Touch Movements

Touch Folio 002 - second edition is a new series of EarBooks, 80 page linen-bound book of photographs and specially commissioned CD. The work is intended to be viewed and listened to in parallel. Edition of 700. Photography, design, editor, producer

Promoting Perceived Competence in Youth: Examining the Interaction Between Leaders\u27 Facilitation Style and Youths\u27 Autonomy Orientation

In high ropes courses, there are many different types of facilitation styles that are effective. It is unclear how the environment that is created through particular facilitation styles impacts the outcomes participants experience. The tenets of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) provide useful direction in understanding how two styles of facilitation interact with clients\u27 personality in promoting positive outcomes such as perceived competence. The purpose of this study was to examine how the learning environment created through either an autonomy supportive or controlling facilitation style affects the perceived competence of at-risk youth participants in relation to their level of autonomy. Eighty-eight economically disadvantaged youth between the ages of 8 and 13 were evaluated using a pre- and post-test quasi-experimental design with random assignment. Analysis of covariance and multiple linear regression was used to test the effects of the two facilitation styles. The findings reveal that depending on level of autonomy there is a significant influence of facilitation style on youths\u27 perceived competence

Alumni Perceptions: A Review Of The Curriculum Within The Recreation Program At The University Of Tennessee, Knoxville

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of alumni who had graduated from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s (UTK) recreation program. The data collection tool used in this study was a questionnaire developed by the researcher. The questionnaire gathered information from the alumni on the following research questions: 1. How many graduates were employed in the field of recreation upon graduation and what were some of the reasons for one not being employed in the field? 2. What were the alumni’s perceptions of the quality of their education, from the recreation program, in relation to their demands of their current job? 3. What was the feedback that the alumni had on their fieldwork agencies? 4. What were the perceptions of the alumni pertaining to specific course work electives and requisites in the recreation program? 5. What were the additional feedback and suggestions on how to improve the recreation program? The subjects studied were graduates between the years of 1993 and 2003 from the recreation program. The goal of the present study was to examine the perceptions of alumni on the effectiveness of the Recreation and Leisure Studies curriculum. With a response rate of 56.8 percent, the study rendered a description of the demographics of the alumni within the designated years as well as their perceptions on the program and curriculum of the recreation program. The summary of the results indicated that graduates were prepared and equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to be competent and competitive in the field

EFORMING THE ELECTORATE: PATTERNS OF TECHNOLOGY USE

This paper discusses research-in-progress on a longitudinal study of technology usage by incumbent members of the U.S. Congress on their official Congressional homepages to “routinely” communicate with the public and with their constituencies as well as technology usage on campaign homepages for the purpose of political campaigning. By examining the types of information technologies embedded on and linked to from both types of homepages, we propose to track technology usage over time in order to study the diffusion and adoption of information technologies within the political arena. Drawing on diffusion of innovation and institutional isomorphism as our theoretical framework, we propose that examining patterns of diffusion of three categories of information technology – Web 1.0, Web 2.0, and Social Networking technologies – will provide us with insights into the changing nature of political communication strategies enabled by information technology, as well as insights into factors underlying institutional technology diffusion

Joséphine Michel/Mika Vainio: Halfway to White

Touch Folio 001 - first edition is a new series of EarBooks, 60 page linen-bound book of photographs by Joséphine Michel and specially commissioned CD of new music by Mika Vainio. The work is intended to be viewed and listened to in parallel. Edition of 500. Designer, editor, producer

ABSTRACT Anticipating Success within Mental Health Training

The Anticipating Success within Mental Health Training (ASWMHT) provides a 2-day training that consumes two hours a day for a total of two days. This training provides emotion dysregulation techniques that can be done within 2-5 minutes of a patient and provider interaction. The skills promoted throughout this training will be Dialectical Behavioral Therapy informed, which is an evidence-based therapy that has been used in multiple health care facilities and targets severe depression, anxiety, substance abuse, suicidal, homicidal, and self-mutilation behaviors. The training focuses on equipping medical doctors who encounter the mental health population with the skills necessary to regulate the patients to a point that is necessary for assessments to be conducted. This program can provide a more efficient way of assisting the patient, lessen the vulnerability of misdiagnosing from erratic dysregulated behavior versus the true mental status of a patient, and elevate confidence levels for providers to perform the necessary service to the patient population. The idea is to provide a more immediate solution to integration of behavioral health care and primary care. Considering the high demand for mental health facilities and providers this a short-term approach to a problem that will require an expansion in facilities and providers. However, [sic] give important to equip doctors with skills that are instrumental in working with mental health population who contend with emotion-dysregulation. The primary goal for medical doctors attending Anticipating Success within Mental Health Training is for each participant to walk away feeling more confident and equipped in being able to facilitate practical implementable skills that will allow for an effective approach to service emotionally dysregulated mental health patients

Does Race Matter? Understanding the role of social connectedness in student retention in hospitality programs

The recruitment and retention of ethnic minority students lies at the core of diversity efforts instituted by colleges and universities across the U.S. Withstanding the changing racial demographics in the U.S. and the need to have qualified ethnic minority professionals serving diverse communities, retention and matriculation heighten in importance. With the recruitment and retention challenge that many predominately White institutions (PWI’s) face in mind, this study aimed to understand how “social connectedness” related to retaining African-American students in a hospitality management program. Focus groups were utilized to chronicle the lived experience of African-American students. The findings suggest that the following factors play an important role in the retention of African American students: (1) being connected to the program, university community, and other ethnic minority students; (2) the depth and quality of relationships with faculty

Spirituality and the Therapeutic Recreation Practitioner: Exploring the Implications for Practice and Research

There is a growing body of literature that relates to spirituality and leisure. Within this corpus, several scholars continue to address the relationship between spirituality and therapeutic recreation. Much of the available literature chronicles the health and wellness benefits that accrue to the client/participant but little attention has been devoted to understanding the relationship between the personal spirituality of the therapeutic recreation (TR) professional and its influence on service delivery. The purpose of this essay was three-fold: (1) to examine the influence of spirituality in the work lives of TR practitioners; and (2) to chronicle existing literature that relates to spirituality and TR practitioners; and (3) to provide a discussion on the need for additional research to better understand the relationship between spirituality and the manner in which therapeutic recreation services are provided. We concluded that further exploring the relationship between the spirituality of TR professionals and its impact on practice is a viable line of scholarship that should be pursued vigorously

Aquatic Therapy Interventions and Disability: A Recreational Therapy Perspective

Aquatic therapy interventions are critical for individuals with disabilities and the role of the therapist is just as critical for successful and effective interventions. The field of therapeutic recreation trains students to develop and implement evidence-based facilitation techniques including the use of aquatic therapy to assist in helping clients achieve a change in functional status. This review of the literature examined the impact of aquatic therapy interventions on a variety of disabilities including osteoarthritis, multiple sclerosis, Cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, and mental health from a recreational therapy (RT) perspective. This review provides a variety of information on the positive benefits that may occur using aquatic therapy for diverse conditions. Examples include relaxation, stretching, and aerobic exercise and each has the ability to improve strength. It does appear that aquatic therapy interventions can provide a wide array of benefits that may reduce the burden associated with a variety of disabilities. These benefits may be useful in increasing the overall quality of life of a diverse group of disabilities. Likewise, due to the nature of RT, recreational therapists are in a unique position to provide plan and develop aquatic therapy interventions. However, it is the authors’ suggestion that those providing this service attend intensive training in order to provide aquatic therapy effectively. Additional research may be necessary to provide a more cohesive understanding of the impact of aquatic therapy on a variety of populations. Nonetheless, the information gleamed from this review, justify that aquatic therapy has benefits for a diverse clientele and thus may be useful in the implementation of RT programs

Citizen Engagement in Aquatics Equity: The Case of Winston Waterworks

Historically, swimming pools have been a source of inequity when it comes to the distribution of recreation services in the United States. Many of the problems that correlate with the inequitable allocation of recreation resources including public swimming pools began with ideas about race, geography, poor planning practices and faulty policymaking (Rothstein, 2017). Moreover, one of the primary outcomes of engaged, inclusive planning is equity in the provision of recreation programs and facilities. In this essay, we offer a summary of key legal cases that help address questions related resource allocation related to public swimming pools. Finally, we present a short case study on the Winston Water Works Project in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This case illustrates the power of grassroots level advocacy, engaged community planning, and policymaking that protects the recreation infrastructure in a community and moves the needle of social justice toward equity. Our principle interest in this paper is in the equitable provision and distribution of aquatics programming and facilities