Reasons for participation in clothing construction classes

This research was designed to determine why adults attend beginning clothing construction classes, if adults would select beginning clothing construction classes if other courses were available, and if selected variables are related to adult motives. One hundred ninety-nine adults enrolled in beginning clothing construction classes in Iowa public schools or the area community colleges responded to questionnaires which contained 63 reasons for enrolling in the class. Response rate was 91 percent;Factor analysis procedures identified six clusters of interrelated items from 50 of the 63 items. An inspection was made to determine items with a factor loading of equal to or greater than plus or minus .35. Clusters were further refined by inspecting the rational content of the items and by assigning an item to the cluster on which it had the highest factor loading. Reliability of the six clusters ranged from .67 to .87. Overall reliability of the 63 items was .93. The six clusters of reasons for attending beginning clothing construction classes in descending order of importance were: economics, enjoyment of learning, learning for application, personal goal, leisure and sociability;An analysis of variance was used to determine influence of demographic variables upon six clusters of reasons for attending adult beginning clothing construction classes. There were significant differences between the following clusters and variables: leisure and age; learning for application, age and marital status; personal goal and marital status; sociability, place of residence and income; economics, educational level and marital status; leisure and ownership of a sewing machine; personal goal and ownership of a sewing machine, and enjoyment of learning and occupation;Analysis of variance was used to determine influence of the demographic variables upon interest of respondents in attending nine classes in Home Economics; There were significant differences with the variable age and the classes, child care and development, family resources, meal management, children\u27s clothing and family relationships. There were significant differences with the variable, level of education and the classes, children\u27s clothing, consumer education, and family relationships;Chi-squares were calculated to determine significant differences between variables and alternative classes respondents might have taken. Age was significant with alternative class. Chi-squares were calculated to determine significant differences between variables and the next class respondents would like to take. Age and educational level were significant with the next class;Respondents would select clothing construction classes if they enrolled for another class. Decorating your home and children\u27s clothing were the next most important classes. Child care and development and family relationships were the least important. Respondents were uncertain about consumer education

Conversations about creativity and chronic illness I: Textile artists coping with long-term health problems reflect on the origins of their interest in art

This qualitative study explored the origins of interest in textile arts among a group of women living with long-term health problems. The part that illness played in motivating engagement in creative arts was of particular concern. Twenty four women were interviewed, aged between 29-72 years. Most were hobbyists and but the sample included some publicly acclaimed textile artists. A minority had engaged in art continuously since their earlier years. Most of the women had discovered (or re-discovered) textile arts, in middle and later life. Several factors facilitated this. The narratives indicated that the women’s pre-existing resilient personality as well as extensive support structures may have encouraged a reflective attitude and a problem-solving approach to living with illness. The experience of biographical disruption, stemming from the crisis of illness, dissatisfaction with unproductive time and a growing need for self-fulfilment, appeared to create a search for a meaningful occupation. The discovery of textile art as a meaningful occupation (as opposed to other ways of living with illness) appeared to be encouraged by early role models, enjoyment of art at school, the discovery that adult personal and professional interests could be expressed through artwork, and chance events. Textile art at school appeared to provide a form of ‘cultural capital’ for these women, who returned to this art medium and the skills learned earlier, when crisis occurred. The findings indicate that a negative event such as illness may have life-enhancing effects. Rehabilitation specialists might focus more on the arts as a resource for adults living with illness.

Women’s motivations to sew clothing for themselves

The purpose of this study was to understand why women are choosing to sew clothing for themselves as a leisure activity in the age of fast fashion. Resurgence in home sewing participation, specifically an increased interest in personal garment sewing, has prompted the need to explore these women’s perceived benefits and their consumer behavior as they operate outside of typical consumer culture. Due to the lack of current home sewing research, a grounded theory approach was used to reveal the reasons for this phenomenon through the experiences of the female sewers. An ethnically diverse sample of 15 female middle-class home sewers, ages 20–40 years from the United States and Canada, were recruited for interviews through Facebook sewing groups. In interviews, the participants were asked questions regarding their reasons for sewing clothing for themselves and the benefits that sewing provided them. Questions were also asked about feelings attached to sewing, the reactions of others, time spent sewing, and sewing-related consumption. The content analysis of the interview data revealed three emergent themes: investment, control, and empowerment. All three emergent themes were interconnected within an overarching central theme of personal fulfilment. The research data revealed that these women’s decisions to sew clothing for themselves offered them personal fulfillment that was not experienced in other aspects of their lives, providing them with a sense of accomplishment, a creative outlet, and stress release. The theme of investment reflected how these women invested in their leisure decision to sew clothing through cognitive, monetary, and time aspects. Control was revealed by the increased power over their appearance that sewing their own clothing allowed them as a consumer and the higher level of self-expression they were able to attain. Empowerment was reflected as the positive impact that sewing participation had on their confidence as well as their increased desire to sew that was impacted by the support and positive feedback of others. To illustrate the interconnectedness and recurring process of the emergent themes around the central theme of personal fulfillment, a model for women’s motivations to sew clothing for themselves was developed. An additional sew or purchase decision model was developed to demonstrate the decision-making process the women used when choosing to sew or to purchase a desired garment. This model depicts the factors in the decision-making process as well as the increased consumption stages an individual goes through in the decision to sew and not purchase. Theoretical perspectives from prosumerism, craft consumer and do-it-yourself consumption, as well as uses and gratification theory were applied to better understand the motivations of these women. In addition, these women’s motivations to sew explored in comparison with third-wave feminist handcraft reclamation

Factors Influencing Participation In Adult Education At Three Colleges In Zimbabwe

A ZJER article on factors affecting participation in Adult Education.The sudden upsurge in student numbers seeking skilled related further education courses at Zimbabwe polytechnics and technical colleges prompted this study to search for the factors driving adults from all walks of life to participate in education. The study employed the survey method and data was collected through the use of mailed questionnaires, analysis of student enrollment records and informal interviews. The study looked at the whole population of 474 adult learners registered at the time of the investigation. 41 % of the respondents were from Harare polytechnic, 36% from Bulawayo polytechnic and 23% from Mutare technical college. The results revealed that students participate in adult learning mainly to fulfill their personal goals related to their lifestyles and aspirations and to increase knowledge as well as to fill in idle time

Why Do They Sew? Women’s Motivations to Sew Clothing for Themselves

Garment sewing is undergoing a resurgence in participation, with a growing number of women choosing to sew their clothing instead of buying readily available fast fashion. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the current motivations of an ethnically diverse sample of women who sew garments for themselves. The in-depth interview data from 15 interviews revealed personal fulfillment to be the overarching reason for participation. Personal fulfillment was achieved through main emergent themes of investment, control, and empowerment with 10 subthemes. Theoretical perspectives of prosumerism, craft and do-it-yourself consumption, and uses and gratification theory were applied to the emergent themes to interpret the motivations of these women to sew garments for themselves. A model of sewing motivations for female garment sewing was developed to illustrate the connection between the emergent themes’ contribution to the women’s personal fulfillment and recurring cycle that takes place each time the women create a new garment for themselves

Participation narratives of Third Age adults:Their activities, motivations and expectations regarding civil society organisations

Third Age adults leaving the labour market are not only armed with broad experience and multiple competencies but also find themselves free of professional obligations while still physically sound. The general theory of Third Age of Laslett sheds a new light on characteristics of ageing adults and their role in society. They are able to engage in society in ways inaccessible to previous generations of older adults. According to Laslett, combining a myriad personal strengths and being free of professional obligations they are challenged to make Third Age a time of personal development by making choices of engagement and civic contribution. To enlighten these issues, this qualitative study focuses on how and under what conditions 23 Third Agers invest their strengths in unpaid societal and social participation. Their narratives reveal three types of involvement: holistic, inhibited and social consumerist. The holistic pattern and, to a lesser extent, the inhibition pattern meet the expectations of Laslett about the Third Age. The social consumerist pattern, on the other hand, rather refers to disengagement. These observations imply that to facilitate the societal engagement and social participation of this population, civil society organisations need to rethink their goals, activities and procedures

Cases of resiliency : exploring experiences of refugee women participating in U.S. textile and apparel nonprofit organizations' skills training programs.

Humanitarian crises around the world have forced thousands of refugees away from their native lands to neighboring countries on their own continent and as far as Europe and the United States, in search of safe harbor (UNHCR, 2017) and a better life (Igielnik & Krogstad, 2017). Refugees resettled in the United States, need to become self-sufficient within 18 months of arrival (U.S. Department of State, 2017). With the re-birth of manufacturing in the northwest region of the United States, local textile and apparel nonprofit organizations set-up community-based sewing programs that provided skills-building and job training opportunities to refugees resettled in the region that match the needs of the local labor market, which is essential to their economic integration (Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, 2008). ... Therefore, the aim of this study was to gain in-depth understanding of the career transition experiences of women with refugee backgrounds within the context of textile and apparel NPOs in the United States by exploring what motivated them to participate in the training programs and attain training outcomes. Using a multiple case study approach, participant observations, direct observations and in-depth interviews were conducted at five textile and apparel NPO training sites. Fourteen graduate and current trainees as well as 10 training providers in each textile and apparel NPO who were knowledgeable about the organization's structure, vision and mission were interviewed. The data analysis uncovered nine emergent themes that represented factors that facilitated or hindered the motivation of trainees to participate in career transition programs and attain training outcomes.Includes bibliographical reference

Causes of Relapse into Illiteracy of Adult Female Neo-Literates: An Evaluation

The present study was designed to explore the factors that responsible for the relapse into basic literacy skills of adult neo-literates. This qualitative study utilized strategies, including: a survey, interviews, focused group discussions, artifacts, and observations. Random and criterion sampling techniques were applied. The data was analyzed by sorting, coding, and categorizing the views of the respondents. The study explored these three problems areas: the implementation of a literacy program, addressing the needs and aspirations of adult female neo-literates and the teachers’ delivery of the courses. The results of this inquiry identified key factors tied to the three problem areas: the teachers were inadequately trained and failed to observe the basic standards of courtesy and respect for the learners. The courses ran at inappropriate times, were too short and used inadequate accommodation. While not excessively difficult, the materials used were not related to the real needs of the learners who wished, in the main, for literacy skills in relation to income generating activities. There was a need for increased opportunities to practise the skills taught and follow up courses were required

A Study to Determine Desired Life/Work Skills Not Acquired by Adults during Formal School Training

This problem was answered by focusing on the following questions: 1. Which topics or subjects do adults feel that they are lacking to improve either their personal or professional lives? 2. Which topics or subjects were not available to them during their formal school training