Showing papers in "Journal of Leisure Research in 2013"

An integrative review of women, gender, and leisure: increasing complexities.

Abstract: Research about women and leisure has grown consistently over the past 30 years. This paper extends four previous integrative reviews about research content regarding women's leisure. Resear...

Black/Female/Body Hypervisibility and Invisibility: A Black Feminist Augmentation of Feminist Leisure Research

Abstract: Through an interdisciplinary lens, this paper proposes two concepts for Black feminist analysis (visibility and hypervisibility) to augment feminist leisure scholarship. We examine questions of inv...

Beyond "because it's there": motivations for pursuing adventure recreational activities.

Abstract: Since 2009, participation rates for adventure pursuits such as kayaking and climbing have increased over 25% (Outdoor Industry Foundation, 2011). This study investigated the reported motivations fo...

Constraint Negotiation in Serious Leisure: A Study of Amateur Triathletes

Abstract: This paper explores strategies employed by amateur triathletes engaged in serious leisure to negotiate leisure constraints. In-depth interviews were conducted with 21 Australian triathletes, reveal...

Girlfriend getaways and Women's well-being

Abstract: This study explored girlfriend getaways (all-women leisure-based travel), focusing on the importance and meaning of such experiences and their potential contribution to women's overall well-being. ...

From "stroller-stalker" to "momancer": courting friends through a social networking site for mothers.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore the roles of an online social networking site (SNS) called Momstown.ca in the development of peer support Interviews with 22 members of Momstown.ca demonstr...

The Influence of Extraversion on Leisure Constraints Negotiation Process: A Case of Korean People with Disabilities

Abstract: The number of individuals with disabilities is continuously increasing as a result of longer life spans as well as improvements in medical technology (Yau, McKercher, & Packer, 2004). According to Burnett and Baker (2001), individuals with disabilities in the United States will double, reaching 100 million by 2030. This trend is similar in other countries including Korea. A recent census report indicated that the number of Koreans with disabilities would reach 2.2 million by 2009, comprising an estimated 4.6 % of the total population (Korea Employment Agency for the Disabled, 2010).With a rise in these numbers, there has been an increased research interest to assess leisure constraints people with disabilities commonly perceive (e.g., Burns & Graefe, 2007; Daniels, Rodgers, & Wiggins, 2005; McKercher, Packer, Yau, & Lam, 2003). Despite this plethora of the topic, leisure professionals have largely focused on identification of the constraints for those individuals with disabilities (Smith, 1987). Consequently, little attention has been paid to an understanding of their dynamic decision-making procedure for participation in preferred activities, which is known as the constraints negotiation process. In other words, there is limited information on how people with disabilities negotiate the impacts of constraints and how they ultimately determine participation in their desired activities.The goal of this study employing the population of individuals with physical disabilities is to examine how diverse elements of the leisure constraints negotiation mechanism (i.e., constraints, motivations, negotiation, and participation) are interconnected to each other. Unlike previous studies, we also intend to test how extraversion as a key sub-dimension of personality traits affects the constraints negotiation process. According to Hogan (1987), personality traits are known to be more stable over time and more influential on individuals' leisure behaviors than any other psychological factors. Among the five factors of personality traits (i.e., extraversion, neuroticism, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness), several studies (e.g., Barnett, 2006; Brandstatter, 1994; Diener, Larsen, & Emmons, 1984; Furnham & Heaven, 1999) that examined the relationships between those traits and leisure behavior suggested extraversion is more closely related to leisure participation than the other personality traits. While a positive relationship was reported between extraversion and leisure participation, nevertheless, it has not been fully addressed how this personality trait is interconnected with other explanatory elements in the constraints negotiation mechanism.To reach this goal, we employed the constraint-effects-mitigation model originally proposed by Hubbard and Mannell (2001) as a theoretical framework of the constraints negotiation process. According to this model, the operation of negotiation efforts, triggered by an increase in the levels of constraints and motivations, mitigates the negative relationship between constraints and participation but intensifies the positive association between motivations and participation. Through a comparison of four competing models (i.e., independence model, negotiation-buffer model, constraint-effects-mitigation model, and perceived-constraint-reduction model), they found that the constraint-effectsmitigation model is most appropriate to address individuals' leisure participation. Thus, we utilize this constraint-effects-mitigation model in this paper. Further, to investigate the effects of the extraversion trait on participation and negotiation efforts, we modify the model with the trait of personality using individuals with several types of physical disabilities as the study population.Literature ReviewLeisure ConstraintsLeisure constraints are typically referred to as "factors that are ... perceived or experienced by individuals to limit the formation of leisure preferences and to inhibit or prohibit participation and enjoyment in leisure" (Jackson, 1997, p. …

Validating, norming, and utility of a youth outcomes battery for recreation programs and camps.

Abstract: As the pressure for accountability and evidence-based practices grows, youth programs increasingly need to document outcome achievement, create logic models that imply causality, and demonstrate me...

Leisure and marital satisfaction in intercultural marriages.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of cultural backgrounds of spouses on leisure (couple and individual) and marital satisfaction among Korean-American and East European-America...

Feminist Leisure Research in the Contemporary Era: Introduction to the Special Issue

Abstract: Feminist research within leisure studies is at a critical juncture As the formative scholars of feminist leisure research retire, we recognize the need to reflect upon their significant conceptual and empirical contributions At the same time we look forward to celebrate the vast array of feminist leisure scholarship that continues to chart new directions in an ever-changing field The purpose of this special issue is to harness the energy of current feminist leisure research, highlighting its breadth, depth, and diversity Our aim is for this special issue to serve as a galvanizing force by drawing together new and established feminist leisure scholars to focus on key issues in the contemporary era In this sense, we also envisage a feminist community of scholars who can network, strategize, and take action together through both research synergies, and other more tangible ways (such as resurrecting the gender and leisure group in World Leisure) Connecting with contemporary feminist debates around third wave feminism, this special issue explores the intersections, transformations, and innovations in feminist ways of thinking and conducting research Moreover, through the special issue, we highlight and discuss the complexities and contradictions that exist within third wave feminisms We hope this special issue creates a space for reflection and reinvigoration of feminist debates and directions related to diverse methodologies, conceptual traditions, and ways of writing through gendered leisure We begin with the challenges we faced writing about the interconnections and influence of feminist research over timeLinear Waves or Interconnected Ripples? The Perspectives and Paradoxes of Feminist ResearchFeminism, regardless of its moment in time, is "fundamentally about transforming patriarchal culture and society" (Snyder-Hall, 2010, p 256) Such transformations are often summarized using a wave metaphor: first, second, and most recently, thirdThe first wave of feminism is "understood to encompass and be primarily defined by the suffragist movement, which culminated in the passage of suffrage in 1920" (Shugart, 2001, p 131) After this time, the feminist movement was largely dormant until the 1960s when feminists such as Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinern galvanized women around issues of abortion, sexuality, and equality (Shugart, 2001) Their actions generated a splash of social momentum for significant public visibility and recognition of a second 'wave' of feminist issues At this point, both the first and second wave were identified and labeledSecond wave feminism highlighted inequities around paid employment, unpaid household labor, childbearing and rearing, sexuality, and abortion, yet it was also perceived as mostly for White, middle class, heterosexual women Indeed, the second wave has been critiqued for excluding ethnic minority women, young women, women who do not identify as heterosexual, women of various socioeconomic brackets, and men (Dean, 2009) As a result, the second wave was perceived by some as ideologically rigid, judgmental, and divisive (Snyder, 2008; 2010; Braithwaite, 2002) It bears remembering, however, that second wave feminism represents "the era of feminism rooted in and shaped by the 1960-1980s political climate" (Kinser, 2004, p 131) Nonetheless, some feminists felt dissatisfied and wanted more from the social movement Kinser explained she found herself "looking for more: more sense, more liberation, more room to stretch what feminism means [She was] able to find some of that 'more' through third-wave feminist thinking and its emphasis on feminist evolution" (Kinser, 2004, p 124)While there is some debate as to who ushered in the third wave of feminism, many credit Rebecca Walker (1995) who declared in 1992, "I am the third wave" Building upon the principles of second wave feminism (Dean, 2009), the third wave is rooted in, and shaped by, the political climate of the mid 1980s onward (Kinser, 2004) …

The Multiphasic and Dynamic Nature of Flow in Adventure Experiences

Abstract: This study evaluated phases of adventure experiences by identifying flow and reversal theory states over a 3-day white-water river surfing course. Data were col­ lected with novice river surfers (n = S) via in-depth qualitative interviews using head-mounted video cameras. Findings suggested that "opposing" experiential phases (i.e., telic and paratelic) may be symbiotic in adventure experiences and may facilitate flow experiences. These results may account for the dynamic nature of enjoyment, flow, and motivational states within adventure experiences. Future research should seek to validate the phasic models presented herein and evaluate their potential applicability to other adventurous activities.

What people want from their leisure: the contributions of personality facets in differentially predicting desired leisure outcomes

Abstract: This study explored how personality predicts the types of experiences one wants to have during free time. The importance of six free time outcome factors was predicted from the facets of the Big Fi...

Writing resistance in roller derby: making the case for auto/ethnographic writing in feminist leisure research.

Abstract: IntroductionIn this article I bring writing, as method, to the fore of feminist leisure research. In doing so I examine the concept of resistance in the contemporary version of womens roller derby. I argue that this form of auto/ethnography can be taken up as a as a way of demonstrating "what the ideas of reading, writing, and text might contribute to social and cultural analysis" (Game, 1991, p. 3). Belonging and friendship are key themes in feminist leisure research (Gibson, Berdychevsky, & Bell, 2012; Glover & Parry, 2008), yet the experiences of the researcher and those who have "not belonged" have been marginal in these studies (for notable exceptions see Axelsen, 2009; Olive & Thorpe, 2011). And so my task has been to bring these experiences, and their related affects, into feminist leisure research as a way of revealing what is not often voiced in the field and as an example of writing women's bodies through relations of affect. This type of work is limited in the field of leisure studies broadly. Yet there are opportunities to question the relations of power that are so often taken for granted, both within the institutional setting of the university and within the leisure spaces occupied by women. Taking an auto/ethnographic approach to research makes explicit the multiplicities of identity that need to be negotiated in this marginal space. I am a researcher, a feminist, a participant. I am also a student and a writer. Through the use of personal narrative, my writing opposes singularity and the positivist assumption of a singular truth (Rinehart, 2005, p. 500) and in doing so moves away from debates about agency and structure to think differently about academic writing, resistance and empowerment in leisure research.To the question "What is auto/ethnography?" Ellis responds, "research, writing, story, and method that connect the autobiographical and personal to the cultural, social, and political" (2004, p. xix). Auto/ethnography and roller derby go well together. Both are risky, at times painful, at times immensely satisfying, and both allow the participant to know more about themselves, those around them, and the broader society they live in. Both roller derby and auto/ ethnography are "in progress." Roller derby is a "new," albeit revived version of an older sport, and there are several ways the sport is being played with different rules, governing bodies and philosophies. Auto/ethnography too can be understood and practiced in multiple ways. There is "no canned method" (Rinehart, 2005, p. 501) for writing auto/ethnographic research. This type of writing can be used as a mediation of affect to explore notions of "resistance" and "belonging" that are so often tied up with "alternative" sports and leisure practices (Rinehart & Sydnor, 2003). At the same time, I demonstrate the power relations at play for those of us, like myself, at the margins of academic research, and the potential of this marginal position to enable different and multiple notions of "researcher" and "feminist" identities. Masculine experiences (in leisure, the academy, and society more broadly) have been represented as the universal norm, marginalising women's experiences and identities (Irigaray, 1993, 2007). Scholars of feminist leisure studies have implicitly and explicitly sought to change this, bringing women's experiences to the fore and it is to these debates that I add my contribution.The use of auto/ethnography in leisure studies has been limited to a few key articles. In the UK journal Leisure Studies, I uncovered nine articles with "auto ethnography" listed as one of their key words. And in Henderson and Gibson's (2013) recent integrative review they found 9% of articles with a feminist leisure focus used auto/ethnography or ethnography. I do not aim to map out occurrences of the use of auto/ethnography in the wider literature (see Anderson & Austin, 2011 for an overview of auto-ethnography in leisure studies more broadly), but simply wish to point out the lack of research within the key leisure studies journals internationally. …

The George Butler lecture: social justice and leisure: the usefulness and uselessness of research.

Abstract: The topic of this Butler Lecture is how to translate research through advocacy to seek equal access to parks and recreation and better health for all. The challenge in Los Angeles is this: Children of color living in poverty with limited access to a car have the worst access to parks and physical activity, to schools with five acres or more of playing fields, and to physical education in public schools. These children suffer disproportionately from obesity and diabetes and are the most at risk for gangs, crime, drugs, and violence (Garcia & Strongin, 2011; Garcia & Fenwick, 2009). Research has documented similar patterns in other regions in the state and nation (Maroko, Maantay, Sohler, Grady, & Arno, 2009; Snyder & Sickmund, 2006; Alleyne & LaPoint, 2004).Six strategies are relevant to address this challenge:* First, good research. This is usually necessary, but seldom if ever sufficient, to achieve systemic change.* Second, coalition building and organizing based on diverse values.* Third, strategic media campaigns.* Fourth, policy and legal advocacy outside the courts.* Fifth, access to justice through the courts in the context of a broader campaign.* Sixth, moving beyond "flawless" research.The best practice examples below illustrate how The City Project, a nonprofit policy and legal advocacy team and its allies have relied on these strategies to seek equal access to parks, physical activity, and better health for all. For example, thenSecretary of Housing Andrew Cuomo withheld federal subsidies for a proposed warehouse project in the last, vast, 32-acre open space in downtown Los Angeles unless there was full environmental review that considered the park alternative and impacts on people of color. The site could have been warehouses. Instead, it's now a park. The Los Angeles Times Magazine called the community victory "a heroic monument" and a "symbol of hope" (Ricci, 2001). Advocates "organized a civil rights challenge that claimed the [warehouse] project was the result ofdiscriminatory land-use policies that had long deprived minority neighborhoods of parks" (Sanchez, 2001).Equal protection laws and principles that guarantee equal access to public resources and prohibit discrimination based on race, color, or national origin provide a framework for evaluating access to parks and physical activity. This framework can guide not only the research but the other strategies as well. The legal aspects of environmental justice are often not addressed in social science research on social justice and active living, but they should be.Good Research Is CentralFirst, a word on the politics of research and advocacy. The American Heritage Dictionary defines "research" as "1. Scholarly or scientific investigation or inquiry" and "2. Close, careful study." "Advocacy" is the "act of pleading or arguing in favor of something, such as a cause, idea, or policy; active support."Sometimes, there can be too great an emphasis on "disinterested, objective, academic" research, double-blind studies, P values, statistical significance, or the risks of generalizing. There may be a concern that advocacy "taints" research. Some academics quaintly refer to attorneys as "practitioners." The skepticism with which some academics view practitioners is matched only by the skepticism with which some practitioners view academics. Advocacy and both kinds of research are valuable and necessary and offer opportunities for successful collaboration.Researchers and advocates can make great partners. As Harold Goldstein (2009) has emphasized in translating healthy eating research into policy, "Not once in 5 years did a legislator ask for research to prove that banning soda and junk food sales on school campuses would reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity" (p. SI 7).The Legal Framework Can Guide ResearchBecause there are disparities in access to parks, physical activity, and health, equal protection laws and principles offer a legal, evidentiary, and strategic framework for the kinds of research that are necessary to improve access for all. …

Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America

Abstract: BOOK REVIEW Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America Jeff Wiltse The University of North Carolina Press, 2007In his book Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America, Jeff Wiltse surveys the history of an all-American pastime and the cultural and societal impacts that swimming pools have had on the United States. Wiltse, a history professor at the University of Montana, shows readers how the atmosphere of municipal swimming pools, from their inception, have reflected class divisions and heated racial tensions. Contested Waters takes readers through the complicated transformation of municipal pools from gender segregated public baths of the nineteenth century to the racially segregated and violent municipal pools of the 1950s, and finally ending with the current state of private and municipal pools. Wiltse effectively, and often captivatingly, informs readers of just how much social history is in our swimming pools.Wiltse begins with a detailed look at life before municipal pools and how city officials recognized the need for them. Working class men, boys, and "street urchins" of the northern U.S. swam naked in the natural waters available to them, joking, fighting, and frolicking. Anti-swimming laws and waterside police officers failed to control the ruckus. City officials sought to alleviate the problem by building municipal pools. Located in the slums, the pools provided residents a place to clean themselves, and instill some of the moral beliefs and values that were, according to the middle class, sorely needed. In 1884, Philadelphia opened one of the first municipal pools, but the strict rules enforced by the middle class did little to hinder the rambunctious culture of the working class. Wiltse showed that similar battles for respectability were fought in other American cities, including New York City, Milwaukee, and Boston.According to Wiltse, swimming pools in the late nineteenth century were divided along two lines. Middle-class America saw swimming with the urban poor working class distasteful. In any case, the disease-trodden slums in inner cities of the north kept interactions between the two classes at a minimum. River baths and pools were opened to help tackle the physical squalor of the urban poor. Wiltse observed that racial tensions were muted in comparison to the hostel class conflict that plagued pools in the 1900s. A second division pertained to gender. Even with the modest "bathing suits" covering most of a female's body, it was deemed inappropriate for males and females to swim together. Gender integration at public swimming pools would begin in 1913, with the opening of Fairgrounds Park Pool in St. Louis.Wiltse noted the social class divisions of the Progressive Era continued to heavily influence municipal pools. However, a major change occurred when swimming became socially acceptable to middle-class Americans. Physical exercise was recognized as a healthy pastime and with the opening of Douglas Park Pool and Gymnasium in Chicago in 1895, the first public swimming pools in America to be used for sport and recreation were built. Simultaneously, the era saw swimming becoming increasingly acceptable among women. They would frequent beach baths and beachside resorts that were popular among the upper middle class.With nearly two thousand municipal pools built between 1920 and 1940, the "Swimming Pool Age" hit America with force. Wiltse uses the Fairgrounds Park Pool in St. Louis to illustrate the growing popularity of municipal pools. Fairgrounds Park Pool was built in the style of beachside resorts, with room to lounge on sandy poolside beaches and enough swimming space for thousands at one time. Pools like this popped up across the United States. For the first time, males and females could swim together freely, and pools became a social center of leisure and play for youth as well as adults. Strict social class divisions began to ebb, and a sense of community was gained at the Fairground Park Pool. …

Sex as leisure in the shadow of depression.

Abstract: As a freely chosen activity intended to generate pleasure and enjoyment, sex is an important human experience associated with a sense of “normality” and well-being. However, depression and antidepressants are typically associated with decreased libido and diminished sexual functioning. Drawing upon netnography and constructivist grounded theory, this study explored how sex is perceived and experienced by people with depression who participate in on-line depression communities. Analysis identified five themes dealing with sex, antidepressants, relationships, loving oneself and others, and sex as a resource for coping. Demonstrating that sex loses its qualities as a leisure activity, the findings suggested a complex and multidimensional paradox of sex as leisure in coping with depression, which involves not only individuals with depression but also their significant others.

Is There A Favorable Cultural Profile For IFRS?: An Examination And Extension Of Gray's Accounting Value Hypotheses

Abstract: Gray (Gray, 1988) proposed a link between Geert Hofstede’s (Hofstede, 1980) popular national culture dimensions used in comparative management analysis and his own comparative concepts for accounting. In the past twenty-four years, Gray’s work has been cited by over 650 scholars. His article presented a hypothetical set of complex correspondences between Hofstede’s original four dimensions of Power-distance, Individualism, Masculinity, and Uncertainty Avoidance and Gray’s accounting values of Professionalism versus Statutory control, Uniformity versus Flexibility, Conservatism versus Optimism, and Secrecy versus Transparency. Gray’s accounting dimensions were intended to capture underlying cultural values that would tend, in the absence of external influences or other factors, to influence a culture toward the development of certain types of accounting systems. The purpose of this paper is to identify which Gray values and which corresponding Hofstede cultural dimensions would be most supportive of the establishment of accounting standards like the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), currently being adopted by nations throughout the world. A specific set or profile of Gray values most conducive to IFRS is identified and termed the IFRS-favorable profile. In arriving at this profile, the paper also addresses two newer Hofstede cultural dimensions, long-term orientation and Restraint versus Indulgence, and extends Gray’s model by proposing how these two new Hofstede dimensions correspond to Gray’s four accounting dimensions. The IFRS-favorable profile and the expansion of Gray’s link to Hofstede are discussed as practical applications to facilitate successful IFRS implementation in individual countries.

Two women, a bottle of wine, and the bachelor: duoethnography as a means to explore experiences of femininity in a leisure setting.

Abstract: Callie: Isn't the purpose of an abstract similar to that of the The Bachelor show intro…to sucker you into reading the rest of the paper?Karen: Yep, and I am not quite sure how to sell something li...

We Are All Royalty: Narrative Comparison of a Drag Queen and King

Abstract: Drag performances have been studied time and time again as important visible leisure spaces of gender transgression. Few studies, however, have sought to understand the ways in which drag performer...

Attracting Hispanics to an African American Recreation Center: Examining Attitudes and Historical Factors

Abstract: The majority of the existing research on leisure among racial and ethnic minorities has examined the leisure constraints of people of color, predominantly addressing why racially marginalized groups display divergent leisure patterns from their White counterparts. The past four decades of research demonstrate that people of color are inhibited in their leisure participation by factors such as socioeconomics (Dunn, Kasul, & Brown, 2002; Washburne, 1978), subcultural differences (Edwards, 1981; Shinew, Floyd, & Parry, 2004; Washburne, 1978), and discrimination (Blahna & Black, 1993; Sharaievska, Stodolska, Shinew, & Kim, 2010; West, 1989). Although this literature is extensive, Shinew et al. (2006) asserted that the field has yet to explore the changes in racial stratification occurring due to "massive migration and mobility of groups" (p. 403). For example, current national demographic trends suggest that the non-Hispanic White population will only compose approximately 53% of the population by year 2050 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010a). Since 2010, racial and ethnic minorities have already exceeded the White population in several areas of the United States (Texas, California, Hawaii, New Mexico, and the District of Columbia), with Hispanics driving the majority of the growth (U.S. Census Bureau).Dramatic increases in the population of racial minorities have led scholars to foresee a new racial structure to replace the traditional black-white color line. For example, Bonilla-Silva (2010) has predicted the emergence of a three-tiered structure where Whites would occupy the first tier along with "assimilated White Latinos and Native Americans, some multiracials, and a few select Asian-origin members" (p. 180). The second tier would consist of "light skinned Latinos, Asian Americans, Middle Easterner Americans, and most multiracials," followed by a bottom tier composed of the "collective blacks" (i.e., dark skinned Latinos, blacks from all sources, etc.) (p. 180).While contemporary leisure research has addressed the interracial conflict occurring between African Americans and non-Hispanic Whites, less emphasis has been placed on the interactions between the different people of color (e.g., African Americans and Hispanics). Scholars in various fields have documented the conflicts related to competition over scarce resources as well as the social distance maintained between African Americans and Hispanics (Hernandez, 2007; Mindiola, Niemann, & Rodriguez, 2002; Straus, 2009). In the field of leisure, the intergroup conflict between Hispanics and African Americans has received less attention (e.g., Sharaievska et al; Stodolska & Shinew, 2010). In lieu of the demographic shifts occurring in the U.S., it appears that the ethnicity, marginality, and discrimination frameworks have been beneficial to understanding the leisure constraints of minorities but are overdue to include instances of horizontal discrimination, which occurs between racial and ethnic minorities.In addition to horizontal discrimination, historical factors have often been overlooked as an explanation of contemporary minority leisure patterns and behaviors. For example, Floyd ( 1998) noted the role of poverty and historical discrimination implied in frameworks such as the marginality theory. Other investigators have focused on variables such as income or availability of resources with little focus on how these factors developed (Erickson, Johnson, & Kivel, 2009; Floyd). Historical factors may help explain current leisure behaviors and preferences among minority group members (Nadel, 1951; Woodard, 1988), including why some places have become racialized (Bobo, 1987; Schuman, Steeh, & Bobo, 1985).An opportunity to further explore issues related to horizontal discrimination and historical factors presented itself when the Milton Recreation Center (MRC) Director asked for assistance in recruiting Hispanic children to the facility which had historically primarily served African Americans. …

Interracial contact experience during recreational basketball and soccer: Korean American males' perspectives.

Abstract: This study employed intergroup contact hypothesis to investigate Korean Americans' interracial contact experiences within the context of recreational sports. Interviews with 15 Korean American male...

The enabling potential of constraints.

Abstract: The pure form of leisure is described as a freely chosen behavior accompanied by a sense of enjoyment and intrinsic motivation (Kleiber, 1999). This notion implies that constrained behavior is inhibited and thus in need of negotiation before meaningful and free involvement is possible. Conceptual factors based on early typologies shaped by researchers' beliefs about reality have given constraints research a direction. The blueprint for constraints research appears to be designed with the notions that constraints are inevitably negative, that barriers are blockages to engagement, and that fewer constraints translate into more leisure. As Jackson (2000) explains, earlier research investigated "factors that are assumed by researchers and/or perceived or experienced by individuals to limit the formation of leisure preferences and/or to inhibit or prohibit participation and enjoyment in leisure" (Jackson, 2000, p. 62).Although the term constraint is a recognized term in the leisure studies field, there have been inquiries regarding the meaning of the terminology and constraint's other possible relations to behavior or experience. For example, Shogan's (2002) conceptual work discussed possible effects of constraints. Shogan (2002) described constraints as factors that "...make possible activities and the experiences within them, ...enable skill acquisition and ...produce bodily comportment and expectations that may enable or restrict experiences of leisure" (p. 36). Elster (2000) indicated that in most cases, in the "standard case," more is better whether this refers to money, time, or leisure options; there are also "nonstandard cases" in which less is more. Katz (2000) echoed the same statement, and research in psychology and economics discussed how complex a relationship could be between availability of choice and agents' performance (see Markus & Schwartz, 2010; Schwartz, 2004). Markus and Schwartz (2010) proposed that the meaning of the concepts of intrinsic motivation and choice is contextual and shaped by customs. One inquiry based on this proposition is that although preferences are sometimes accompanied with sense of regret, leaving things undecided or having one's choice made by others can be preferred over making choices. In other words, having many options to choose from is related to the sense of freedom and wellbeing; it is anticipated that agents will benefit from being provided strictly limited choice sets in some situations-what might then be called "nonstandard cases" (Elster, 2000). Whenever choice may be about tangible or intangible gains (Gottlieb, 2011; Wallace, 2010) such as career paths, romantic relationships, or parenting, constraints can be viewed as "enabling" (Shogan, 2002) in those situations.The relationship of constraints to leisure behavior and experience in general is far more complex than researchers have typically believed (for discussion see Kleiber, McGuire, Aybar-Damali, & Norman, 2008; Kleiber, Wade, & LoucksAtkinson, 2005; McGuire & Norman, 2005). One of the most recent examples of those conceptual works was by Kleiber, McGuire, Aybar-Damali, and Norman. Considering examples from research and the general popular literature, Kleiber et al. (2004, 2008) proposed the existence of at least five mechanisms through which constraints are beneficial to people. These categories are (I) resilience and deepened commitment, (II) attention to other goals, (III) discovery of previously unattended capacities, (IV) changes in attitude toward life and leisure, and (V) goal achievement and well-being. Categories I and V are based on a different view of constraints than the other three categories (II, III, and IV) in that the goals constrained are maintained. Category I refers to a constraint negotiation process resulting in recommitment to and continuation of activities. Use of other means enables one to partake in an activity; the process of resource use reflects persistence and deepens one's commitment in his or her pursuit. …

No Child Left Inside The Built Environment and Caregiver Strategies to Promote Child Physical Activity

Abstract: In this study, 13 low-income African American caregivers of preschoolers were interviewed to explore neighborhood obstacles to children’s physical activity and the strategies caregivers used against these challenges. Built environment barriers included social and physical disorder, crime and violence, speeding traffic, and stray dogs. Recreational settings were few, inaccessible, and poorly equipped and maintained. In addition to high facility fees and few organized activities, recreational settings had high levels of disorder and violence. Despite barriers, caregivers used strategies to promote physical activity, including environmental appraisal, boundary enforcement, chaperonage, collective supervision, and local and extra-local resource-brokering. These findings document how caregivers’ strategies represent intervening processes in response to the built environment. The findings further provide place- and asset-based recommendations.

An investigation of constraints restricting urban Nigerian women from participating in recreational sport activities.

Abstract: IntroductionIn most rural regions in Africa, the edification of young women is mainly focused on being an obedient wife and a good mother (Silberschmidt, 2001). Women and girls are socioculturally expected to exemplify feminine behaviors, obey male dominance, and embrace a genuine ethic of care for their family (Tamale, 2005). For instance, in the Baganda tribe of Uganda, Ssenga women train young Ugandan women and girls on how to embody appropriate feminine behaviors. The Ssenga etiquette for girls is to learn the proper manners of how to sit, walk, and conduct herself in the presence of males, as well as to respect elders and take care of the family (Tamale, 2005). Females do all kinds of work, whether housework or professional responsibilities, and they have "little time to relax, recuperate, and be selfish" or participate in leisure activities, such as recreational sports (Deem, 1987, p. 424).In conjunction with patriarchal ideologies, the development of women's recreational sport in most developing regions of Africa seems to be of low priority because of issues relating to literacy, famine, health care, domestic abuse, genital circumcisions, and local and national security (Summerfield, 2000). Further crises such as high unemployment, war, refugees, structural adjustment programs, and HIV/AIDS have likewise stunted the growth and development of women's involvement in recreational sport activities (RSAs) (Elbe, 2006).Recreational sport activities (RSAs) are leisure activities that combine both sport and recreation. These activities fall under the rubric of play (Chalip, Schwab, & Dustin, 2010); and do not have to be competitive or require particular equipment or rules (Mobily, 1989; Parks & Quartermain, 2003). Recreational sport activities are typically conducted during leisure time and are an unstructured means of entertainment (Sivan & Stebbins, 2011). People participate in RSAs for a number of reasons, and one being for the purpose of leisure (Shaw, 1986). RSAs have important benefits, and a number of studies (e.g., Frisby, Reid, & Ponic, 2007; Godbey & Mowen, 2010) have examined the positive outcomes of the physical activity component of recreational sport. These studies have reported that physical activity enhances circulatory health, provides mental clarity, promotes successful aging, and promote social interaction. Despite these noted benefits, for some women, leisure is limited to passive relaxation (Henderson & Bialeschki, 1993).Extant Nigerian research studies (e.g., Akindutire, 1992; Ojeme, 1989) have examined constraints to men's recreational sport participation but have yet to investigate Nigerian women's recreational sport constraints or facilitators. As a result, an exposition of how Nigeria affords men recreational sport opportunities, but limits women, is missing from the literature. Hence, the purpose of this study is to highlight the experiences of Nigerian women and their recreational sport constraints, as well as examine tactics used to facilitate participation. In this investigation we employ leisure constraint theories (Crawford & Godbey, 1987; Crawford, Jackson, & Godbey, 1991; Jackson et al., 1993; Hubbard & Mannell, 2001) to provide (a) an understanding of the recreational sport patterns of Nigerian women, (b) to identify constraints that restrict Nigerian women from participating in recreational sport activities, and (c) to identify constraint negotiation strategies Nigerian women employ so as to participate in recreational sport activities.Literature ReviewLeisure Constraint TheoryConstraints inhibit people's involvement in their desired activities (Crawford & Godbey, 1987; Crawford et al., 1991). Crawford and Godbey (1987) categorized leisure constraints as structural, interpersonal, or intrapersonal constraints. Structural constraints are external factors, such as insufficient financial resources, inclement weather, lack of time due to work, lack of access and opportunity, and inadequate machinery or facilities that intervene between leisure preferences and participation (Crawford & Godbey, 1987; Jun, Kyle & O'Leary, 2006). …

Does Leisure Time as a Stress Coping Resource Increase Affective Complexity?: Applying the Dynamic Model of Affect (DMA)

Abstract: Affective complexity, a manifestation of psychological well-being, refers to the relative independence between positive and negative affect (PA, NA). According to the Dynamic Model of Affect (DMA), stressful situations lead to highly inverse PA-NA relationship, reducing affective complexity. Meanwhile, positive events can sustain affective complexity by restoring PA-NA independence. Leisure, a type of positive events, has been identified as a coping resource. This study used the DMA to assess whether leisure time helps restore affective complexity on stressful days. We found that on days with more leisure time than usual, an individual experienced less negative PA-NA relationship after daily stressful events. The finding demonstrates the value of leisure time as a coping resource and the DMA's contribution to coping research.

Researcher and Advocate: Using Research to Promote Social Justice Change: Leisure Research Symposium

Abstract: (2013). Researcher and Advocate: Using Research to Promote Social Justice Change. Journal of Leisure Research: Vol. 45, No. 1, pp. 2-6.

Backgrounds of, and factors affecting, highly productive leisure researchers.

Abstract: This study sought to better understand the factors that facilitate and constrain highly prolific leisure researchers' productivity. Results indicated these scholars were: (a) largely middle-aged ma...

Toward an Approach for Measuring Indicators of Facility Carrying Capacity in Outdoor Recreation Areas

Abstract: This article uses data from 1,399 individuals at six sites in Hawaii to examine congruence among their encounters, norms, and satisfaction with six types of facilities (e.g., trash cans, bathrooms, signs) and the actual number of these facili- ties. The majority of users recalled encountering fewer of each facility than the number they believed should be at each site (i.e., their norm) and these users were least satisfied with these facilities. When user norms were compared to the actual number of facilities, however, there were enough of most facilities to meet these norms. Combining the number of facilities with the observation—norm—evalu- ation approach used in many social carrying capacity studies (e.g., encounters, norms, crowding) may be useful for measuring indictors of facility capacity.

Malling as a Leisure Activity in South Korea

Abstract: IntroductionWell-known leisure researchers Kelly (1991) and Kelly and Godbey (1992) observed decades ago that leisure activities in capitalist societies are increasingly associated with consumption, whereas leisure had traditionally been thought of as more closely rooted in the local community and less in commercial undertakings. More recently, Stebbins (2009) noted that leisure experienced through mass consumption has become an indispensable part of our everyday lives, one that significantly impacts society both positively and negatively. Despite these researchers' observations, comparatively little research has been conducted on leisure activities in contemporary consumption spaces, such as shopping malls, even though these spaces are globally becoming ever more popular as recreational spaces. This increase in popularity can be seen in Seoul, South Korea, where shopping malls have become favorite leisure destinations among Koreans wanting to enjoy leisure time in the city. Indeed, Koreans have broadly adopted a new word, mailing, to perfectly describe the link between their leisure and consumption in these spaces.Shopping malls are the quintessential example of how consumption is being joined with, if not transformed into, leisure in East Asia. Shopping malls were first built in the United States in the mid-1950s. While, in Western countries, their advent was in full swing by the 1960s, malls did not reach Asian countries until the late 1980s (Bunce, 1983). However, over the last few decades, shopping malls have multiplied at a rapid pace in East Asian countries, namely South Korea, China, Taiwan, and Japan. These shopping malls are typically characterized by cutting-edge designs with brand name shops, famous restaurants, and entertainment facilities, and are consistently crowded with local residents and urban tourists (Kwon, 2010). For example, the most frequented malls in Seoul, the COEX Mall, Time-Square Mall, and I-Park Mall, each attract over one hundred thousand visitors every day (Kim, 2008; Cho, 2010). COEX Mall statistics show that a total of five hundred million people have visited the COEX Mall in the past ten years (Kang, 2010). These shopping malls are increasingly perceived as preferred playgrounds in the Korean urbanscape (Park, 2007; Cho, 2010) and, as we propose, represent a contemporary Korean leisurescape.Given the increasing importance of shopping malls as leisure spaces, the dearth of literature on shopping malls in the leisure field is especially surprising. Non-leisure researchers, including Abaza (2001), Anjaria (2008), Bowlby (2001), Curtis (1994), Patel and Sharma (2009), Rajagopal (2009) and Salcedo (2003), have investigated shopping malls from perspectives such as consumer behavior, retail management, architecture, and urban studies. Within these disciplines, they have explored numerous issues involving business strategies, consumer behavior, and socio-historical and cultural aspects of shopping malls; however, their interest has not focused on the recreational function of malls and few studies have empirically investigated mall visitors' behavior, namely mailing. Therefore, from the perspective of leisure studies, there is a need to deepen our understanding of the phenomenon of mailing, since it offers a prime example of the ever-increasing connection between leisure and consumption in the urban context.To investigate individuals' motivation to visit various shopping spaces, consumer behavior researchers, such as Kim (2006) and Patel and Sharma (2009), have largely drawn on conceptualizations of utilitarian and hedonic consumption initially developed by Hirschman and Holbrook (1982). Hirschman and Holbrook's (1982) buying decision model proposed two consumption perspectives that vary within consumers and over time: utilitarian and hedonic. The utilitarian consumption perspective proposes that consumers are rational decision makers who maximize utility by focusing on the utilitarian benefits of a product. …

Cycles, ceremonies, and creeping phlox: an autoethnographic account of the creation of our garden.

Abstract: This autoethnographic text outlines a devastating ending (the death of my cat) and a beautiful, new beginning (a marriage) and how these events are inextricably linked to a garden that has inspired...