Leisure Constraints of Chinese Immigrants: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Although significant attention has been given to the concepts of leisure constraints (e.g., Jackson, 1993; Kay and Jackson, 1991), this knowledge has been largely based on the mainstream cultures in western countries. Little is known about the leisure constraints of non-westerners and minorities cultures. This exploratory study examined the constraints associated with three types of leisure participation decisions of Chinese immigrants, including constraints that intervened in people's desire to take part in new leisure activities, constraints that hindered people from starting new leisure activities they desired to do, and constraints that caused people to reduce or discontinue leisure participation. Questionnaires were completed by 127 Chinese immigrants in Australia aged from 18 to 72 years, of whom 54% were women. Six dimensions of leisure constraints (social-cultural constraints, interpersonal constraints, access constraints, affective constraints, physiological constraints, resources constraints) emerged from a factor analysis of 24 constraint items. The two most important constraint dimensions for the immigrants were resources constraints and interpersonal constraints. Amongst various socio-demographic variables, only education was associated with variation in the perception of leisure constraints of Chinese immigrants. Financial status, gender, age, and length of residence in Australia were not associated with their perception of leisure constraints. The levels of importance of individual constraint dimensions were similar across different types of participation decisions.