La recherche sur les loisirs sérieux dans le monde du divertissement web a fait l’objet de nombreux articles sans pour autant faire de parallèles conceptuels explicites. Les acteurs sociaux cherchent habituellement un équilibre durable entre activité professionnelle et loisir dilettante. Il existe une part de ces individus qui s’investissent sérieusement dans une activité ludique sans devenir professionnels. Notre recherche veut s’intéresser à ces individus en comprenant comment ces acteurs se démarquent sérieusement sans s’apparenter aux dilettantes et sans égaler le niveau des professionnels. Nous comprenons au travers de cette étude qu’il existe de multiples profils autour de 5 dimensions sérieuses. En effet, chaque participant interrogé s’identifie ou explique la raison pour laquelle chaque dimension lui semble plus logique qu’une autre. En parallèle, l’application de ces dimensions fait intervenir l’apparition des ressources sous forme de capitaux. Si l’agencement de toutes les dimensions peut créer des opportunités capitalistiques sérieuses ou professionnelles, notre étude montre qu’un acteur usant de loisir sérieux ne génère habituellement pas de capitaux substantiels permettant des transitions de carrière. En revanche, il peut espérer tirer des capitaux communautaires grâce aux fruits de ses efforts. Ses capitaux communautaires sont représentés par un rassemblement de spectateurs regardant son contenu, discutant avec lui et versant occasionnellement des compensations monétaires. Au terme de cette recherche, nous souhaitons montrer les motivations derrière les activités du loisir sérieux sur une plateforme participative tout en nous questionnant sur la place du streaming au Québec. Étant placés entre l’enclume et le marteau d’une majorité anglophone dans une petite région francophone, nous élaborons la conclusion que les streamers sérieux du Québec se munissent de dimensions sérieuses afin de contourner ce problème d’un public minoritairement francophone. / Research about serious leisure in the web leisure world has been subject to many articles without proper explicit bridges between the two. Social actors are usually looking for long term balance between a professional activity and a leisure dabble. There is a part of these individuals seriously investing themselves in an activity without becoming an actual professional. Our research wants to focus on those individuals while understanding how they stand out in a serious fashion without looking like other dabblers and without being as efficient as professionals. We understand through this study that there are multiple profiles revolving around 5 different serious dimensions, each interviewed participant identifies himself or explains the reason why each dimension seems more logical than another. At the same time, applying those same dimensions can create ressources in the shape of capitals. If the alignment of all those dimensions may create serious or professional capitalistic opportunities, our study shows that an actor using serious leisure don’t usually generates enough substantial capital to shift into a full time streamer professional. However, he can hope gaining communal capitals thanks to his efforts. Those communal capitals are represented as a crowd of spectators watching his content, chatting with him or occasionally offering monetary compensations. At the end of this research, we wish to show the motivations behind serious leisure activities on participative platform while questioning ourselves about the place of streaming in Quebec. As it is stuck between the hammer and the anvil of an English speaking majority in a restricted French speaking territory, we conclude that serious streamers from Quebec are soliciting serious dimensions helping them overcome this issue of a small French speaking community.

The purpose of this grounded theory qualitative study was to examine the experiences of college students who defined themselves as high-risk drinkers in order to understand the meaning and purpose that engagement in such a leisure occupation held for them. By examining the world of high-risk drinking, the study also sought to develop an understanding of the impact that high-risk drinking had upon psychosocial development during the college years. Individual open-ended interviews were conducted with four male and four female participants (aged 21 to 27). The data were analyzed by three analysts utilizing constant comparative procedures. The findings revealed an emergent grounded theory indicating high-risk drinking adhere to the serious leisure hobby framework developed by Stebbins (2007). As such, the participants had a long-term time investment with drinking, developed special skills through sustained effort, solidified a unique identity as a hobbyist, found deep meaning and purpose through the hobby, and performed the hobby within a unique and special world in concert with other hobbyists. Their high-risk drinking provided structure and a sense of belongingness within the larger university context. Further, the findings indicate that across time, facilitating factors catalyzed their engagement in the hobby, while the moderating factors became less influential. The participants also believed that their highrisk drinking will easily diminish post-graduation merely by changing their life role and context. iv Envisioning high-risk drinking as a serious leisure hobby, rather than a psychiatric or medical disorder, provides an alternative framework upon which prevention and intervention programming may be focused. Occupational therapist could provide an important health care role on campuses by assisting students to (a) understand the factors underlying the appeal of high-risk drinking, (b) understand the implications that a restricted range of leisure occupations may have upon their health, psychosocial development, and occupational identity, and (c) explore alternative health-producing leisure occupations.

During the past thirty years several models for lifelong education after retirement have been developed worldwide, one of them being the University of the Third Age (U3A). This study explored the contributions of the U3A to the educational needs of older adults and evaluated the benefits they perceived from their participation in U3A by means of a literature study and an empirical investigation. The latter used a survey to explore the experiences of U3A members of two U 3As and presidents of 68 U3As in Victoria, Australia by means of two different questionnaires. As only 1.47 percent of the over-55 population of Victoria are U3A members, the survey also investigated barriers to U3A participation in general and with special reference to the male population. The findings indicated that member respondents were very satisfied with their U3A experiences which had made substantial differences in their lives. Both male and female respondents saw personal, mental, social, and physical improvement as a result of U3A participation. The majority indicated that participation had improved their intellectual development. Significant differences in the perceptions of male and female participants emerged: female members outnumbered males by three to one. Both the presidents and the members expressed some programmatic concerns, primarily obtaining tutors and classroom availability. The subject areas covered by courses presented were extensive. There was a difference in the subjects desired by males and female respondents; very few courses are offered in science and economics. Some barriers to participation identified are a lack of awareness of U3A, the stereotypical attitudinal barrier of `I am too old' and negative past educational experiences. Moreover, U3As should increase marketing endeavours. Although most U3As advertise, almost a third of the respondents indicated that they would have joined earlier if aware of U3As. A contributing factor appears to be a virtual lack of research and information provided in educational academic journals and other media about lifelong education after retirement. Based on the findings, recommendations were made for future research and for improved practice in the U3A environment as a means to enhance the quality of life for older adults. / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (Comparative Education)

During the past thirty years several models for lifelong education after retirement have been developed worldwide, one of them being the University of the Third Age (U3A). This study explored the contributions of the U3A to the educational needs of older adults and evaluated the benefits they perceived from their participation in U3A by means of a literature study and an empirical investigation. The latter used a survey to explore the experiences of U3A members of two U 3As and presidents of 68 U3As in Victoria, Australia by means of two different questionnaires. As only 1.47 percent of the over-55 population of Victoria are U3A members, the survey also investigated barriers to U3A participation in general and with special reference to the male population. The findings indicated that member respondents were very satisfied with their U3A experiences which had made substantial differences in their lives. Both male and female respondents saw personal, mental, social, and physical improvement as a result of U3A participation. The majority indicated that participation had improved their intellectual development. Significant differences in the perceptions of male and female participants emerged: female members outnumbered males by three to one. Both the presidents and the members expressed some programmatic concerns, primarily obtaining tutors and classroom availability. The subject areas covered by courses presented were extensive. There was a difference in the subjects desired by males and female respondents; very few courses are offered in science and economics. Some barriers to participation identified are a lack of awareness of U3A, the stereotypical attitudinal barrier of `I am too old' and negative past educational experiences. Moreover, U3As should increase marketing endeavours. Although most U3As advertise, almost a third of the respondents indicated that they would have joined earlier if aware of U3As. A contributing factor appears to be a virtual lack of research and information provided in educational academic journals and other media about lifelong education after retirement. Based on the findings, recommendations were made for future research and for improved practice in the U3A environment as a means to enhance the quality of life for older adults. / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (Comparative Education)