Leisure Research Journals Research Articles

Holistic Analysis of Recreation and Leisure Science in Sports

The aim of this research is to analyse scientific publications between 1980-2020 and to make a holistic analysis on recreation and leisure science in sports. Using the data obtained within the scope of the study, information graphics and explanatory bibliometric networks that reveal bibliometric networks were created. According to the results obtained from the study, the most used keywords were found to be “recreation”, “leisure” and “sport/s”. Citation analysis reveals that Lee, Powell and Iwasaki are the most cited authors. There are a total of 475 journals in the data. Leisure Sciences, Journal of Leisure Research and Annals of Leisure Research, are the most cited journals. Griffith University (Australia), University of Illinois (USA) and University of Sydney (Australia) were the leading publishers. It can be stated that the concepts used in leisure and recreation studies focus on physical activity, that the majority of the tourism sector is aimed at the long-term area, that it focuses on theses and government policies to increase participation in physical activity, and that it contains arguments for the development of social theories and practical applications.

Measurement invariance of the satisfaction with leisure satisfaction scale by gender, marital status, and age

BackgroundLeisure satisfaction is the degree of positive perception and emotions that an individual acquires as a result of participating in leisure time activities, and it has an important function in maintaining and increasing leisure time participation. Some studies on leisure satisfaction address the comparisons between groups. These studies are based on the premise that the measurement tool used to reveal the between-group differences measures the same feature in subgroups.ObjectiveIn this study, we investigated whether the differences between the groups were due to the measurement tool by examining the psychometric properties of the leisure satisfaction scale.MethodsThe study sample comprised 2344 exercising individuals, including 1228 (52.3%) women and 1116 (47.6%) men. The structural invariance of the leisure satisfaction scale, developed by Beard and Ragheb (Journal of Leisure Research 12:20-33, 1980) and adapted into Turkish by Gökçe and Orhan (Spor Bilimleri Dergisi 22:139–145, 2011), was tested through multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis.ResultsThe results indicated that the structural and metric invariance conditions were fulfilled across gender, marital status, and age in all subscales of the leisure satisfaction scale. Scalar invariance was obtained in educational and social satisfaction subscales across gender and in physical satisfaction subscale across marital status.ConclusionThe study provides evidence for the future comparisons according to these three variables, indicating that the differences obtained will result from the real differences between groups rather than the measurement tool properties.

A Comparative Analysis of Race and Mattering in Leisure Literature

The purpose of this study was to examine the progression of discourse on race within leisure studies scholarship through the lens of racecraft and the construct of mattering. The Journal of Leisure Research as well as Schole were examined within the periods of the 1990s (1989–2000) and the 2010s (2009–2019). Articles were chosen based upon their employment of the keywords of community recreation, youth development, and race within both time periods, yielding a total of 99 articles that were examined. A discourse historical approach (DHA) was utilized to assess the impact of the socio-political context on leisure research as well as the development of discourse on race. Through DHA techniques and the concept of racecraft, this study classified articles under five overarching themes: Faint mentions of race, racialization in the negative, improper terminology use, intentionality of race, and inadequate lens of problem/solution. Based upon the findings, leisure literature has displayed minimal progression in its conceptualizations of race. Leisure studies scholarship reflects the dominant discourse through its latent ideology of racism that maintains marginalization of various racialized ethnic groups. It is posited that, without institutional examination and targeted mitigation efforts, the field of leisure will continue to uphold a detrimental racial order with an underdeveloped political and historical stance on race.

Bibliometric Analysis of Leisure from Past to Present: The Sample of Journal of Leisure Research

Bu çalışmanın amacı serbest zaman alanında yayım yapan Journal of Leisure Research dergisinin 1970-2019 yılları arasında yayımladığı 1134 çalışmayı bibliyometrik açıdan incelemektir. Bibliyometrik çalışmalar araştırmacılara önemli eserler, alana yön veren araştırmacılar, çalışma trendleri ve alandaki boşluklar hakkında önemli bilgiler sunmaktadır. Bu bağlamda dergide yayımlanan makalelerin yılları, yayın sayıları ve yayın dillerine göre dağılımları, atıf analizleri, ülke iş birliktelikleri, ortak atıf ağları ve kavram-konu yönelimleri incelenmiştir. Analiz sonuçlarına göre ABD’nin ülke iş birlikteliklerinde kilit rol oynadığı, en fazla atıf patlamasına sahip olan ülkenin Kanada olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Alana yön veren en önemli çalışma ise Jackson ve diğ.’ne (1993) aittir. Journal of Leisure Research’te ön plana çıkan konu kümesinin “psikolojik yapı” olduğu, çalışmaların özet ve anahtar kelimeler kısmında en çok yer alan kelimenin ise “serbest zaman” olduğu belirlenmiştir. Yapılan çalışmanın alan yazındaki boşluklar hakkında önemli bilgiler sunacağı ve gelecekteki eğilimlerin daha iyi anlaşılmasına katkı sağlayacağı düşünülmektedir.

Revised notes from a leisure son: expanding an understanding of White supremacy in leisure

ABSTRACT Within leisure studies, to properly explore and understand ‘Whiteness’ as a cultural process that impacts lived realities it is important to create distance from the oft-used term, White privilege, and begin to grapple with the magnitude of White Supremacy as the fundamental basis for the creation ‘Whiteness’. This critical commentary as a revision to (Mowatt’s [2009]. “Notes From a Leisure son: Expanding an Understanding of Whiteness in Leisure.” Journal of Leisure Research 41 (4): 509–526) ‘Notes of a Leisure Son’ in the Journal of Leisure Research, seeks to hone and advance ‘Whiteness’ studies within leisure studies, and to identify ways that an emancipated field of leisure studies could engage in critical theory and action. It is thought that such a coupling could off-set the impact that ‘Whiteness’ (as an outgrowth of White Supremacy rather than White privilege) has had on the lived realities of populations of colour and racially classified Whites who seek to abandon ‘Whiteness’ as an identity of dominance.

Embarking on a Rhetorical Exploration: Accommodating Science (or Not) in Leisure Research

An ongoing debate points to a possible gap between the published research about and the delivery of leisure services. For example, two of the major research journals in the field of leisure studies, Journal of Leisure Research (JLR) and Journal of Parks and Recreation Administration (JPRA), are intended for different audiences, yet researchers are far more likely than practitioners to read both journals. Little empirical research has been conducted to explain the possible reasons for these readership disparities. This exploration utilized rhetorical analysis techniques to examine three matched article sets to determine if the science was accommodated for the distinct intended audiences of the two journals. The findings suggested that the ways in which the research was accommodated for the distinct intended audiences was inconsistent. Significance of the findings and recommendations for future accommodation of science in leisure studies are discussed.

Leisure studies in the 21st century: Challenges and opportunities in our collective identity

The year 2018 marked a milestone for leisure research, as the World Leisure Journal, the Journal of Leisure Research, and Leisure Sciences will celebratet their 60th, 50th, and 40th years in publication, respectively. A review of previous articles chronicling the evolution and status of leisure studies revealed three common themes since the 1980s: (a) incompatible faculty roles, (b) insularity, and (c) fragmentation. We examined recent developments in higher education and patterns of change in departmental profiles, in revised undergraduate and graduate curricula that exclude leisure philosophy and theory in core requirements, and in faculty hiring practices. We suggest that these recent developments, combined with the issues posed in prior articles that remain unaddressed, raise concern about the sustainability of leisure studies in the current higher education model. A possible future rooted in a philosophical foundation of leisure is presented.

Characteristics of Green Hotels’ Potential Customers: A Case of Vietnamese Domestic Tourists

Characteristics of Green Hotels’ Potential Customers: A Case of Vietnamese Domestic Tourists

Constraining, Negotiating, and Facilitating Leisure after Disaster: a Case of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

Disasters influence human lives on a large scale. In 2017 only, 441 disasters killed 13,310 people and directly affected approximately 93 million individuals around the world (Centre for Research on the Epistemology of Disasters n.d.). Nonetheless, it remains understudied how these tragedies impact survivors’ leisure lives. Survivors may suffer increased constraints to leisure in their post-disaster lives (Crawford et al., Leisure Sciences, 13, 309-320 1991), while being able to negotiate such constraints so that they can maintain leisure participation (Jackson et al., Leisure Sciences, 15, 1-11 1993). Also relevant may be leisure facilitators (Raymore, Journal of Leisure Research, 34(1), 37-51 2002) that enable survivors to enjoy leisure pursuits. This study examines effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami on survivors’ leisure lives through the theoretical lenses of leisure constraints, constraint negotiation, and leisure facilitators. One-month field work in the disaster-stricken area was conducted, from which 16 survivors and five disaster volunteers were recruited to subsequent semi-structured interviews between June and July, 2012. An analysis of interview data, guided by grounded theory, suggested that disaster-related life events (e.g., bereavement, destruction of home, and displacement) created situations where survivors struggled with finding meaningfulness of leisure activities and dissociated declining resources from the use for leisure purposes. The analysis also indicated that survivors negotiated these constraints by resisting confining norms and reattaching positive meanings to leisure. Furthermore, survivors encountered two major leisure facilitators: causes for leisure participation and enabling others. The findings are discussed in light of leisure constraints, constraint negotiation, and facilitation as well as implications for practitioners in disaster-stricken areas.

Are We Ready for “Radical Leisure”?

ABSTRACTFor that past 40 years, hundreds of articles have been published in the major journals that examine leisure, recreation, and parks in North America, for example, the Journal of Leisure Research, Leisure Sciences, and Journal of Recreation and Park Administration. Yet, we are no closer to influencing policy, shifting public opinion, or persuading ourselves and each other that the idea of leisure is something that we should value, embrace, and fight for in terms of a shorter work week and, for that matter, a shorter work life. What is our professional commitment to promoting leisure, advocating for shorter work weeks and for mandatory vacation time? This article explores issues related to leisure, resistance and the hegemony of work.

Is leisure research contributing to sustainability? A systematic review of the literature

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to identify and summarize to what extent articles in leisure journals have focused on and critically examined the relationship between leisure and sustainability. The study was conducted using content analysis of articles in leisure journals over the past decade (2005–2015) including: Leisure/Loisir, Journal of Leisure Research, Leisure Studies, Leisure Sciences, World Leisure, Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, Annals of Tourism Research, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, Journal of Travel Research, Tourism Management and Journal of Ecotourism. The results indicate that while some contributions to advance sustainability are emerging in leisure journals, there is a need for more explicit links between leisure and sustainability in the literature. The paper highlights areas where leisure research could be making stronger contributions to advance sustainability moving forward including questioning the relationship between leisure and sustainability, determining the level of sustainability of the leisure industry and proposing and monitoring new models and approaches to enhance sustainability.

A theory of structured experience

ABSTRACTWe extend Duerden, Ward, and Freeman’s [2015. “Conceptualizing Structured Experiences.” Journal of Leisure Research 47 (5): 601–620] ‘structured experience’ framework by proposing a formal theory of structured experiences. The theory advances propositions about how leisure service providers may structure environments and interactions to facilitate specific subjective experiences for guests and participants. Following the Duerden, Ward, and Freeman (2015) paper, the theory of structured experience is an integration of literature from leisure studies, tourism, and marketing. Formal definitions are provided for four co-created subjective experiences: immersion, absorption, engagement, and deep structured experience. Propositions about specific strategies providers can use to facilitate these experiences and to promote perceived value, positive affective responses, and delight are also provided. The paper concludes with a discussion of select research topics that follow from the theory.

Leisure and Aging Qualitative Research 15 Years into the Third Millennium

In the first issue of the new millennium, the Journal of Leisure Research (JLR) published an article by Fran McGuire titled What do we know? Not much: The state of leisure and aging In that article, McGuire summarized almost 40 years of research about the topic, stating, We probably 'know' that activity is in some sense good for people by contributing to the quality of life. However, for every article concluding one thing there seems to be a contradictory piece concluding something else. Our collection of bits and pieces of information still fails to give even a hint of a mosaic. (McGuire, 2000, p. 7). McGuire provided a list of possible explanations for this state. Some explanations were structural (e.g., small number of scholars studying the topic, few collaborations, lack of funding), but many expressed direct criticism on the work done in the field including not asking the right questions and being borrowers of concepts developed in other disciplines rather than owners of unique contributions built around deep understanding of leisure and aging. He argued that the uniqueness of leisure may require development of original questions and models, and that while the easy work in leisure and aging focused on understanding ideas... now is the time for deeper (p. 99).Much has transpired since this article was published. The number of scholars from various disciplines studying leisure and aging has dramatically increased, new and original concepts have developed, and exciting opportunities for dialogue among scholars, practitioners, and policy makers have formed. It seems that parallel to global demographic trends leading to the greying of many countries, there is a growing interest in the extent to which leisure activities and experiences can promote active and healthy aging. Simultaneously, the field of leisure studies has profoundly transformed. To gain deeper understanding of the lived experience of leisure, qualitative approaches are increasingly used in leisure studies and scholars constantly explore conversational, multivocal, and critical representations of research. Rather than simplifying and reducing leisure experiences, leisure studies scholars seem to want to contextualize leisure experiences and treat them as a complex phenomenon (Parry & Johnson, 2007, pg. 121).Despite these trends, our knowledge related to how adults maintain involvement in the face of health declines, as well as their lived experiences of leisure during later life transitions, is still limited. In addition, there is a need to continuously monitor and update research to ensure that our programs targeting the aging population are diverse, pertinent, and meaningful. McGuire's call for deeper thought is still relevant, and we still have to ask ourselves what do we know, and, more importantly, what do we need to know in order to provide the most relevant and comprehensive opportunities for older adults in our society.To meet this challenge, the editorial board of JLR dedicated this special issue to leisure and aging research. The aim of this special issue is to present original and innovative ideas, concepts, and questions, as well as highlight research that addresses some of these relevant questions regarding leisure and aging. After a rigorous review process, five papers were selected for the special issue that represent contemporary top-quality research on this topic. Although the call for papers was not limited to qualitative research, most of the manuscripts submitted, and all the articles selected for publication, reported on qualitative inquiries into leisure in later life. Therefore, the special issue certainly reflects the shift toward more qualitative research in the field of leisure studies.The first paper, by Rebecca Genoe, Toni Liechty, Hannah Marston, and Victoria Sutherland, presents a new qualitative methodology for studying issues related to leisure and aging. The authors suggest that as a growing number of seniors use Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), online qualitative data collection may be an especially effective means for studying leisure in later life. …

Recreation specialization in ocean cruising

This study investigated specialization theory [Bryan, H. (1979). Conflict in the great outdoors. Birmingham, AL: Birmingham Publishing Company; Bryan, H. (2000). Recreation specialization revisited. Journal of Leisure Research, 31, 18–21] in ocean cruisers. Cruisers have quit their jobs and traded in their land-based life for a life afloat cruising on their own boat to live a utopian dream [Macbeth, J. (2000). Utopian tourists – Cruising is not just about sailing. Current Issues in Tourism, 3(1), 20–34]. The following criteria defined a cruiser in this study: boat ownership, living aboard and at least one passage. An additive specialization index was given to 330 cruisers as part of an online survey. Quantitative results showed cruisers are highly specialized and that differences existed between less and more specialized cruisers. Supplemental analysis revealed gender differences in specialization.

Understanding ambivalence in family leisure among three-generation families: ‘It's all part of the package’

Although family leisure plays a central role in the development of close family bonds, it is not without its challenges and has been found to be both consensual and conflictual. Furthermore, family leisure researchers have neglected the voices of older adults. Building on Shaw's [1997. “Controversies and Contradictions in Family Leisure: An Analysis of Conflicting Paradigms.” Journal of Leisure Research 29 (1): 98–112] call for a contradictory theory of family leisure and framed by the model of intergenerational ambivalence [Luscher, K., and Pillemer, K. 1998. “Intergenerational Ambivalence: A New Approach to the Study of Parent-child Relations in Later Life.” Journal of Marriage and Family 60 (2): 413–425], the purpose of this interpretive study is to address these two significant gaps in the literature and explore how intergenerational ambivalence is experienced in family leisure in three-generation families (grandparents, parents, and adult grandchildren). Sixteen family triads were interviewed and reflected on both the benefits and challenges of family leisure. The findings provide valuable insights into the ambivalence that is experienced in family leisure across generations. The purposive nature and the generative effect of family leisure, along with the norm of non-interference help families to cope with the feelings of ambivalence that are commonly experienced in their relationships.

The Unsettling Nature of Prejudice

(2014). The Unsettling Nature of Prejudice. Journal of Leisure Research: Vol. 46, No. 3, pp. 245-251.

Tribute to Karla A. Henderson

It is a long way from Coggon, Iowa to the base camp at Mt. Everest. Yet as we write this tribute to Karla Henderson that is exactly where she is heading. In many respects, her current journey is a metaphor for the long distance Karla has come in life. Growing up on a farm in northeastern Iowa, and being told as an 8-year-old that girls were not allowed to play Little League baseball, Karla learned her first lesson about social injustice. Unabashedly, she went on to set a single-game scoring record in girls high school basketball that stands in Coggon to this day, and otherwise distinguished herself as someone who, in her own inimitable way, would make a significant mark on the world.Karla earned a bachelor of science degree in physical education from Iowa State (1971) and worked for five years as a 4-H Youth Development Extension Specialist. She then earned a masters in education with an emphasis in guidance and counseling from Iowa State (1976), followed by a PhD in education with an emphasis in recreation, park, and studies from the University of Minnesota (1979). Her first academic posting was a split assignment as an assistant professor and recreation extension specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. While at Madison, a group of graduate students approached Karla and asked why voices were silent in studies. Without a satisfactory answer, she challenged her students to codesign a seminar in women's leisure (Henderson, 2013), thus marking the beginning of a 35 year scholarly agenda that has changed the way the field of recreation, park, and studies thinks about women, leisure, gender, feminism, diversity, and qualitative research methodology.After a brief stint as a Department Chair at Texas Women's University (1985-1987), Douglas Sessoms recruited Karla to the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. As Karla recounts it, the next 17 years were her most rewarding. She prospered under Sessoms' tutelage, was tenured and promoted to professor, and eventually took her turn as Department Chair. When the program was dismantled in 2004 following Sessoms' retirement, Karla was invited to move next door to North Carolina State University, where she has continued her prolific teaching, scholarship, and service. Now, as Karla approaches her own retirement, it is fitting to recap the significance of her academic achievements.Given what Karla Henderson has accomplished in her career, she is refreshingly humble. Describing herself as Salieri to most everyone else's Mozart (Henderson, 2007), this mediocre talent has managed to author or co-author several books, including Leisure, Women, and Gender, 3rd edition (with Freysinger, Shaw, & Bialeschki); Camp Counseling (with Meier); Evaluation of Leisure Services: Making Enlightened Decisions, 3rd edition (with Bialeschki); The Noble Experiment: A History of NRPA (with Sessoms); Service Living: Building Community through Public Parks and Recreation (with Wellman, Dustin, & Moore); Dimensions of Choice: Qualitative Approaches to Research in Parks, Recreation, Tourism, Sport, and Leisure; Leisure Services, 7th edition (with Sessoms); Introduction to Recreation and Leisure Services, 8th edition (with Bialeschki, Hemingway, Hodges, Kivel, & Sessoms); and Volunteers in Leisure: A Management Perspective (with Tedrick). Karla has also published regularly in a variety of journals, including the Journal of Leisure Research, Leisure Sciences, Women and Health, American Journal of Public Health, and the Journal of Physical Activity and Aging. All told, she has written over 200 juried articles and 250 other scholarly pieces.Karla has served the field in a number of leadership roles, including terms as president of the Society of Park and Recreation Educators (SPRE), president of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance Research Consortium, and president of the Academy of Leisure Sciences. …

An examination of social psychological factors predicting skiers’ skill, participation frequency, and spending behaviors

The purpose of this study was to explore ski participation and spending among active skiers using the constructs of serious leisure, family influence, and thrill/adventure seeking. Convenience sampling yielded 236 respondents from two ski resorts in Colorado. To measure a respondent's ski seriousness, a subscale of the Serious Leisure Inventory and Measure [Gould, J., Moore, D., McGuire, F., & Stebbins, R. A. (2008). Development of the serious leisure inventory and measure. Journal of Leisure Research, 40(1), 47–68] was used. Family influence was indicated by variables assessing levels of family encouragement, involvement, and income. Thrill and adventure seeking was measured using Zuckerman et al.’s [(1964). Development of a sensation seeking scale. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 28(6), 477–482] sensation seeking scale, while beginning age skiing and skill were assessed using self-report items. Confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the proposed model. Regression results indicated that ski seriousness, family influence, and thrill/adventure seeking significantly explain ski frequency and skill. Ski seriousness was also found to be significantly correlated with ski-related spending. Analysis of variance testing revealed that ski seriousness significantly differed across beginning age skiing groups. This study's findings reveal associations that may assist future research in accurately predicting ski participation and other ski-related purchase behaviors.

Outdoor recreation journals: A topical analysis from 2009-2012

Upon receiving the Paul K. Petzoldt Leadership Award from the Wilderness Education Association, long-time outdoor/adventure educator Meier (2009) commented, “I retired last year after 43 years in higher education. Lots of changes in outdoor adventure education have been observed throughout the years, including the growth of professional organizations. Professionally, we have come a long way in a relatively short period of time.” Scholarly journals were among the many aspects of growth and development mentioned by Meier (2009), “Other scholarly achievements during these times include expanded educational programs and educational resources through sources such as the Journal of Leisure Research and the Journal of Park and Recreation Administration. Of major significance is the recent announcement of a new research journal sponsored by WEA and AORE: the Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership.”

Researcher and Advocate: Using Research to Promote Social Justice Change

(2013). Researcher and Advocate: Using Research to Promote Social Justice Change. Journal of Leisure Research: Vol. 45, No. 1, pp. 2-6.