideation, what factors to target, and a possible intervention road map, we can reach youth and foster resiliency before suicidal thoughts emerge.

Languages currently used by planners to conceptualize, document, and present projects lack expansive imagination and polyphonic literacy. Planning demands new languages to address social and environmental challenges within our increasingly cross-cultural urban environments. Although storytelling theory in planning has expanded contemporary understanding of what constitutes method and practice within the discipline of planning, there has been little work to date explicating what poetry offers to planning education and practice. This thesis examines several opportunities and challenges in adopting poetry into contemporary practice in Vancouver, British Columbia using a multi-method approach. Methods include: a literature review on planning projects collaborating with artists; an ethnomethodological analysis of interviews with four Vancouver poets; a constructionist analysis of a planning text and a re/formation experiment with poetry; and finally, autoethnographic 'poetry as inquiry'. Learnings suggest that a critical approach to poetry offers an alternative language to connect to both 'self as planner' and to the multitude of overlapping voices of 'publics' in process, document, and presentation.

Advertising through smart phone applications is one of the fastest growing categories in advertising nowadays. Branded game-apps on mobile phones have several very innovative and attractive aspects, they physically engage their customers into a game, creating on a first level an entertainment but mainly they are advertising their products and the brand’s name. Many studies have been written on gaming, customer engagement and marketing strategies, but only few studies has been written on the convergence of mobile phone technology, gaming and marketing. This research is investigating to which extend this innovative way of marketing can be considered as an efficient marketing strategy. In order to get an insight from both sides of the market, semi-structured interviews have been lead with phone-app experts and users. Similar answers were formulated by both the producers and the users, leading me to the conclusion that a game-app is engaging the users into an overall positive dialogue with the brand. The contribution of this exploratory study is a greater understanding of the phenomenon of branded game-apps, in relation to previous studies on marketing, game mechanisms and brand-consumer relationships.

El objetivo de esta tesis es poner a prueba una ampliación del modelo de Demandas-Recursos en usuarios de Tecnología de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC), integrando tanto las aproximaciones negativas (burnout) como positivas (engagement) del bienestar psicológico de los empleados y una consecuencia organizacional: el compromiso. Para conseguir este objetivo se han seguido una serie de pasos. En primer lugar, y para realizar una validación transcultural, este modelo se ha puesto a prueba simultáneamente con empleados que utilizan tecnologías pertenecientes a dos países Europeos: España y Holanda. Se han llevado a cabo análisis factorials confirmatorios, modelos de ecuaciones estructurales, así como análisis multigrupo. En segundo lugar, y dada la relevancia de la Psicología Positiva y de los recursos personales (las creencias de eficacia) como variables intervinientes en el proceso de estrés, se han puesto a prueba modelos de espirales positivos de recursos en un estudio longitudinal de laboratorio con usuarios de TICs. Finalmente, se ha evaluado el papel de la eficacia colectiva percibida en usuarios de TICs como variable interviniente en un proceso de estrés motivacional de trabajo en grupo.

Se basant sur le Modèle Dualiste de la Passion (Vallerand et al., 2003), la présente thèse avait pour objectif général d'examiner le rôle de deux types de passion amoureuse (passion harmonieuse et passion obsessive) dans les conflits vécus par les partenaires amoureux ainsi que dans les coûts et bénéfices personnels associés à l'engagement amoureux. L'objectif général de l'Article 1 était d'examiner les relations entre les deux types de passion et certains comportements susceptibles d'être émis par les partenaires amoureux pendant et après les conflits. Les résultats de cette série d'études révèlent que la passion harmonieuse est associée à des conséquences plus adaptatives que la passion obsessive. Plus spécifiquement, la passion harmonieuse s'est avérée liée positivement aux comportements réparateurs post-conflits alors que la passion obsessive était non significativement associée à ces comportements. En outre, les résultats ont montré que la passion obsessive était positivement associée à l'utilisation des Quatre Cavaliers de l'Apocalypse alors que la passion harmonieuse était soit négativement associée, soit non liée à ces comportements. Par ailleurs, les résultats ont montré que plus un individu rapporte utiliser les Quatre Cavaliers de l'Apocalypse, plus il perçoit également ces comportements chez son/sa partenaire, ce qui nuit à sa satisfaction relationnelle. De façon similaire, plus un individu rapporte émettre de comportements réparateurs post-conflits, plus il perçoit également ces comportements chez son/sa partenaire, ce qui a un impact positif sur sa satisfaction relationnelle. De plus, plus un individu rapporte faire usage des Quatre Cavaliers de l'Apocalypse, plus son/sa partenaire perçoit ces comportements, ce qui a pour conséquence ultime d'éroder la satisfaction conjugale du/de la partenaire. Le deuxième article de cette thèse aborde les relations entre les deux types de passion amoureuse et les coûts et les bénéfices résultant de l'engagement amoureux. Cinq études utilisant des devis variés ont été réalisées. Dans l'ensemble, les résultats de la série d'études composant le deuxième article se sont avérés cohérents avec nos hypothèses. Spécifiquement, les résultats ont montré que les deux types de passion étaient positivement liés aux bénéfices découlant de la relation. Par ailleurs, la passion harmonieuse s'est avérée négativement liée aux coûts découlant de la relation alors que la passion obsessive s'est révélée positivement associée à cette variable. Les résultats mettent également en évidence le rôle de l'expansion du soi vécue par les individus dans leur relation comme médiateur de la relation entre chaque type de passion et les bénéfices de la relation. Les résultats mettent également en lumière le rôle de l'inhibition de soi comme médiateur des relations, respectivement négative et positive, entre la passion harmonieuse et obsessive et les coûts découlant de la relation. Les résultats ont également montré que la passion harmonieuse et la passion obsessive avaient non seulement des conséquences intra-individuelles, mais également une influence sur les coûts et bénéfices vécus par leur partenaire. ______________________________________________________________________________ MOTS-CLÉS DE L’AUTEUR : Passion amoureuse, Modèle Dualiste de la Passion, conflits dyadiques, expansion du soi, inhibition de soi, coûts et bénéfices personnels.

A disconnect exists between research and practice that is impeding the flow of knowledge between researchers, practitioners and decision makers. This obstruction of knowledge is acting as a barrier to the use of evidence in decisions and also as a barrier to informing research of important questions that need answering through scientific investigation. This divide between research and practice can be crossed by building a bridge between researchers and practitioners across which knowledge can be transmitted, translated and exchanged. <br /><br /> A possible mechanism to understand the key contributors to bridge building is by using Wenger's Community of Practice model as a framework upon which to understand the importance of and how to build connections between research, policy and practice. The defining characteristic of a Community of Practice is the interaction between members in order to jointly determine and embrace goals, eventually resulting in shared practices. Crucial to the success of a Community of Practice is the engagement between community members. Without engagement, a Community of Practice can not share knowledge and achieve its negotiated goals. <br /><br /> This thesis studied a Community of Practice that is being deliberately formed to facilitate the development of a pan-Canadian population health research network. This network, CANSPANN (Canadian School Physical Activity and Nutrition Network) aims to bring together researchers, practitioners, and decision makers to create research programs studying the social-environmental influence of schools on youth physical activity and healthy eating that address priorities for policy and practice. <br /><br /> This thesis assessed if a quantitative questionnaire tool could validly and reliably measure the level of engagement between CANSPANN members. The questionnaire also aimed to determine if engagement predicted knowledge use. Eighteen items in the NEQ validly measure engagement of CANSPANN members. Sufficient content validly was established for these items. Of these eighteen items, only four subscales significantly predicted knowledge use. <br /><br /> Through reliability testing with qualitative interviews it was determined that the Network Engagement Questionnaire reliably measures engagement for CANSPANN members who are centrally involved. It is far less able to reliably measure engagement for peripheral members. Further testing with the NEQ is necessary in order to increase its reliability.

The purpose of this study was to determine if applying set induction to the beginning of a lesson would have an effect on student knowledge, attitude, and/or engagement levels throughout the lesson. Researchers addressed specific objectives in this report to determine if using a set induction at the beginning of a lesson will have a significant effect on students? attained knowledge levels, to determine if using a set induction at the beginning of a lesson will have a significant effect on students? attitudinal perspectives towards the lesson, to determine if using a set induction at the beginning of a lesson will have a significant effect on student?s engagement levels throughout the lesson. To address these objectives, a quasi?experimental study using four separate agricultural education classrooms was conducted. Descriptive and comparative analyses were then performed on all participating groups. The results of this study illustrate the following conclusions: (a) there is no significant difference in student knowledge between the treatment and control groups; (b) there is no significant difference in student attitude between the treatment and control groups; (c) the group that received the set induction was more engaged than the group that did not. These findings have implications to agricultural educators in designing lesson plans that can better engage students from the start. The results are also significant to researchers in this field in that they may choose to further their studies in this area of focus. Additional collected data could be to be extremely useful to those studying the use and effects of set inductions in classroom methodologies.

Reproduction de : Thèse de doctorat : Littérature française : Lyon 2 : 2005. / Titre provenant de l'écran-titre. Bibliogr.