To move on… – a comparative study of Swedish adolescents in a changing sport and leisure-time landscape

Abstract

Societal and technological changes have had a great impact on the overall physical activity and leisure time practices of children and youth, in Sweden and in other countries. The understanding of sports participation is a complex issue as the taste for sport is formed under specific conditions. The aim of this comparative cross-sectional, longitudinal study is to explore how Swedish adolescents view and reason about sport and leisure time practices in relation to everyday life in a changing recreational landscape. Findings from two focus groups interviews conducted almost 10 years apart (2007 and 2016) are compared. The analysis is inspired by Bourdieu’s theory of practice and the concept of belonging. Several similarities between the two data sets are found, but also differences. New organisational structures, schoolwork, a tension between experienced lack of time and a need for flexibility, as well as own learning and development play a more central role in 2016. Furthermore, the digitalised leisure time landscape has affected the boundaries of the overall field of recreation, challenging the interrelated dimensions between social agents and structures of organised sport, and future policies and initiatives for the entire community of leisure time practices.