Denise M. Anderson

Adolescent Girls’ Involvement in Disability Sport: Implications for Identity Development

The social institution of sport reflects a society that presupposes the values, mores, norms, and standards of the majority and subsequently determines who can participate in sport and who can be identified as an athlete. Recognizing the growing importance of disability sport to people with disabilities, the purpose of this study was to use the construct of symbolic interactionism to examine the identity development of adolescent girls with physical disabilities who participate in organized wheelchair sports with a specific focus on athletic identity development. An understanding of how the girls’ interaction with various socializing agents through a wheelchair sport program to develop an athletic identity was developed through interviews. Results are presented utilizing Keliber’s framework for identity development through leisure participation, including sport.

Gender Equity in the Context of Organizational Justice: A Closer Look at a Reoccurring Issue in the Field

Despite the number of women in the field of leisure services, gender equity is an issue that is still plaguing the profession. The purpose of this study was to continue a previous exploration of perceptions of workplace equity in leisure services within the context of organizational justice. Three forms of organizational justice were explored: distributive, procedural, and interactional. Subjects for this study were drawn from the American Parks and Recreation Society membership list using a systematic stratified random sampling procedure. Content analysis was used to place responses to an open-ended question regarding perceptions of gender equity within leisure services into the three categories of organizational justice. The findings of the study indicated that there was dissatisfaction among respondents with each type of organizational justice, and that women reported more inequity than did men. Although several positive comments were made regarding the progress of women in the field, negative comments dominated the analysis.

Adolescent girls' involvement in disability sport: a comparison of social support mechanisms.

Abstract Women and girls with disabilities are historically disenfranchised from physical recreation due to the “double whammy” of being female and having a disability. The literature suggests that challenges to participation likely include lack of social support for girls with disabilities to participate in sport. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to examine differences in social support received by girls with disabilities who did and did not participate in organized wheelchair sport programs. In addition, the relationship between social support and outcomes tied to wheelchair sport participation were investigated. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using constant comparison techniques. Utilizing a model of social support as a framework, the findings illustrate multiple differences in social support mechanisms for girls who are and who are not involved in wheelchair sport programs.

Winning Isn’t Everything: Goal Orientation and Gender Differences in University Leisure-Skills Classes

Achievement motivation is predicated on the notion that a person wants to demonstrate competence and feel successful and is motivated to achieve these outcomes. A persons goal orientation describes the individuals motivation—an ego orientation presupposes that achievement is a result of ability, whereas a task orientation ties achievement to effort. Understanding a persons achievement motivation can help us better understand how to facilitate positive leisure experiences and long-term participation in recreation activities. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the goal orientation of male and female university students enrolled in leisure-skills courses. Results suggest that there are gender differences in goal orientation that may have an impact on enjoyment of and intention to continue participation in a recreation activity, regardless of the activity.

A national examination of gender equity in public parks and recreation.

Despite the number of women in the field of public parks and recreation, gender equity continues to be a problem. The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of workplace equity in public parks and recreation on a national level. The impact these perceptions have on workplace attitudes such as organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and organizational citizenship was also examined. Subjects for this study were drawn from the American Parks and Recreation Society membership list using a systematic stratified random sampling procedure. Chi-square, multivariate and univariate analyses were used for data analyses. Data indicated that there were significant differences between men and women with regard to perceptions of equity as well as levels of organizational citizenship. Perceptions of inequity also appear to be precursors to lower levels of organizational commitment.

Exploring the "Black Box" of Programming: Applying Systematic Implementation Evaluation to a Structured Camp Curriculum.

Camp scholars have designed structured curricula to engender specific outcomes and to break down the “black box” of programming. Implementation evaluation explores how well a program operates when delivered, further breaking down the black box. The purpose of this study was to explore the implementation of a new structured camp curriculum. The unit of analysis was a pilot camp program, Teens Leading & Connecting (TLC). Methods for this study included two direct observation tools and facilitator interviews. The findings suggest that TLC was implemented with quality and fidelity, and that a variety of mechanisms and contexts supported the implementation of TLC. Understanding these mechanisms and contexts can inform the implementation of TLC, and similar programs, in new camp environments. Furthermore, the results of this study demonstrate that implementation evaluation can inform program delivery in an intentional manner in camp and other youth-serving program contexts.

The First Day: It Happens Only Once.

Research findings on optimum use of the first day of class are mixed. Past data gathered from students from various disciplines support a first day designed to distribute the course syllabus and explain class expectations, rules, and policies. Additional literature supports a different approach to the first day; one designed to immediately engage students in the course through activities designed intentionally to accomplish more than introducing students to the scholarly objectives of the class. The purpose of this paper is threefold – to identify feasible goals for the first day of class, to present an overview of the limited research related to first-day goals and expectations, and to provide an example of a Recreation and Leisure Studies discipline-related activity to address first-day goals.

Enhancing the College Student Experience: Outcomes of a Leisure Education Program:

Background: Experiential education in higher education provides opportunities for college student development that contribute to student success. As such, a leisure education program is posited as a complement to experiential education programming. Purpose: This study explored the impact of a leisure education program (leisure skills) on dimensions of college student success, including school satisfaction, student life satisfaction, school belonging, and self-esteem. Methodology/Approach: This study compared 531 leisure skills students with a group of 136 students not enrolled in a leisure skills class. Findings/Conclusions: The results of a repeated-measures analysis indicated leisure skills students fared better than non–leisure skills students in the measured dimensions, maintaining similar levels of school satisfaction, life satisfaction, belonging, and self-esteem over the course of the semester while the non–leisure skills students experienced decreases. Implications: Students who chose leisure skills classes experienced stability and improvement in school and student life satisfaction, school belonging, and self-esteem. Therefore, leisure education programming should be further examined as a mechanism for college student success.

‘It’s never turned me back’: female mountain guides’ constraint negotiation

ABSTRACT Females participate in outdoor adventure recreation at lower rates than males for a variety of reasons including societal gender expectations, a lack of exposure, and fear. Research indicates that females who participate in outdoor recreation are more empowered and have higher levels of self-esteem, self-worth, confidence, and body image. Thus, it is important to encourage and empower females to take part in outdoor recreation. Framed by poststructural feminism, this study seeks to move beyond a constraints perspective and towards an understanding of how gendered norms may be broken down. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand the lifetime experiences of professional mountain guides including the constraints faced, negotiation strategies utilized, and specific contexts within which they reached their professional level of participation.

Promoting Adaptive Coping Skills and Subjective Well-Being through Credit-Based Leisure Education Courses

This qualitative study addresses the need for campus-based programming that allows students to practice adaptive coping skills and increase well-being. Eight focus groups and seven individual interviews were conducted with students participating in credit-based leisure education courses to understand self-reported health-related motivations and outcomes. Findings suggested students experienced five psychological mechanisms supporting well-being: autonomy, detachment, mastery, meaning, and affiliation. Programmatic and instructional-based insights for student affairs professionals in health, counseling, and recreation are provided.