On the Cumulative Nature of Leisure Activities

Abstract

This paper is concerned with interrelations of different forms of leisure activities and social participation among Finnish youth. The data reported here are based on a survey 1 conducted among a national probability sample of male and female youth aged 10 to 29. The point of departure for this study was very general hypothesis that different forms of leisure activities are positively correlated. The hypothesis simply means that individuals with high participation in given leisure activity are more likely to be active in other activities than individuals with low participation. This phenomenon may be labelled the cumulativeness of activity. There is already much evidence supporting this general hypothesis. It has been shown, for instance, that an individual's subjective probability of future success largely is determined by his past successes and failures.2) Successful participation will lead to more participation. This is obvious within many limited fields of activity; e. g. interest in painting certainly increases interest in sculpture. But cumulativeness hypoResearch Institute of School of Social Sciences, Helsinki, Finland. 1. The national survey of Finnish youth was conducted by Research Institute of School of Social Sciences (Yhteiskunnallisen Korkeakoulun Tutkimuslaitos) under sponsorship of Ministry of Education. The data consist of a two-stage sample drawn from total Finnish population of both sexes in age groups 10 through 29. Of final sample drawn, 1,578 persons were personally interviewed. The total mortality of 21 % of names selected was due to inaccuracy of addresses in census lists, migration, geographical inaccessibility, and general nonavailability. Those not at home were revisited at least twice before they were dropped from interview list. The interview schedule was composed of both open-end and multiple-choice questions, and was pre-tested in a pilot survey. Some findings of national survey have been published in Tyolaisnuorison harrastustoiminta (The Leisure Activities of Working Class Youth) by present writers, Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhti8 Tammi, 1956. A larger report Nuorison harrastukset ja yhteison rakenne (The Leisure Activities of Youth and Social Structure) will