How socioeconomic status shapes the association of social leisure with well-being

Abstract

Socioeconomic status (SES) or social class and leisure are closely linked, with leisure often seen as a marker of social class or social class constraining or facilitating access to leisure. Another way to examine social class and leisure is to consider the psychological impact of SES. Themes of individualism and collectivism have been linked to social class, namely, those with lower SES value collectivism and those with higher SES value individualism. We tested these patterns with population-based data by examining the association of more or less socially focused leisure with well-being, moderated by SES. Socially focused leisure was associated with greater life satisfaction and sense of belonging and lower levels of self-rated stress for those with lower SES compared to higher SES. These findings show the value in considering how social class has an impact on psychological perspectives and the differing importance of social leisure for well-being based on SES.