Physical Activity and Psychological Well-Being: Testing Alternative Sociological Interpretations

This study examines the relationship between physical activity in sport and feelings of well-being, testing alternative interpretations of the relationship between these two variables. It was expected that there would be positive relationships between physical activity on the one hand and physical fitness, feelings of well-being, social interaction in the sport and exercise environment, and socioeconomic status on the other hand. It was also expected that physical fitness, social interaction, and socioeconomic status would be positively related to psychological well-being. Further, it was expected that any positive zero-order relationship of physical activity and well-being would be at least in part a result of the conjoint effects of the other variables. The analyses were conducted separately for the male and female subsamples of a large survey study of Canadian adults. The results, after controls, show a modest positive relationship of physical activity and well-being for males but no such relationship for females. The predicted independent effects of the control factors obtained for both males and females. Interpretations of the results are discussed

Children’s Sport Participation in Canada: Is it a Level Playing Field?

In this article a study of children’s sport participation in Canada is presented, examining both children’s participation in organized sport (with a coach or instructor) and informal sport (without a coach or instructor). This was done using a national sample survey. The results indicate that, for participation in organized sport, household income was the strongest predictor variable, followed by parent’s education, gender, regional differences, and age of the child. In informal sport, gender was the strongest predictor variable, followed by regional differences, household income, age of the child, and parent’s education. The findings are discussed in terms of the implications these factors may have on the development and reproduction of social division between children who are able to access sporting activities and those who cannot

Exploring Effects of School Sport Experiences on Sport Participation in Later Life

This paper presents findings on the relationship between high school sport participation and involvement in sport as adults. The data are provided by a survey of a large representative national sample of adult Canadians. For different age subgroups among women and men, we tested the school sport experiences hypothesis that sport involvement during the high school years contributes to later adult involvement in sport. The measurement of sport involvement in the high school years is concerned with intramural and inter-school activities. Adult sport activity has three measures: sport involvement per se, involvement in an organized setting, and competitive involvement. The results are consistent with the school experiences hypothesis. High school sport involvement, for inter-school sport activities, is a comparatively strong predictor of adult sport involvement. The effects of high school involvement persist after controlling for correlated social background factors. Moreover, the effects of school sport experiences hold across age and gender subgroups. Although diminished with temporal distance from the high school years, the effects of high school involvement nonetheless extend even to respondents aged 40–59 (i.e., those approximately 22 to 42 years beyond their school years) among both genders. Interpretations of the results are discussed

Candace, Ryan and free trade

North American Free Trade Agreement

Event knowledge and the subjective temporal distance of past events

Three studies investigated a proposed relation between memory quality for past events and the subjective temporal distance of those events. The findings support the hypothesis that those events that are remembered more vividly and in greater detail tend to feel closer than more poorly remembered events. Studies 1 and 2 establish a correlational link between memory quality and subjective distance. Study 3 uses an experimental design to demonstrate that an individual\u27s memory quality for a past event can affect his/her rating of the subjective distance of that event. The results are discussed in terms of the associations between feelings of subjective distance and self-esteem maintenance, and between subjective distance and systematic error in objective date estimates for past events

Body Talk: Male Athletes Reflect on Sport, Injury, and Pain

This paper examines how participation in physically demanding sport, with its potential and actual injurious outcomes, both challenges and reinforces dominant notions of masculinity. Data from 16 in-depth interviews with former and current Canadian adult male athletes indicate that sport practices privileging forceful notions of masculinity are highly valued, and that serious injury is framed as a masculinizing experience. It is argued that a generally unreflexive approach to past disablement is an extraordinary domain feature of contemporary sport. The risks associated with violent sport appear to go relatively unquestioned by men who have suffered debilitating injury and whose daily lives are marked by physical constraints and pain

Children's Sport Participation in Canada: Is it a Level Playing Field?

In this article a study of children's sport participation in Canada is presented, examining both children's participation in organized sport (with a coach or instructor) and informal sport (without a coach or instructor). This was done using a national sample survey. The results indicate that, for participation in organized sport, household income was the strongest predictor variable, followed by parent's education, gender, regional differences, and age of the child. In informal sport, gender was the strongest predictor variable, followed by regional differences, household income, age of the child, and parent's education. The findings are discussed in terms of the implications these factors may have on the development and reproduction of social division between children who are able to access sporting activities and those who cannot.Cet article, qui porte sur une étude de la pratique des sports par les enfants au Canada, examine la participation des enfants à un sport organisé (avec un entraîneur ou un instructeur) ou à un sport non structuré (sans entraîneur ou instructeur). À cette fin, on a eu recours à une enquête par sondage nationale. Selon les résultats obtenus, dans le cas de la pratique des sports organisés, le revenu du ménage était la principale variable explicative, suivie de l’instruction des parents, du sexe, des différences régionales et de l’âge de l’enfant. Dans le cas des sports non structurés, le sexe était la principale variable explicative, suivie des différences régionales, du revenu du ménage, de l’âge de l’enfant et de l’instruction des parents. Les conclusions sont examinées en fonction des répercussions que ces facteurs peuvent avoir sur le développement et la reproduction du fossé social entre les enfants qui peuvent avoir accès aux activités sportives et ceux qui ne le peuvent pas