Theming in Experience-based Tourism: Visitor and Provider Perspectives

© Jonas Karlsen Åstrøm (2022). Avhandlingen inneholder artikler trykt i tidsskriftene International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research (https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCTHR-07-2015-0070), European Journal of Tourism Research (https://doi.org/10.54055/ejtr.v20i.337) og Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism (https://doi.org/10.1080/1528008X.2019.1658147).I turismen og besøksnæringene har det tradisjonelle fokuset vært på produkter og tjenester som grunnlaget for verdiskaping. Imidlertid, i tråd med den opplevelsesbaserte vendingen i reiselivet, har mange aktører innenfor reiseliv nå endret fokus mot å tilby forbrukerne unike opplevelser for å unngå kommodifisering. Dette betyr at bedriftene har brukt tematisering for å skape opplevelsesrom for sine gjester. Selv om mye forskning har blitt gjort på tematiserte turistopplevelser, har det vært viet mindre oppmerksomhet til tematisering som fenomen. Hvordan kunnskap om tematisering kan forstås som en form for opplevelsesinnovasjon er også mindre kjent. Som følge av dette er det overordnede målet i denne avhandlingen å utdype kunnskapen om tematisering i opplevelsesbasert turisme, samt hvordan kunnskap om tematisering fra både et besøks- og tilbyderperspektiv kan fasilitere opplevelsesinnovasjon. Mer bestemt har avhandlingen som intensjon å utforske hva temaer og tematisering er, hvilke faktorer som driver tematisering, tematiseringens dimensjoner, og hvilke formål tematisering kan ha. Avhandlingens mål utforskes med opplevelsesbasert turisme som kontekst, en arbeidskraftkrevende bransje som forsøker å skape merverdi ved å tilby symbolske og hedonistiske fordeler og fremkalle sterke emosjonelle og opplevelsesbaserte reaksjoner hos de besøkende. Denne avhandlingen inkluderer tre separate artikler som undersøker og diskuterer tre forskningstemaer: (i) hvordan temafaktorer som driver opplevelsesbasert turisme kan bli bedre forstått, (ii) identifiseringen av tematiseringsdimensjonene i opplevelsesbasert turisme, og (iii) hvorfor tematisering brukes i opplevelsesbasert turisme. Det fjerde forskningstemaet, (iv) hvordan kunnskap om tematisering fra både et besøks- og tilbyderperspektiv kan fasilitere opplevelsesinnovasjon, ble utviklet gjennom en abduktiv prosess i avhandlingen, og blir besvart i synopsisen. Tematisering i opplevelsesbasert turisme utforskes i både et besøks- og tilbyderperspektiv gjennom å benytte både kvantitative og kvalitative metodologiske tilnærminger. Den empiriske analysen i den første vedlagte artikkelen er basert på data fra en spørreundersøkelse. Den andre og tredje vedlagte artikkelen bruker data fra halvstrukturerte intervjuer. Avhandlingen har fire bidrag til opplevelsesbasert turismefeltet, markedsførings- og ledelsesfeltet. Avhandlingens første bidrag omhandler temafaktorer. Temafaktorene navn, medarbeiderinteraksjon, og lyssetting er de mest sentrale direkte driverne av turistens kundeopplevelse, mens andre (design og musikk) avhengig av bruk og kontekst bidrar til oppfatningen av tematiserte omgivelser på en annen måte. At temafaktorer, særlig navn, bidrar til oppfatningen av tematiserte omgivelser er et nytt funn. Avhandlingens andre bidrag omhandler tematiseringsdimensjoner. De ti tematiseringsdimensjonene autentisitet, kronotop, kohesjon, digital teknologi, immersjon, interaksjon/samskaping, flersanselighet, nyhetsverdi, gjenkjennbarhet, og historiefortelling/narrativ er sentrale og betydningsfulle for tematiseringen i en turismekontekst. Dimensjonen interaksjon/samskaping har paralleller til dimensjoner fra forskningen på opplevelsesinnovasjon. Avhandlingens tredje bidrag omhandler formålene med tematisering i turisme: å sørge for differensiering; øke salgene av et merke eller et produkt; skape bånd mellom gjester og et tema, merke, eller produkt; tiltrekke, stanse og få besøkende til å bli; å påvirke eller endre atferden deres, og forbedre ende-til-ende-opplevelsen. Det viser seg at disse formålene er essensielle gjensidig relaterte mål for ledere i turismen. Denne avhandlingen diskuterer de dypere meningene og samspillet mellom temafaktorene, tematiseringsdimensjonene, og formålene med tematisering fra både et besøks- og tilbyderperspektiv. Avhandlingens fjerde og endelige bidrag er implikasjonene de empiriske funnene fra de tre artiklene har for opplevelsesinnovasjon. Avhandlingens hovedbidrag er en omfattende undersøkelse av temafaktorer, tematiseringsdimensjoner, tematiseringsformål, og hvordan disse kan fasilitere opplevelsesesinnovasjon, noe som gir en bredere forståelse basert på ny og tilgjengelig kunnskap om hvert aspekt av fenomenet som blir undersøkt, og diskuterer deres betydning. Avhandlingen argumenterer for tilbydernes betydning i å omhyggelig orkestrere temafaktorer og tematiseringsdimensjoner for å møte formålene med tematisering i opplevelsesbasert turisme. Design av opplevelser krever ofte at tilbyderen kritisk bruker temaer og tematisering for å skape innovative, lønnsomme og minneverdige omgivelser av høy kvalitet for besøkende. Tidligere forskning har kun satt søkelys på at tilbyderne iscenesetter tematiserte produkter og tjenester i omgivelsene. Imidlertid er ikke iscenesettingen av omgivelsene tilstrekkelig for tilbydere av tematiserte omgivelser. I stedet gjør disse omgivelsene det nødvendig for tilbyderne å skape fasiliterende tematiserte omgivelser som legger til rette for at de besøkende gjennom interaksjon kan samskape verdien i sine individuelle opplevelser—noe som leder til opplevelsesinnovasjon. Ledere anmodes til å forbedre sine tematiserte omgivelser for å sørge for kontinuerlig differensiering og økt salg. Ansatte bør få kontinuerlig opplæring og lederveiledning for å kunne oppføre seg og snakke konsistent med det valgte temaet, og de ansattes interaksjon med besøkende bør oppmuntres. I tillegg bør ledere søke å forbedre koherens og systematisk sammenheng mellom alle elementene i tematiserte omgivelser for å kunne kommunisere et positivt harmonisk inntrykk. Ledere bør vurdere tematiseringsdimensjonene nyhetsverdi, historiefortelling, og digital teknologi, og bruke disse i tilstrekkelig grad for å forbedre unikheten, tilhørighetsfølelsen, og en opphøyd virkelighetsopplevelse. Følgelig er ikke hovedbidraget i denne avhandlingen knyttet til tradisjonell tjenesteinnovasjonsforskning. I stedet undersøker avhandlingen temafaktorene og tematiseringsdimensjonenes rolle i turistenes opplevelse, og hvordan organisasjoner kan bruke disse for opplevelsesinnovasjon. Resultatet av dette har implikasjoner for innovasjon i opplevelsesbasert turisme. I denne avhandlingen forstås tematisering som en prosess som kan føre til opplevelsesinnovasjon. Denne formen for opplevelsesinnovasjon kan kalles tematiseringsinnovasjon, en interaktiv prosess hvor besøkende gir tilbydere informasjon om hva som er verdifullt for dem, og hvor tilbyderne bygger prototyper, evaluerer og tester konsepter gjennom å bruke temafaktorer for å samskape nye eller forbedrede opplevelser, noe som skaper tematiseringsdimensjoner som rammer inn og støtter utviklingen av temafaktorer. Videre understøtter denne prosessen tilbyderens oppnåelse av tematiseringsformål, og helst bedre enn sine konkurrenter. Opplevelsesinnovasjon fokuserer mer på omgivelser enn produkter og tjenester som kan fungere mer som rekvisitter i iscenesettelsen av en opplevelse. I stedet for en leverandørkjedesentrert stage-gate-prosess hvor firmaer skaper verdi gjennom å tilby ulike produkter og tjenester, så vektlegger opplevelsesinnovasjon verdi som er interaktivt samskapt i stadig mer oppslukende, ofte teknologisk forbedrede omgivelser. Dermed fokuserer denne avhandlingen på verdien i å skape ny og dypere kunnskap om tematisering i innovasjonsprosesser/design som fører til opplevelsesinnovasjon. I et utvidet perspektiv handler opplevelsesinnovasjon om å holde seg relevant og overleve i fremtiden.Abstract: In tourism and hospitality, products and services have been the traditional foci and bases of value. However, in line with the experiential turn in tourism, numerous tourism businesses have changed focus toward providing consumers with distinctive experiences to avoid commoditization. In turn, this means businesses often employ theming as a method and practice to create experiencescapes for and together with their visitors. Although much research has been conducted regarding themed tourism spaces, less attention has been given to the phenomenon of theming. How knowledge about theming can be understood as kind of experience innovation is also less understood. The overall aim of this thesis is to deepen knowledge of theming in experience-based tourism, and how knowledge about theming from both a visitor and provider perspective can facilitate experience innovation. More specifically, this thesis intends to explore what themes and theming are, what factors drive theming, the dimensions of theming, and the purposes of theming. These aims are explored in the context of experience-based tourism, a labor-intensive industry that seeks to provide symbolic and hedonic benefits and evokes more robust emotional and experiential responses from visitors. This dissertation includes three separate papers that investigate and discuss three research topics: (i) how the theme factors that drive experience based tourism can be better understood, (ii) identifying the dimensions of theming in experience-based tourism, and (iii) why theming is used in experience-based tourism. The fourth research topic (iv), how knowledge about theming from both a visitor and provider perspective may facilitate experience innovation is developed during the abductive process with the dissertation and is answered in the synopsis. Using quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches, theming in experience-based tourism is explored from both a visitor and a provider perspective. The first appended paper’s empirical analysis uses survey data. The second and third appended papers use semi-structured interviews. The contributions of this thesis to the fields of experience-based tourism, marketing, and management literature are fourfold. The first contribution of this thesis relates to theme factors. The theme factors name, employee interaction, and lighting are the most central direct drivers of the tourist customer experience, while others (design and music) contribute to the perceived themed environment differently, depending on usage and context. The fact theme factors in particular, name, contribute to an environment’s theme perception is a novel find. The second contribution of this thesis relates to theming dimensions. The 10 dimensions of theming, authenticity, chronotope, cohesion, digital technology, immersion, interaction/co-creation, multisensory, novelty, relatability, and storytelling/narrative are crucial to and significant for theming in a tourism context. The dimension interaction/co-creation parallels dimensions from experience innovation research. The third contribution of this thesis relates to the purposes of theming in tourism: ensure differentiation; increase sales of a brand or a product; create bonds between the guests and a theme, brand, or product; attract, stop, and make visitors stay; or influence and modify their behavior and enhance the end-to-end experience. These purposes are revealed to be essential interrelated business objectives for managers in tourism. This thesis discusses the more profound meaning and the interplay of the theme factors, theming dimensions, and purposes of theming from both visitor and provider perspectives. The fourth and final contribution in this thesis is the implications of the empirical findings from the three papers for experience innovation. The thesis’ overall contribution is a comprehensive examination of theme factors, theming dimensions, theming purposes, and how they can facilitate experience innovation, which provides a broad understanding based on new and available knowledge on each aspect of the studied phenomena and deliberates their significance for theming innovation. This thesis argues for providers’ importance in carefully orchestrating theme factors and theming dimensions to fulfill the purposes of theming in experience-based tourism. Designing an experience often requires providers to critically use themes and theming to create innovative, high-quality, profitable, and memorable environments for visitors. Previous research has focused solely on providers staging themed products and services in an environment. However, staging the environment is not sufficient for providers of themed environments. Instead, the experience environment necessitates those providers facilitating themed environments that accommodate interaction with visitors to co-create value in their individual experiences—leading toward experience innovation. Furthermore, managers are urged to enhance their themed environments to ensure differentiation and increased sales. Staff should receive ongoing training and managerial direction to act and speak often around the chosen theme, and staff interaction with visitors should be encouraged. Also, managers should strive to improve cohesiveness, fit, and orderliness between all elements in the themed environment to convey a positive impression of harmony. The theming dimensions of novelty, storytelling, and digital technology should be assessed and used adequately by managers to improve uniqueness, a sense of connectedness, and a heightened sense of reality. The main contribution of this thesis is not towards traditional service innovation research. Instead, this thesis examines the role of theme factors and theming dimensions in tourists’ experiences and how organizations can use them for experience innovation. These results have implications for innovation in experience-based tourism: Thus, the focus of this thesis is on theming as a process that may lead to experience innovation. This kind of experience innovation can be called theming innovation, an interactive process in which visitors deliver providers with information about what is valuable to them, and providers prototype, evaluate, and test concepts with the use of theme factors to co-create new or improved experiences, creating theming dimensions that frame and support the theme factor development, in turn fulfilling the providers’ theming purposes, and does this better than their competitors. Experience innovation centers more on environments than products and services, which may act as props in staging an experience. Rather than a supply-chain-centric stage-gate process where firms create value through offering various products and services, experience innovation emphasizes value as interactively co-created in ever more immersive, often technologically enhanced environments. Thus, this thesis focuses on the value of creating new and more profound knowledge of theming in innovation processes/design, leading to experience innovation. By extension, experience innovation is about staying relevant and surviving in the futurepublishedVersio

Exploring theming dimensions in a tourism context

© 2018 Varna University of Management. All rights reserved. The European Journal of Tourism Research is an open access academic journal in the field of tourism, published by Varna University of Management, Bulgaria.Theming is used to differentiate places and how they are experienced and is thereby a growing phenomenon within tourism and society at large. Although there is an increasing body of research that examines themed environments, there is a lack of empirical studies that explore the concept of theming and its dimensions in a tourism context. This study aims to contribute to the exploration of the concept of theming and its dimensions. Based on this aim, a qualitative study was undertaken. Half-structured interviews with 10 strategically selected key informants in various theming related fields were conducted over the course of one year. The findings reveal 10 dimensions that were significant for theming: (i) authenticity, (ii) chronotope, (iii) cohesion, (iv) digital technology, (v) immersion, (vi) interaction/co-creation, (vii) multisensory, (viii) novelty, (ix) relatability, and (x) storytelling/narrative. The contributions of this study are both theoretical and practical for tourism.publishedVersio

Validity and reliability of the Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (OIDP) frequency scale: a cross-sectional study of adolescents in Uganda

Background: Assessing oral health related quality of life impact of mouth in adolescents is a relatively ignored area in dental research. This study aimed to examine reliability and validity of an abbreviated version of the oral impact of daily performance (OIDP) questionnaire and to analyse the interrelationship among OIDP scores, socio-demographic characteristics and oral health status in Uganda. Method: 1146 adolescents (mean age 15.8, response rate 87%) attending secondary schools in Kampala (urban) and Lira (rural) completed a survey instrument designed to measure subjective oral health indicators including the eight-item OIDP frequency scores. A clinical examination was conducted among 372 students (mean age 16.3, response rate 72%) and caries was assessed following the World Health Organisation criteria (1997). Results: 62% of the students experienced at least one oral impact during the 6 months preceding the survey. Cronbach's alpha for the OIDP frequency items was 0.91 and the corrected item-total correlation ranged from 0.62 to 0.75. Discriminant and construct validity were demonstrated in that the OIDP scores varied systematically in the expected direction with missing teeth and self-report indicators of oral health status, respectively. Socio-demographics and dental attendance did not predict OIDP through interaction with clinical indicators but varied systematically and independently with OIDP frequency scores in the multivariate analysis. Conclusion: the OIDP frequency score have acceptable psychometric properties in the context of an oral health survey among Ugandan adolescents. Some evidence of the importance of social and personal characteristics in shaping adolescents' responses to oral disorders was provided.publishedVersio

Prevalence of malocclusion and its associated factors among pre-schoolchildren in Kinondoni and Temeke Districts, Tanzania

Background: Malocclusion is any deviation in the arrangement of teeth exceeding the standards of normal occlusion characterized by anomalies within the dental arches. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of malocclusion and its associated factors among pre-school children in Kinondoni and Temeke Districts in Tanzania.Methods: This cross sectional survey of children aged 3-5 years was conducted in Kinondoni and Temeke Districts in Tanzania. T Parents of pre-schoolchildren were interviewed regarding their socio-demographic details and their child’s sucking habits. Clinical examination was performed to each child to assess malocclusions.Results: The overall prevalence of malocclusion was 32.5%. In bivariate analysis, sucking habit was the significant factor associated with malocclusions. After controlling for socio-demographic variables, current sucking habits and sex remained significant determinants for having an open bite with odds ratios of 13.5 and 2.2, respectively.Conclusion: The study showed that more than one third of pre-schoolchildren in the two districts had one or more forms of malocclusions. Open bite was the most common vertical malocclusion trait which was significantly related to sucking habits and child’s sex. Thus, 3-5 year-olds can benefit from preventive and interceptive oral health measures which may either totally prevent or lessen the development of severe forms of malocclusions later in their lives

Influences of behaviour and attitude on education related inequality in tooth loss: findings from Norway and Sweden over 5 years of follow-up

Objectives Following community dwelling cohorts in Norway and Sweden from 65 to 70 years, this study aimed to answer the following questions; Is there cross country variation in educational inequality in tooth loss between the Norwegian and Swedish cohorts? Does oral health behaviours and attitudinal beliefs play a role in explaining educational inequality in tooth loss across time and cohorts? Material and Methods In 2007 and 2012 Statistics Norway administered mailed questionnaires to all individuals born in 1942 in three counties. The response rate was 58% (n = 4211) in 2007 and 54.5% (n = 3733) in 2012. In Sweden the same questionnaires were sent to the 1942 cohort in two counties. The final response rate in 2007 and 2012 were respectively, 73.1% (n = 6078) and 72.2% (n = 5697). Results In Norway, tooth loss prevalence was 21.8% in 2007 and 23.2% in 2012. Corresponding figures in Sweden were 25.9% and 27.3%. The prevalence of tooth loss was higher among lower than higher educated participants and the gradient was significantly weaker in Sweden than in Norway. Multiple variable analyses adjusting for oral behavioural and attitudinal variables attenuated education related gradients in both cohorts. Conclusion Education related inequality in tooth loss was stronger in the Norwegian than in the Swedish cohort across the survey years. Oral behaviours and attitudinal beliefs played a role in explaining the gradients across time. This illustrates a necessity to promote oral health enhancing behaviours and attitudinal beliefs, particularly so in lower educational groups.publishedVersio

Oral health related quality of life and reasons for non-dental attendance among patients with substance use disorders in withdrawal rehabilitation

No study has assessed the socio-behavioral distribution of oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) among patients with substance use disorders receiving medically assisted rehabilitation therapy (MAR) in Norway. Objectives To examine the prevalence of oral impacts on daily performances (OIDP) and its distribution among MAR patients in western Norway. We also examined whether oral impacts discriminate with different reasons for non-dental attendance. Material and Methods A cross-sectional study focusing OHRQoL was nested to the INTRO-HCV study and implemented in six rehabilitation clinics for people with substance use disorders. A total of 167 MAR patients completed personal interviews and oral clinical examination upon entering the clinic for their MAR medication. Results The prevalence of oral impacts (OIDP > 0) was 61%. Logistic regression, adjusted for sex and age presented with odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) revealed that less than 20 remaining teeth (OR = 5.3 95% CI: 1.6–23.3) and dissatisfaction with dental care (OR = 5.1 95% CI: 1.3–19.0) increased the odds of having OIDP > 0. OIDP > 0 was also associated with insufficient dental follow-up due to dental anxiety and poor experiences with perceived attitudes of dental workers. Means OIDP among people with negative experiences with attitudes of dental care workers were 3.1 (SD 0.8) compared to 1.4 (SD 0.7) among those without negative experiences, and 2.8 (SD) for those with dental anxiety compared to 1.8 (SD) among those without. Conclusion OHRQoL among MAR patients was generally poor. To reach those with a need for dental care, modification of the existing rehabilitation approach toward closer collaboration between dental health care workers and others in contact with drug users might be necessary.publishedVersio

Comparative risk judgements for oral health hazards among Norwegian adults: a cross sectional study

BACKGROUND: This study identified optimistic biases in health and oral health hazards, and explored whether comparative risk judgements for oral health hazards vary systematically with socio-economic characteristics and self-reported risk experience. METHODS: A simple random sample of 1,190 residents born in 1972 was drawn from the population resident in three counties of Norway. A total of 735 adults (51% women) completed postal questionnaires at home. RESULTS: Mean ratings of comparative risk judgements differed significantly (p < 0.001) from the mid point of the scales. T-values ranged from -13.1 and -12.1 for the perceived risk of being divorced and loosing all teeth to -8.2 and -7.8 (p < 0.001) for having gum disease and toothdecay. Multivariate analyses using General Linear Models, GLM, revealed gender differences in comparative risk judgements for gum disease, whereas social position varied systematically with risk judgements for tooth decay, gum disease and air pollution. The odds ratios for being comparatively optimistic with respect to having gum disease were 2.9, 1.9, 1.8 and 1.5 if being satisfied with dentition, having a favourable view of health situation, and having high and low involvement with health enhancing and health detrimental behaviour, respectively. CONCLUSION: Optimism in comparative judgements for health and oral health hazards was evident in young Norwegian adults. When judging their comparative susceptibility for oral health hazards, they consider personal health situation and risk behaviour experience

Dental health personnel’s experience with receiving inquiries from child welfare services: a national cross-sectional study

Objectives To assess if and to what extent public dental health personnel (PDHP) receive inquiries from child welfare services (CWS), and to assess whether PDHP’s experience of receiving inquiries is associated with PDHP’s characteristics and whether the associations are influenced by PDHP’s experience of reporting to CWS. Material and methods Questionnaires were distributed to 1542 PDHP in Norway. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis. Negative-binominal-regression analyses with incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and confidence intervals (CIs) were used to estimate the association between received inquiries from CWS and PDHP characteristics. Results From a total of 1074 respondents, 52.4% had received inquiries from CWS (2012–2014) with a mean number of 3.9 (SD = 4.5). PDHP’s likelihood of receiving inquiries was significantly associated with having many patients, working in small municipalities, working in eastern Norway, having good knowledge of the Health Personnel Act, and having experience reporting to CWS. Regional differences were the only association that varied according to PDHP reporting activity. Conclusions PDHP receive inquiries from the CWS. The likelihood of receiving inquiries is associated with several characteristics of PDHP. To increase PDHP’s likelihood of receiving inquiries, it is important to establish contact between the CWS and PDHS and ensure that the PDHP has good knowledge of the Health Personnel Act.publishedVersio

HIV and AIDS related knowledge, source of information, and reported need for further education among dental students in Sudan- a cross sectional study

Background: Information on the HIV and AIDS-related knowledge among dental students provides a crucial foundation for efforts aimed at developing an appropriate dental curriculum on HIV and AIDS, and for attracting the attention of dental school educators towards the subject. Purposes: Focusing on a census of dental students attending their 3rd, 4th and 5th study year at publicly – and privately funded dental faculties in Khartoum, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and socioeconomic correlates of dental students' knowledge, sources of information and reported need for further education related to HIV and AIDS. Methods: At the time of the survey (March–May 2007), the total number of dental students registered was 782 of which 642 (response rate 82%, mean age 21.7 year, 72% girls) completed anonymous selfadministered questionnaires in supervised class room settings. Results: A total of 49% and 86% had correct sum scores with respect to knowledge of transmission through contamination and through shaking hands and eating, respectively. About half the dental students recognized a need for further education across HIV related issues, varying from 75% (basic HIV/AIDS related issues) to 84% (patient management). Only 38% of the students had correct sum scores regarding various occupational groups at risk for contacting HIV and AIDS. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that compared to privately funded dental school students, publicly funded dental school students were less likely to have correct knowledge about modes of HIV transmission (OR = 0.6) and occupational risk groups (OR = 0.6) and to have received information from lectures/health care workers (OR = 0.5). Conclusion: Students attending privately funded schools were more knowledgeable about various HIV related issues than students from publicly funded schools. About half of the students investigated had received HIV/AIDS information from various sources and reported need for further education. This suggests that students are not adequately prepared for treating patients with HIV infection and AIDS and that the dental school curriculum needs improvements. Differences between public and private dental schools should be considered when planning such improvements

Døgnåpne barnehager : har vi behov for dem i Rana

Studentarbeid i økonomi og ledelse (bachelorgrad) - Høgskolen i Bodø, 2008Dagens samfunn har gjennom de siste 30 årene endret seg betraktelig. Dette gjelder både innen arbeidslivet og innenfor barnehagesektoren. Det private forbruket har økt betraktelig, men man kan ikke si om det kommer av økt inntekt eller om det kom før, slik at man måtte jobbe mer for å dekke opp forbruket. Arbeidstiden har for den private sektor endret seg betraktelig, i og med at vi har fått endrede åpningstider i butikker og bensinstasjoner. Barnehagens ideologiske grunnlegger Friedrich Fröbel(1782 – 1852) lanserte i Tyskland for nærmere 200 år siden, sin ide om en enhetsbarnehage. Fröbel så menneskelivet som et hele, og småbarnsalderen som særlig viktig. Han fremmet ideen om barnehagen som et ledd i folkeoppdragelsen i nært samarbeid med familien. Gjennom barneomsorg ville man oppnå en forbedring av det framtidige samfunn og det framtidige mennesket. Barnehager skulle tjene samfunnet. De første Norske barnehagene så dagens lys i form av barneasyler i 1837, i Trondheim. For de minste barna kom det også et tilbud fra 1883, da åpnet den første norske barnekrybben. De supplerte asylene på den måten at de ga et omsorgstilbud for barn mellom spedbarns- alderen og opp til tre år. På slutten av 1800-tallet dukket barneparker også opp, disse fikk tildelte plasser i byparkene, hvor man kunne oppholde seg. I 1918 framsatte Augusta Stange forslag om kommunale barnehager, dette ble en realitet etter to år. De kommunale barnehagene var ment som et tilbud til alle samfunnslag, og var forbeholdt barn i det siste året før ordinær skolegang tok til. Men det skulle enda gå mange år før det ble noen dekningsgrad å snakke om. I dag er vi blitt mer og mer avhengig av å ha et barnehagetilbud, og vi ser at åpningstidene har endret seg betraktelig, dette for å følge med i utviklingen i samfunnet. Vi har flere kveldsåpne barnehager i Norge i dag og det har vært gjort forsøk med døgnåpent tilbud. Vi ønsket her å kartlegge interessen for en døgnåpen barnehage i Rana, se på organisering av en døgnåpen barnehage og hvilke etiske problemstillinger vi ville stå ovenfor. For å få en viss bredde i våre statistiske tall har vi valgt å se på 1975, 1985, 1995 og 2005. Dette fordi det fra vår egen barndom på 70 tallet, ikke var vanlig med barnehage og mødrene som oftest var hjemme. Med en økning i antall barnehager i Rana på 600 % fra 1975 til 2005, og en nedgang i fødselstallene på 32 % fra 1975 til 2005, viser dette at noe har endret seg kraftig. Dette være seg økning i antall yrkesaktive kvinner, økning i velferdsstandard, endrede arbeidstider m.m. Vi gjennomførte en spørreundersøkelse for å se om det er et behov i Rana for et døgnåpent barnehagetilbud. Det var 100 respondenter og respondentene var familier med barn mellom 0 og 10 år. Det var 187 barn med i undersøkelsen. Vi fikk overraskende god respons på spørsmålet om respondentene kunne tenke seg å benytte et døgnåpent barnehagetilbud