published_or_final_version / History / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This study examined factors that motivate parents to involve their children in organized gymnastics programs. A questionnaire based on McCullagh et al.'s (1993) study of recreational soccer players was used along with open-ended questions. The questionnaire was administered to parents of children who were involved in a private gymnastics club. Descriptive statistics of 156 surveys showed that fitness, skill development, and fun were most frequently cited reasons for parents in their decision to enroll and keep their child in gymnastics programs. Competition was the least important factor. ANOVA showed that competition and team membership factors were more important to the parents of competitive gymnasts than parents of recreational gymnasts. Coaches and youth sport program organizers could use these findings to develop and market youth activity programs.

This thesis has explored participation by adult volunteer workers of the Wapehani Girl Scout Council in central Indiana. This study involved 50 adults who were active members of the council at the time of the study and 50 adults who had been members of the council and were no longer active at the time of the study.A demographic questionnaire and a personality inventory were administered to each of the 100 participants in the study. The questionnaire involved the following information about each volunteer: age, sex, education, marital status, family income per year, size of community lived in, number of years in Scouting, membership in other organizations, number of children, number of daughters, number of daughters in Scouting, age at which daughters joined Scouts, and reasons for remaining or leaving Scouting. The personality inventory was the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule, and it involved 15 variables: achievement, deference, order, exhibition, autonomy, affiliation, intraception, succorance, dominance, abasement, nurturance, change, endurance, heterosexuality, and aggression.

Thesis (M.S.)--B.Y.U. Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2009. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed June 23, 2009). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 393-410).

Thesis (M.S.)--B.Y.U. Department of Sociology and Anthropology. / Electronic thesis. Also available in print ed.

Rekrytering till flottan har alltid varit en utmaning. Sedan Gustav Vasa grundlade svenska flottan 1522 så har målet varit att rekryteringen ska ske på frivillig bas. Sedan 1930-talet har Sjövärnskåren genomfört utbildning av ungdomar som syftar till att förbereda dem för ett yrke inom marinen. Under den gångna periodens förändringar inom Försvarsmakten har dock utveckling av denna ungdomsverksamhet inte varit prioriterad. Denna undersökning syftar till att förstå hur ungdomsverksamheten bidrar till marinens personalförsörjning och att diskutera verksamhetens utformning. Av resultatet framgår att ungdomsverksamheten bidrar såväl direkt som indirekt genom att utveckla deltagarnas individuella förutsättningar respektive institutionella värden. Samtidigt syns ett behov av att diskutera mål för ungdomsverksamheten och en möjlighet att med gemensamma insatser utveckla genomförandet för att ytterligare förbättra bidraget till marinens personalförsörjning mot det sjömilitära yrket. ”det här trodde jag aldrig att jag skulle säga då jag kommer från den gamla stammen, men med den erfarenheten jag skaffat mig genom åren, framförallt under de senaste, så är jag övertygad att SVK är nödvändigt för att klara personalförsörjningen framförallt på den blå delen av marinen. Jag är övertygad. Och det är därför jag tycker det är viktigt att det är en bra verksamhet och en sund verksamhet.” / Recruiting to the navy has always been a challenge. Since King Gustav Vasa founded the Swedish Navy in 1522 the goal has been that recruiting shall be done on voluntary basis. Since the 1930:s the Swedish Sea Cadet Corps has been training young men and women in order to prepare them for a career in the Navy. However, during the past transformations of the Swedish Armed Forces, developing this youth activity has not been prioritized. This study aims to understand how the youth activity contributes to the personnel provision of the Swedish Navy and discuss its design. The result of the study shows that the youth activity contributes directly and indirectly by developing the participants individual prerequisites and institutional values. At the same time there is a need to discuss the activities ends, and the possibility to develop and further enhance the contribution to the personnel provision of the Swedish Navy and the naval profession.