Leisure Career Research Articles

Heritage volunteerism, cultural journalism and participatory placemaking: insights from ‘European Heritage Times’ and Erzgebirge cultural landscape

This study investigates the impact of collaborative creative approaches and voluntary work in the heritage domain, particularly exploring how participatory journalism can involve young volunteers pursuing serious leisure careers. The investigation utilises concepts from citizen humanities, participatory informal placemaking, and serious leisure theory to explore the potential advantages of engaging in voluntary heritage-related activities for both serious leisure volunteers and applied World Heritage Sites. These activities encompass visits to historic locations, short-term stays in heritage sites, and participation in experiential and formative programs. Furthermore, the study explores the effects of this volunteering process on transformation, highlighting both the volunteerism and placemaking aspects of the learning-making process. The researcher, serving as both a serious leisure volunteer and participatory action researcher, employs the editorial project ‘The European Heritage Times’ to assess the impact of this process on volunteers and the heritage sector, as well as on informal placemaking within the applied cultural context of Erzgebirge.

Flying casual: a serious leisure career playing X-Wing: The Miniatures Game

ABSTRACT In this autoethnography, I describe and analyse my serious leisure career playing X-Wing: The Miniatures Game. I focus on the beginning and the end of that career, as Stebbins (2020) has called for more research into those leisure career stages. More specifically, I identify leisure facilitators and constraints, demonstrating how my Star Wars fanship first facilitated my engagement with X-Wing, then how the variable factor of (un)available leisure time initially constrained but later facilitated my participation. Finally, I reflect on my career’s decline and consider the implications of abandoning X-Wing altogether.

Progression through time: Development of birdwatcher careers based on propensity score matching

Recreation specialization postulates that people progress through a career when engaging in a leisure activity. This has been studied by cross-sectional and few panel studies, but both methods have some shortcomings. Here, I studied German birdwatchers from the 16 federal states of Germany by employing the propensity score matching method. Data were collected using the online research tool SoSciSurvey between 14 February 2020 and 15 June 2020 include study population, sampling, data collection, and analysis in short. Three career stages of the same size were defined according to birdwatching experience in years. Then, respondents were matched according to age, gender, federal state, and educational level but differed in their leisure career stages by propensity score matching, thus birders of the same age, gender, educational level, and federal state were identified that differed in their birding experience in years. Stage 1 was birders with ≤10 years of birding, stage 2 with 11–34, and stage 3 with ≥35 years. This led to 177 pairs in the stage 1–2 comparison and 113 pairs in the group 2–2 comparison. The recreation specialization construct based on the dimensions behavior, skill, and commitment was applied. There was a highly significant effect concerning skill/knowledge and behavior between stage 1 and 2 (p < .001 for both). However, no differences were found concerning personal and behavioral commitment (p > .5). Skill/knowledge increased again between stage 2 and 3 (F = 4.554, df = 112, p = .035), no significant changes concerning the other three dimensions behavior, personal, and behavioral commitments were found (p > .2). The study provides evidence for a career development in leisure.

노인의 여가활동과 인지건강

A survey was conducted to examine the status of leisure activities among the elderly and to seek policy proposals to support leisure activities in terms of cognitive health.&#x0D; A survey on the status of leisure activities was conducted in 3,500 elderly people aged ≥65 years, living in Gyeonggi-do, in the form of one-on-on interviews from June 16 to July 17, 2021. The population was set based on the current output areas and number of households in Gyeonggi-do by the National Statistics Office, and the sample was extracted into 10 layers considering region, gender, and age.&#x0D; The most common leisure activity for the elderly aged ≥65 years was rest (73.4%), and the percentage of respondents who performed activities alone (38.7%) without companions was the highest. The most frequent participation in leisure activities was “several times a week,” and the average leisure expenditure per session was 11,122 won. During the leisure activity period, most (98.9%) of the respondents were more than one year old , and the proportion of use of religious facilities and other facilities, such as open spaces, was high. Regarding satisfaction with leisure activities, the response rate for “general satisfaction” (58.0%) was the highest. The most desired leisure activity was tourism (28.9%), followed by hobby entertainment (23.35%), and rest (17.6%). Only 0.7% of the respondents participated in volunteer activities, and the reason for not participating that had the highest percentage of response is “not interested” (45.2%). In Gyeonggi-do, 99.3% of the smartphone or cell phone users did not have Internet access, and the utilization rates of text reception (93.3%) and transmission (83.1%) were the highest . The economic expenditure burden (3.41 points) was the most common factor interrupting leisure activities, followed by climate condition (3.34 points) and lack of time (2.92 points).&#x0D; Active leisure activities relieve loneliness in old age, improve physical and cognitive health, and help maintain social relationships. Considering the geographical and physical limitations of the elderly, it is necessary to consider an alternative for managing cognitive health through the development of leisure content using electronic devices. In addition, the motivation of the elderly and the development of leisure careers are necessary, along with the role of the public domain in designing various community-centered programs.

“Leisureship”: Impact of pursuing serious leisure on leaders' performance

An increasing number of individuals in leadership roles have a serious leisure interest. We develop a theoretical model of how pursuing serious leisure impacts leaders' performance at work. We propose that a serious leisure interest, through its defining characteristics (effort in mastering a skill, perseverance through adversity, a special ethos, a strong identity, a leisure career), can both promote and harm leaders' performance at work and we examine the conditions under which this can happen. Our theory contributes to research on non-work antecedents of leader performance, to the leader identity construction literature, to theories on the work-nonwork interface and to the serious leisure literature.

중장년 여성의 진지한 여가로서의 팬덤참여가 지니는 내재적 의미와 역할

From the perspective of serious leisure, this study investigates the intrinsic meaning and role of middle-aged women's trot fandom participation. An empirical phenomenological study based on in-depth interviews with 14 members of Young-Woong Lim's fandom, 'Hero Generation,' was conducted to better understand the new cultural phenomenon. According to the findings of the phenomenological research methods and thematic analysis, study participants gained multiple positive experiences based on the six characteristics of serious leisure experienced through fandom participation: perseverance, significant personal effort, leisure career, durable benefit, unique ethos, and identification. As a serious leisure activity, fandom participation provided a sense of pride and empowered middle-aged women to speak out in society. Participants also had someone to whom they could express their passion and love, and they happily reclaimed their identity as mothers. Finally, the trot fandom has played an important role as an alternative social community among middle-aged women, allowing them to fully understand and share their affection for stars while also providing a strong sense of belonging. Through the lens of leisure, this study provides a timely understanding of the emerging fandom culture. It also justifies the importance of the trot fandom in the travel and pop culture industries.

Serious Leisure and Passion in University Programs for Seniors.

Perseverance and persistence, effort, leisure career, permanent acquisitions, specific norms, and identification with the occupation are some of the hallmarks of the serious leisure perspective. The Dualistic Model of Passion (DMP) understands passion as a strong inclination towards an activity that a person loves, considers important, and in which they invest a great amount of time and energy. This article proposes to explore these two theoretical constructs that converge in their conceptual bases, in a group of older people who regularly participate in university training programs throughout life. The sample is made up of 157 persons over 60 years old enrolled in courses for the elderly at the University of Deusto (Bilbao, Spain). The quantitative findings revealed: (1) that there are no significant differences according to sociodemographic variables, (2) that learning throughout life in the case of older people can be converted into serious leisure, and (3) that the participants in training programs for seniors develop a harmonious passion for such activity.

Subjective Well-being (SWB) of Sport Event Participants: Causes and Effects

Amateur athletes invest a lot of effort, time, and money on participating in events such as marathons and bike races. The aim of the study is to explore whether this increases their subjective well-being (SWB). The study addresses both what contributes to SWB and the effects of SWB for participants in large-scale sport events. More than 7,000 sport event participants responded to surveys including measures of sociodemographics, participation in sport events, perceptions of quality and satisfaction of the event, behavioral intentions, and SWB. Building on theories of SWB and serious leisure, hypotheses linked to the causes and effects of SWB are explored. Results show that sociodemographics, past relational activities, and past event participation influence SWB. Furthermore, with higher SWB the sport event participants are more satisfied, perceive a higher quality, and are more likely to participate in future events. These are proposed to be effects of SWB. For sports clubs and event organizers the results help inform marketing efforts before, during, and after events. In particular, if participants with serious leisure careers are identified.

From serious leisure to devotee work: an exploratory study of yoga

ABSTRACT This study aims to explore the serious leisure to devotee work (SL-DW) transformation trajectory in the case of yoga. An in-depth semistructured interview was conducted with 15 serious yoga practitioners to examine career change and the relationships between leisure and work. The findings of the research outline the passage from stepping into casual yoga leisure, moving from casual to serious yoga leisure, aspiring to succeed on the professional level, becoming an occupational devotee and finally a possible return to the serious-leisure state. A grounded theoretic model emerges explaining the blurred relationships between leisure and work, and the intertwined, dynamic and interactive nature serving as both the antecedent to and consequence of each other. This study theoretically contributes to deepening serious leisure career, the leisure-work relationships and the Serious Leisure Perspective. Meanwhile, it has practical implications for understanding and policy making for other emerging, leisure-oriented kinds of work in the new era.

The Recording Industry as the Enemy? A Case Study of Early West German Metal Music

Rock and metal music have a complex relationship with the entertainment industries. They rely on commodified products but are also cautious towards the capitalist system with its instrumentalist mechanisms. This article examines early metal music from West Germany in the 1980s with its rock precursors in the 1970s to shed light on the music industry’s positive side other than the commonly portrayed enemy or villain image. Using journalistic sources, including magazines, biographies, documentaries, besides the music release database Discogs, the research reconstructs the independent recording industry for metal, examining key record companies, distribution channels and production staff, as well as their principles and intentions. The findings suggest that in the formative phase of German metal, the boundaries were blurred between fans, artists and entrepreneurs, most acting out of a passion for music. Fan practices, such as music-making, journalistic writing or tape trading, became serious leisure careers, eventually enabling some of the bands, journalists and entrepreneurs to make a living from their metal-related activities; others remained “semi-professional”. Communal spirit characterised German metal, and most of “the industry” worked together with the scene. The joint efforts made it possible for Germany to develop from a weak production location for subcultural rock music compared to the dominant cultures of the USA and UK to one of the leading recording industries for metal music. Rather than “the enemy” with manipulative intentions, the independent metal industry was a cultural intermediary and enabler of subcultural production and consumption.

음악축제 봉사자에게서 나타나는 진지한 여가자의 특성

The purpose of this study was to reveal the serious leisure characteristics of volunteers at a music festival. The study employed the in-depth interview with five ‘2018 Pentaport rock festival’ volunteers individually. Through the analysis, the study confirmed that music festival volunteers showed all six serious leisure characteristics such as perseverance, career, effort, durable benefits, unique ethos, and identity. Next, the volunteers who participated not only experienced the music festival, but also had an opportunity of improving their leisure career from the music festival. In addition, the study suggests that listening to music can be a serious leisure activity for the volunteers, since they believe music is a part of their life, which always makes them live a happier life. The study also provides music festival developers and marketers with practical implications based on volunteers’ identity of the music festival.

SERIOUS LEISURE CAREER IN STUDENTS' CAREER FUTURE

The aim of this research is to examine the current status of university students who are members of the university communities, through their activities in the communities, towards serious leisure and career future. At the same time, the extent to which some variables change these parameters and the impact of a serious leisure career on the future of the career were evaluated. In this context, “Serious Leisure Career” which is developed by Ayyildiz, Ozdemir and Karakucuk (2020) and “Career Futures Inventory (CFI)” which is developed by Rottinghaus, Day and Borgen, (2005), translated to Turkish culture by Agargun et al., (2005) and which is evaluated about psychometric properties in Turkish sample by Kalafat (2012) is used. While analysis; descriptive statistics, independent sample T test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test, Tukey (HSD-LSD) test, Pearson Correlation test and regression analysis were used for in-group comparisons. As a result of the research, it can be said that serious leisure and career future are differentiated by certain variables and serious leisure career, which is an important factor affecting future career, is a tool to increase positive perception of career. Article visualizations:

Masculinity constructing among street workout youth in post-Soviet Dagestan

Based on a case study of a street workout community in post-Soviet Dagestan, I show how young underclass men construct and negotiate their masculinities in a transitional society. Processes of deindustrialization and urbanization destabilize the gender order and problematize the legitimate ways of ‘achieving’ masculinity. Street workout athletes use the global cultural (post-sports) practice to articulate, prove and perform their masculinity styles and scenarios, which correspond both to the norms of the local and global hegemonic models. They pursue ‘leisure careers’ of professionally successful men and represent a strong, but not aggressive corporeality distancing themselves from marginalizing practices of street violence.

Older women’s perspectives on leisure commitment for coping with chronic illnesses

Commitment to leisure is recognized as an important aspect in understanding older adults' leisure behavior. Older adults' participation in Flow and Balance (FAB) is an exemplary instance of such engagement. We interviewed 11 older women who participate in FAB to explore how this experience contributed to coping with chronic illnesses. Our analysis revealed six central themes: (a) overcoming adversities; (b) investing personal effort; (c) stages of a leisure career; (d) health benefits and belongingness; (e) developing a special social world; and (f) centrality in life. Our findings emphasize the pivotal role of committed leisure in successful aging among older women.

Competence in Expanded Core Curriculum Skills: Does the Level Taught Matter to the Visually Impaired?

Educating the visually impaired requires unique consideration in which they would be provided with the tools, skills, and strategies they need to develop alternative means of obtaining information. The alternative means are compensatory access, sensory efficiency, assistive technology, orientation and mobility, independent living, social interaction, recreation and leisure career education and self-determination skills. The study sought to investigate the expanded core curriculum skills for students with visual impairment. It compares the level at which these skills were acquired and how they influence their competence. The researchers employed descriptive cross-sectional design for the study. 93 students with visual impairment were selected using multi-stage sampling technique from University of Cape Coast and University of Education, Winneba for the study. Frequency and percentages and ANOVA were used to analyse the data to answer the research questions and the hypothesis respectively. The results of the study indicated that majority of the students with visual impairment started the study of the expanded core curriculum skills from the basic level of education. It also became clear that those who started the learning of the expanded core curriculum at the basic level proved to be very competent. It was recommended that the Special Education Division of Ghana Education Service should intensify the teaching and learning of expanded core curriculum skills at the basic school so as to continue to impact ECC competence throughout a child’s academic life.

Schooling youth (sub)cultures in East Asian education: the case of high school rock in Taiwan

ABSTRACTOver the past few years, some articles in this journal began to propose avenues of inquiry that would go beyond the long lasting subculture/post-subculture debate. This article aims to contribute to this emerging literature through examining the semi-independent role of ‘schooling’ in shaping specific patterns of youth (sub)cultural participation with specific reference to the role of high school rock music in Taiwan. I analyse how certain schooling structures and institutions – such as academic ranking and exams – frame the way students engage in their rock activities, and how this facilitates the popularity of heavy metal rock and the replication of exam culture in students’ rock subculture. Extending Shildrick and Macdonald’s use of the term ‘leisure career’, I suggest that an in-depth analysis of the interplay between young people’s ‘educational career’ and their focused leisure activities can be useful in understanding how specific patterns of decision making shape young students’ everyday culture and contribute to the distinctiveness of their subcultural participation.

대학생의 여가라이프스타일이 여가제약 및 진로태도성숙에 미치는 영향

대학생의 여가라이프스타일이 여가제약 및 진로태도성숙에 미치는 영향

Empirical investigation of the relationship between serious leisure and meaning in life among Japanese and Euro-Canadians

ABSTRACTSerious leisure (SL) is a specific leisure experience characterised by perseverance, leisure career, personal effort, durable benefits, unique ethos, and identification with the activity. As it results in self-actualisation and self-expression, Robert Stebbins has proposed that SL does not only increase participants’ hedonic well-being (e.g. pleasant feelings), but also enhance their eudaimonic well-being [e.g. meaning in life (MIL), self-expressiveness, virtue]. Although this argument makes logical sense, it has not been empirically tested. The purpose of this research is to empirically examine the relationship between SL and eudaimonic well-being focusing on MIL. We used data from 207 Japanese and 202 Euro-Canadian middle-aged and older adults collected through a cross-sectional online survey. After multi-group confirmatory factor analysis, multiple mediation analyses were conducted to test whether SL core characteristics impacted MIL or its sub-dimensions (i.e. purpose, coherence, and significance) both directly and indirectly via personal and interpersonal rewards of SL. Results suggested that among Japanese, SL was positively related to MIL both directly and indirectly via SL’s personal rewards. Among Euro-Canadians, the direct link was limited to only a few MIL sub-dimensions, and indirect effects were not significant. These mixed results were discussed in relation to SL, eudaimonic well-being, and culture.

Relating to reptiles: an autoethnographic account of animal–leisure relationships

ABSTRACTIn this paper, I explore my life-long interest in amateur herpetology using an autoethnographic methodology and, in doing so, reveal the varied intersections of animals, leisure, place and identity within my own life experience. Informed by serious leisure theory and Stebbins’ concept of the ‘leisure career’, I reflect on aspects of my life-history from childhood and adolescence through to the present day as a 56-year-old Anglo-Australian male, teasing out the diversity of ways that the leisure practices relating to my interest in this specific group of animals have been enabled and supported, spatially, structurally and socially. This analysis examines the intellectual, emotional and embodied ways that I have encountered and experienced reptiles across time and space, facilitated in the first instance by a supportive family which, in various ways, encouraged my entry into amateur herpetology.

서핑관광객의 진지한 여가 동기, 몰입, 행동의도 간 영향관계

This study aims to prove the relation among serious leisure motives, flow and behavioral intention of surf tourists. First, the serious leisure motives have been verified to have strong relationship with surf tourists’ emotional flow. Among four factors of the surf tourists’ serious leisure motives, three factors of serious leisure motives ,which are leisure career motive, personal effort motive, continuous benefit motive, are significantly influence on emotional flow. Second, the serious leisure motives have been verified to have strong relationship with surf tourists’ emotional flow. The four factors of serious leisure motives, which are expertise in lesure motive, leisure career motive, personal effort motive, continuous benefit motive, are significantly influence on cognative flow. Third, the surf tourists’ flow, which consists of emotional and cognitive flow, has a directly positive effect on the behavioral intention. The emotional and cognitive flow are significantly influence on the behavioral intention.