Leisure in an Urban Environment—A Perspective of University Students

Abstract

This inductive analysis examines Hong Kong university students' perceptions of leisure through in-depth interviews around open-ended questions pertinent to their participation and experience. Grounded theory methodology was followed through a systematic procedure of open coding, axial coding, and selective coding in order to make sense out of the interview transcripts. The study finds that participants' perceptions of leisure are (in)formed by personal emotions (e.g., mood, enjoyment, comfort) and expected impacts (e.g., health, being “re-created,” well-being, self-development); they think that leisure is activity oriented; leisure participation is primarily determined by the amount of free, unobligated time the participants have; and their choices of leisure activities are influenced by their expected impacts. Leisure participation is grouped into four categories of activities: physical, social interaction, entertainment, and learning, from which participants experience an impact, either positive or negative, and on the basis of which subsequent decisions are made for future leisure activities. The benefits of leisure are categorized into four types: physical health, social interaction, self-development, and psychological well-being. By implication, constructions of leisure in a non-Western context could lend to discussions on the meaning of leisure and its association with quality of life and work.