Leisure Research Research Articles

Changing the Record? The (re)Making of Rock ‘n’ Roll, ‘Race’ and Teenage Leisure in 1950s Cleveland

AbstractThis paper aims to explore, and reframe, the relations between rock ‘n’ roll, leisure, ‘race’ and youth in Cleveland, Ohio in the 1950s, utilizing archival research to question the heritagization of the city’s popular music histories. Specifically drawing upon accounts of radio broadcasting and vinyl records, we offer an archival study of Cleveland, Ohio, a city that claims to be the “birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll” and (since 1986) is the site of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. After contextualizing the 1950s, we conceptualize the recent archival (re)turn in socio-cultural research. Through this methodological lens we overview the special collections, documents and artefacts explored in fieldwork at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Library and Archives. Then, three counter-stories are presented toward decentring and demythologizing the canonical history of rock ‘n’ roll in Cleveland. Against this canonization, we “change the record” of histories of local radio broadcasting, record stores and eyewitness accounts from Cleveland’s black teenage audiences often absent from many authorized heritage discourses of early rock ‘n’ roll. In deconstructing myths of Cleveland’s musical past, the paper frames archival research as a critical, if under-utilized resource, in leisure research.

The messiness of leisure research: Explorations of research processes

The messiness of leisure research: Explorations of research processes

The evolution and application of emotional solidarity theory in tourism behaviour research

ABSTRACT This manuscript critically examines the use and application of the emotional solidarity (ES) theoretical framework within tourism, hospitality, sports, and leisure research, highlighting the interdisciplinary utilisation of the theory from other fields to understand individuals’ behaviour. The current study addresses the challenges posed by the selection of ES, including the issues of behavioural indicators, theory time lag, theory stickiness, and the potential restrictions of literature reviews. Through this exploration, this study aims to advocate for a more inclusive and dynamic approach to theory application in tourism studies that respects the original discipline's paradigms while adapting to the evolving landscape research focusing on residents’ and tourists’ behaviour as it pertains to the inextricably linked relationship between the parties.

Lazer Boa Vista: Web Application of Leisure Spaces in Boa Vista/Roraima

Objective: The main objective of this study was to explore and identify the main leisure spaces in Boa Vista/Roraima, and to develop a web application that allows users to access interactive multimedia content with the information researched about the municipality (leisure spaces, equipment and activities). Theoretical Framework: The concept of leisure has changed over the years and is currently defined as moments of fun and relaxation in one's free time from work. Providing accurate and up-to-date information on leisure spaces enables people to access and occupy them quickly. Method: This study is characterized by exploratory research and applied research, as its purpose was to generate a product. After the exploratory research, the neighborhoods with the greatest potential for leisure spaces were defined to make up the web application. Leisure research tools were used (bibliographic and documentary research) and application development tools (the programming language suited to the application's purpose). Results and Discussion: 28 neighborhoods with preserved leisure spaces were found, including 25 types of leisure equipment and 45 types of leisure activities practiced in these spaces. This information was used to create the “Lazer Boa Vista” web application. Originality/Value: This study contributes by gathering and listing the leisure spaces in the municipality of Boa Vista/RR. The relevance of this study stands out for highlighting tourist leisure spaces, collaborating with this area socio-economically, popularizing and disseminating them through digital marketing.

Researching Leisure in the Aftermath of Trauma: An Auto-Ethnography of Loss, Fear, and Working with Refugee Families

In this auto-ethnographic study, I examine the tensions in conducting leisure research with communities experiencing trauma as a survivor of trauma. I use diary entries taken during times of coping with my mother’s illnesses, and during a two-week period working with Syrian refugee families in Lebanon, to explore narratives of leisure as a means to heal and belong. Results from a narrative analysis reflect (1) renegotiating an empathetic researcher identity after trauma; and (2) affordance for safe leisure and opportunities to heal. These narratives contribute to enriching understandings of self-compassion within leisure research, with a focus on the capacity for leisure researchers to meaningfully engage with their experiences to deepen their engagement with families. It is my hope findings from this study can aid researchers in reflecting on their own trauma and healing journeys – and in doing so strengthen their capacities to care for others and themselves.

Martial Arts Interventions for Inclusion and Wellness: A Case of Children with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)

AbstractMartial arts are a Broad set of Activities that Offer the Opportunity to Engage in a Physical Activity that can Produce a Range of Benefits for Young People. The Broad Nature of Martial arts also Brings Merits to Children with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) as they have an Opportunity to Engage Better in more Activities and are not Limited to just Traditional Physical Activity Offered in Their Educational Settings. This Paper Draws on the Literature to show how Martial arts is Linked to Leisure Research and how it also fits into the Realm of Wellness Benefits for Young Children on SEND. The Paper Highlights the Potential Benefits of Martial arts Interventions and Discusses its Usefulness in Promoting Inclusion. The Preliminary Findings from a Pilot Study Suggest that SEND Children do Indicate some Changes in Their Behaviours through the Martial arts Interventions. Reduced Scores were Observed in Areas around those that might Cause Anxiety, Anger and Frustration, whilst Excitement and Calmness was Improved. The Reactions of Carers and Teaching Assistants Displayed Improvements in Anxiety and Positive Behaviours.

“Collecting Loose Change:” Conceptual Clarifications on Bias, Subjectivity, Positionality, Reflexivity, & Autoethnography in Leisure Research

With the rise of the acceptance, normalization, and increasing sophistication of qualitative research across the social sciences, there is a proliferation of paradigmatic approaches, methodologies, data generation methods, analytical techniques, and forms of representation. As qualitative methods continue to develop, expand, and hybridize, there is a need to conceptually clarify some of the “loose change” that has come with the rise of its legitimacy. In this essay, we build upon previous work advocating for a greater need for the use and conceptual clarification of trustworthiness in qualitative research to make an additional necessary call to encourage nuance when engaging with concepts that focus on the role of the self. We try to nuance the role(s) of articulating one’s place through declarations of bias, subjectivity, and positionality and the mechanisms for managing and/or understanding one’s place in the research vis-a-vis reflexivity as a process and/or autoethnography (methodology). In doing so, we call for the appropriate deployment of these techniques to align with the paradigmatic approach used in the research endeavor.

Navigating the landscape of tourism, leisure, and sport studies in Mexico

ABSTRACT Research in tourism, leisure, and sports in Mexico is justified by the country's rich cultural, natural, and traditional diversity, as well as its economic and sociocultural relevance. Despite growth in these fields, challenges persist, such as lack of international recognition, limitations in interdisciplinary research, and barriers to knowledge publication and dissemination. This work presents a consensus derived from the Latin American Colloquium on Interspecies Relations in Tourism, Leisure, and Sports in 2023. The consensus highlights the increase in interdisciplinary collective research in these areas but acknowledges the scarcity of scientific studies in Mexico. Complex sociocultural practices and conditions shape various tourism, leisure, and sports activities, implying a need and opportunity for research in the country. Additionally, the importance of integrating local Mexican knowledge into the global academic discourse and overcoming challenges such as editorial biases and language barriers is emphasised. Lastly, Mexican academics and the global community are urged to collaborate in disseminating and challenging intellectual colonialism concerning knowledge about leisure, tourism, and sports in Mexico.

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.

Negative social jetlag - an emerging topic in leisure research

Negative social jetlag - an emerging topic in leisure research

Who churns from fitness centres? Evidence from behavioural and attitudinal segmentation

ABSTRACT Research question One major challenge fitness centres face is high non-renewal rates from members. This study examines which members in a fitness centre are most likely to churn, contributing a novel process of segmentation to guide member retention. Research methods We analyse 661 full-service fitness centre members in Australia, presenting a process for segmenting members, and identifying churn risk. Leveraging recent trends of increased behavioural data usage in sport and leisure research contexts, analysis included both self-reported attitudes collected via survey as well as database behavioural attendance collected over 56 weeks. Results and findings Fitness centre members were grouped via k-means clustering, yielding four segments: Dissatisfied Casuals, Deliberate Regulars, Enthusiastic Absentees and Dedicated Reliables. Results supported greater churn likelihood within segments with lower involvement, and lower attendance frequency and consistency. Implications Implications suggest that segmentation processes adopting only an attitudinal approach can be limited in identifying likelihood of churn, by omitting pertinent behavioural variables. Thus, the proposed segmentation framework will assist fitness centre managers to better understand their heterogeneous consumer bases and develop and implement variant marketing approaches for retention.

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.

Developing an instrument to assess the satisfaction and frustration of basic psychological needs during the leisure activity of birdwatching (Birding-BPNSF)

Motivation and well-being are gaining attention in leisure research. However, the analysis of the prerequisites of these variables is lacking. Self-determination theory offers valuable insights into these prerequisites by considering basic psychological needs. However, investigations of the satisfaction and frustration of these needs in leisure activities are scarce and test instruments are limited. To address this, we developed a German instrument to assess basic need satisfaction and frustration during birdwatching. Overall, 542 birdwatchers (M age = 49.11 ± 17.08 years) completed our survey. We tested three models: (1) satisfaction and frustration, (2) autonomy, competence, and relatedness, and (3) each need with satisfaction and frustration dimension. We found the latter 6-factor model to be most appropriate. Moreover, we found expected correlations between the factors and intrinsic motivation during birdwatching. Besides the possibility to measure and gain insight into birdwatchers’ experiences, our instrument can provide directions to design motivating activities, for example, in the field of conservation.

New Horizons in Loss and Death Research in Leisure Studies

Death is among the few certainties of life. Although personal and societal attitudes about death are varied and complex, death can act as a catalyst for action, resulting in a somber, affirmative, and more authentic existence—captured by Heidegger’s term “being-toward-death.” This article calls for a more proactive engagement with the topic of death vis-à-vis leisure, asserting a greater need to embrace diverse perspectives, philosophies, and worldviews through both empirical and conceptual research. Serving as the introduction to the special issue of Leisure Sciences on “Leisure, Loss and Death,” it explores nuanced definitions of death and distinguishes between personal and collective loss. It urges a more affirmative embrace of death in leisure research, presenting death as an existential milieu that can inform human existence.

The emergence of serious leisure research: trends and directions for leisure-based entrepreneurship

This study combines bibliometric analysis and a literature review to analyze the present state of serious leisure research. A bibliographic study focuses on the quantity and quality of publications pertaining to serious leisure. It investigates patterns in article creation, citations, the most cited authors, publications, and countries that contribute to the body of knowledge. In recent years, the number of articles on serious leisure has increased significantly, reflecting a growing interest in this field of study. The literature review investigates the connection between serious leisure and entrepreneurship. The review findings also emphasize the potential advantages of serious leisure entrepreneurship, such as enhanced quality of life and the development of customized special-interest goods. The study suggests a number of prospective research avenues for researchers interested in the junction of serious leisure and entrepreneurship.

Advancing understanding of digital well-being at the intersection of technology and leisure

As new technologies emerge and are inserted within peoples’ lives each day, scholarly examination of the intersections between these innovations and leisure is increasingly vital. Researchers and their methods must continue to advance, in order to better anticipate and inform theory, industry, and society. This closing article of the Journal of Leisure Research special issue on technology, innovation, and leisure (TIL) provides a brief targeted bibliometric review of recent Web of Science (WoS) indexed research related to TIL, identifying research co-occurrence trends for 111 recent articles. These trends, along with commonalities within keyword co-occurrence clusters, and contributions from the seven special issue articles, informed ten proposed areas of TIL research priority that will often interact and overlap: Technology enhanced travel behavior; Psychology of social networks/media; Game-based educational innovation; Aging and digital leisure; Health and well-being technological design; Gender considerations; ICT attitudes, adoption, and literacy; Youth and adolescent technology and leisure; Social aspects of technology and leisure in urban settings; and Digital leisure DEI. Specific research needs within these ten areas are identified, based on the insights and recommendations of the special issue contributors.

Fear City, Cop City and Other Tales, a Call for Police Research

It has been noted that crime and enforcement are likely a defining part of an evolving leisure experience. The aims of this manuscript were to call for research to focus on this phenomenon of the shooting and killing of people, particularly Black citizenry, by law enforcement. State sanctioned violence has been consistently wrought in leisure spaces and settings since those 2014–2015 deaths that were noted previously in the Leisure Sciences article, “The Case of the 12-year-old Boy: Or, the Silence of and Relevance to Leisure Research”. An understanding of policing, not police officers, and an understanding of society, not social behavior are the needs in the research of a legitimate phenomenon that occurs within the space, time, and activities of leisure, sport, and tourism.

Leisure and Human Rights … or Social Justice?

This paper notes the recent increased interest of leisure researchers in the concepts of human rights and social justice, with social justice being particularly favored by North America researchers. Since both concepts concern the just treatment and well-being of individuals and social groups in contemporary society, the paper aims to establish whether they represent distinctly different approaches to analysis or are overlapping in meaning and possibly complementary. It is found that, while some proponents of social justice down-play the significance of human rights, it is widely accepted that human rights are a component of social justice and that broad inclusive definitions of human rights encompass most of the concerns of social justice. It is therefore concluded that the two approaches to leisure analysis are complementary and each would benefit from incorporation of elements of the other in its conceptual framework and from more extensive engagement key generic social theory and policy frameworks.

A brief exploration to the gist of Taoist leisure: from concepts to practice

ABSTRACT Taoism is the only indigenous Chinese religion and one of the most important ideological traditions that have a significant influence on leisure. Current Taoist leisure research mainly focuses on philosophical Taoism, an offshoot of the ‘real Taoism’. This paper will take philosophical Taoism and religious Taoism as a cultural whole and conduct a comprehensive, in-depth study of Taoist leisure, by paying more attention to its religious dimension, which is very esoteric, characteristic, and more of the essence of Taoism but rarely investigated before. We will explore Taoist leisure from the perspectives of philosophical bases, leisure concepts, pharmaceutical and life cultivation (i.e. alchemy, regimens), outdoor activities (i.e. seclusion, festivals, liturgy, travel) and its art practices (i.e. literature, paintings, music). Finally, we will make a concise comparison and exchange between the Taoist and the West leisure in the global vision.

LEISURE IN PSYCHOLOGY AND ISLAM: COMPARATIVE STUDIES

Islam is a exhaustive religion that talks about many facets of daily life, including recreational or leisure activities. Since leisure research has always been regarded primarily through the lens of Western psychology theory, it has grown significantly in Europe and America. There hasn't been any more research done on the benefits of leisure activity participation from an Islamic perspective. This study tries to compare leisure from the viewpoints of psychology and Islam. Comparative research is conducted by reading and analysing carefully from a variety of pertinent sources, including those from Islam and psychology. The findings indicated that psychology and Islam encourage leisure activities that are beneficial for addressing psychological, educational, social, self-relaxation, and physiological demands. While Islam dictates that one's leisure time activities do not contradict with Islamic beliefs in order to create happy people in this world and the hereafter, psychology is more open in many areas.