The purpose of this study was to generate an understanding of the process of
program planning in a senior centre. Of particular interest was the extent to which
technical, contextual, and social-political dimensions of planning were represented in the
planning practice of programmers. Indepth interviews were conducted with four
programmers who were responsible for planning programs at one Lower Mainland,
British Columbia senior centre from April 1996 to April 1997. Observations of
programming meetings and documents pertaining to program planning supplemented
interview data.
This exploration revealed that all three dimensions of planning were evident in the
programmers' practice. When planning programs, the programmers completed four
technical stages: generating ideas, selecting ideas, developing programs, and organizing
details. Daily planning activities revolved around these stages and their related tasks. The
way in which programs were developed at this centre was also a highly contextualized
process. The programmers were influenced by a variety of contextual factors internal and
external to the centre which shaped the structure, process, timing, and organization of
planning as well as the selection and development of programs. When examining planning
as a social-political process of negotiation, it was evident that planning practice was
characterized by power relationships, interests, and negotiation. While negotiating
interests was one form of action in which the planners engaged, it was not the dominant
form of planning activity. Planning practice at this centre was best depicted as a highly contextualized technical process which entailed information gathering, criteria-based
decision making, negotiating interests, and recording program details.
The way in which planning occurred at this centre implies that technical,
contextual, and social-political dimensions are interrelated and that the interplay between
the technical and social-political dimensions is influenced by contextual factors. While
much of the planning literature has focused on a single dimension, this exploration of
practice suggests that an integrated way of thinking about planning is needed which
acknowledges varying degrees to which technical, contextual, and social-political
dimensions may be emphasized depending on the planning environment.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/9481 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Hewson, Jennifer Ann Warren |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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