PARTICIPANTS' UNDERSTANDINGS OF ARTIFACTS IN A FIGURE SKATING CLUB A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Kinesiology and Health Studies University of Regina by Catherine Marie Mills Regina, Saskatchewan February 2010 Copyright2010: C.M.Mills Library and Archives BibliothSque et 1*1 Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'Sdition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Voire r6f6rence ISBN: 978-0-494-65730-0 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-65730-0 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, preter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des thises partout dans le loan, distribute and sell theses monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non- support microforme, papier, electronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. 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M Canada UNIVERSITY OF REGINA FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES AND RESEARCH SUPERVISORY AND EXAMINING COMMITTEE Catherine Marie Mills, candidate for the degree of Master of Science in Kinesiology and Health Studies, has presented a thesis titled, Participants' Understandings of Artifacts in a Figure Skating Club, in an oral examination held on January 12, 2010. The following committee members have found the thesis acceptable in form and content, and that the candidate demonstrated satisfactory knowledge of the subject material. External Examiner: Dr. Eric William Macintosh, University of Ottawa Supervisor: Dr. Larena Hoeber, Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies Committee Member: Dr. Kim Dorsch, Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies Committee Member: Dr. Harold Riemer, Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies Chair of Defense: Dr. Alison Hayford, Faculty of Fine Arts Artifacts of a Figure Skating Club ii Abstract Over half of Canadian children and youth are involved in organized sport on a regular basis (Clark, 2008), choosing from a number of institutionalized, adult-driven activities (Cahill & Pearl, 1993). In contrast to informal sports, organized sports for youth are usually formally designed and facilitated by adults (Coakley & Donnelly, 2004). Given the prominence of adult-organized sport for youth, it is important to understand what youth involved find meaningful, and more specifically how the physical environments they participate in affect their experiences. The physical spaces of sport clubs are made up of various physical artifacts, such as trophies, photographs, bulletin boards, and training equipment. Although artifacts are common in many organizations, the complexity and perceptions of them are often overlooked (Rafaeli & Pratt, 2006; Vilnai-Yavetz, & Rafaeli, 2006). Vilnai-Yavetz and Rafaeli (2004) present a framework for analyzing artifacts based on three perspectives: instrumentality, aesthetics, and symbolism. The purpose of this study was to examine how participants perceive artifacts in a figure skating club. The research project involved 8 figure skaters between 13 and 15 years of age. Data collection included researcher observations and photographs, and photo-elicited interviews (two per participant; Collier, 1957; Samuels, 2004). The first interview involved skaters identifying, photographing, and discussing artifacts in their training environment. For the second interview, participants shared their perceptions of artifacts they had photographed (i.e., the skaters' dressing room, and artifacts relating the coaches) and ones that were primarily photographed by the researcher (i.e., the plaques Artifacts of a Figure Skating Club iii and display cases). A semi-structured interview guide was used in the second interview to address the instrumentality, aesthetics, and symbolism of each artifact. Systematic data analysis was conducted using a priori coding with the assistance of Atlas.ti. A total of 91 artifacts were photographed, including skates, lockers, mirrors, jumping harnesses, etc. Results showed that participants saw artifacts instrumentally, aesthetic, and symbolically, with some artifacts eliciting more discussion than others. During the first interview, participants tended to focus on the instrumentality of artifacts, commenting on how artifacts helped them achieve goals of skill development and socialization. In the second interview, skaters commented on all three dimensions when asked specific questions about the artifacts. Research into artifacts from multiple perspectives may help managers better understand how to design training environments for youth (Rafaeli & Vilnai-Yavetz, 2004a, 2004b). In the case of sport clubs, executive board members and coaches can make conscious decisions to develop, enhance, or remove artifacts, creating a training environment that matches the goals and intentions of both the club and participants. Artifacts of a Figure Skating Club iv Acknowledgements I would like to thank the figure skating club who participated in my study for their willingness to help, openness in sharing information, and interest in my project. I would especially like to thank the skaters for taking time out of their busy schedules to take photographs and participate in interviews with me. You trusted me with information, gave me insight into your experiences, and enriched my understanding. I wish to acknowledge the involvement of the members of my thesis committee, Dr. Kim Dorsch, Dr. Harold Reimer, and Dr. Larena Hoeber. A special thanks to my thesis supervisor Larena Hoeber, for her constant support, insight, patience, and inspiration throughout the project. Thank you for the many hours you devoted to reading drafts, providing feedback, and guiding me in my project, analysis, and writing. You have made the learning process very enjoyable. Thank you to Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and The Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research for helping to fund this project. Finally, I want to thank my family & friends for their support, encouragement, and feedback while writing this thesis. Artifacts of a Figure Skating Club v Table of Contents Abstract ii Acknowledgements iv Table of Contents v List of Tables viii List of Appendices ix Introduction 1 Literature Review 4 Artifacts 4 Studying Artifacts 6 Instrumentality 10 Aesthetics 11 Symbolism 11 Application of the Model 12 Methods 17 Researching Artifacts from a Qualitative Perspective 17 Research Design 18 Participants 19 Data Collection 22 Photo-elicited interviews 22 Observations 23 Field notes 25 Research Procedure 25 Artifacts of a Figure Skating Club vi Ethics 25 Procedure 26 Data Analysis 28 Coding artifacts 29 Coding interviews 30 Place of the Researcher 31 Trustworthiness 33 Credibility 33 Transferability 35 Dependability 35 Confirmability 36 Description of the Arena 37 Results 45 Comparison of Photographs 45 Interview One Findings 46 Instrumentality 47 Skill development 48 Socialization 51 Administration 51 Aesthetics 53 Symbolism 54 Selection of Artifacts for Interview Two 56 Interview Two Findings 58 Artifacts of a Figure Skating Club vii Artifacts relating to the coaches 58 Symbolism 58 Instrumentality 60 Aesthetics 61 Plaques and display cases 62 Symbolism 62 Instrumentality 64 Aesthetics 65 Discussion 66 Implications 70 Future Research 72 Limitations 75 Conclusion 76 References 77 Artifacts of a Figure Skating Club viii List of Tables Table 1: Participant information 22 Table 2: Researcher versus participant photographs 45 Table 3: Artifacts referred to in an instrumental way during interview one 48 Table 4: Artifacts referred to in an aesthetic way during interview one 53 Table 5: Interview two photograph selection 56 Artifacts of a Figure Skating Club ix List of Appendices Appendix A: Skating System 85 Appendix B: Artifacts 87 Appendix C: Ethics Approval 88 Appendix D: Club Invitation Letter 89 Appendix E: Participant Invitation Letter 90 Appendix F: Participant Consent Form 91 Appendix G: Information About the Project 92 Appendix H: Demographic Information Form 93 Appendix I: Interview Guide (1st Interview) 94 Appendix J: Photograph Sheets for Interview two 95 Appendix K: Interview Guide (2nd Interview) 96 Artifacts of a Figure Skating Club 1 1 Introduction