Dawn E. Trussell

Organized Youth Sport and Parenting in Public and Private Spaces

This article examines the connection of organized youth sport to cultural beliefs, values and practices of contemporary parenting ideologies, specifically the idealization of intensive mothering and involved fathering. It explores how parenting ideologies are constructed by the discourses expressed by individuals in their everyday lives through their childrens sport participation. Moreover, the analysis of the parental discourse illustrates how parenting goes beyond the home environment and becomes a public act that is observed by other parents, with these observations creating the basis of what is deemed to be a good parent. Emphasis is also placed on the gendered dimensions of meeting the expectations for being a good parent.

Daddy's Gone and He'll Be Back in October: Farm Women's Experiences of Family Leisure

This study addresses the role of family leisure on the family farm. An interpretive interview approach was used to explore the meanings of family leisure for a purposively selected group of farm women in Ontario, Canada. The analysis showed that while childrens leisure, family excursions and vacations were all highly valued, attempts to facilitate these activities were often experienced with disappointment and frustration due to the demands of farm life and the absence of the husbands from family activities. The womens experiences were seen as “single parenthood within the marital context.” Comparisons are drawn between the family leisure experiences for these farm women and previous research on leisure in urban families. The importance of context for understanding family leisure is emphasized.

Seeking Judgment Free Spaces: Poverty, Leisure, and Social Inclusion

Abstract This study explored the experiences and meanings of leisure for individuals living in poverty and who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless. Results show that a key component for moving toward leisure that addresses our most challenging social ills rests with its power to create “judgment free spaces.” Three themes emerged: (1) the significance of vibrant organizations where acceptance, not exposure, is fostered; (2) a need for increased opportunities to become, and remain, connected to the broader community and to choose how this connection is manifested; and (3) the importance of personal and private spaces that are both safe and appropriate. The paper concludes with a call to re-think the spaces where leisure occurs.

'Classy and never trashy': young women's experiences of nightclubs and the construction of gender and sexuality.

This article presents findings from an interpretive study that sought to understand the meanings and experiences of the mainstream nightclub culture from the perspective of young women. Specifically, how the young womens leisure experiences contested, negotiated, constructed and reconstructed feminine ideals and public displays of sexuality were examined as well as the gendered risks that they mitigate throughout this process. Seven young women, between the ages of 19 and 25, participated in the study. The findings call attention to the ways in which the young women created an alternate and desirable self through their appearance and the consumption of alcohol, how they sought male attention and the repercussions of double standards, and how they kept safe through the use of the buddy system and cautionary tales. Emphasis is placed on the highly contradictory nature of the young womens experiences as well as the significance of leisure, friendships, and gender relations.

Pinstripes and Breast Pumps: Navigating the Tenure-Motherhood-Track

Guided by the competing sociological concepts of the ideal worker and intensive mothering, and building on previous research on women in academia, the intent of this paper is to critically examine the transition to motherhood while being a junior faculty member in a tenure-track position. Issues related to the pregnant body and how it alters scholarly identity through the internal gaze as well as the subjectivities from the institution are examined. The significance of leisure-based friendships for social support, personal health, well-being, and identity reconstruction and expression are emphasized. Despite the documented difficulties and negative outcomes, I argue that in many ways being a parent and a scholar are complementary and can strengthen the very creation of knowledge.

Family leisure and the coming out process for LGB young people and their parents

This article examines how the coming out process for young people who identify as lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) shaped the meanings and experiences of their family leisure engagement. The data draws on a purposive sample of 20 participants (7 young people and their parents). The findings emphasize that shared family activities (media in the family home, family outings and vacations, visiting extended family members) could be altered in relation to the coming out process and cultural norms related to heterosexism and homophobia. It highlights the significant role of mothers as well as extended family members who identified as LGB (i.e. aunts, uncles) in mediating familial relationships. Issues of identity formation (i.e. LGB young person, the parent of a LGB child) and the ongoing process of acceptance are emphasized.

Contradictory Aspects of Organized Youth Sport: Challenging and Fostering Sibling Relationships and Participation Experiences.

This article presents findings from an interpretive study that sought to understand how organized sport at the community level influences sibling relationships and interactions. The meanings of the participants’ sport involvement, in relation to their siblings’, was also examined using a constructivist approach to grounded theory. Nineteen youth (9 boys and 10 girls) from 7 different families living in a rural community in Canada participated in the study. The findings call attention to the significance of organized youth sport to enhance opportunities to spend time together, to shape perceptions of fairness and equality, and the implications that occur when living with a star athlete. Emphasis is placed on the contradictory nature of organized youth sport to strengthen and challenge sibling relationships as well as the potential of sibling dynamics to alter the nature of the participation experiences.

Dancing in the margins: reflections on social justice and researcher identities.

Abstract The purpose of this essay is to illustrate how the complexities, fluidity, and shifting nature of the multiple facets to our identities may shape the very construction of knowledge. Specifically, how researcher positionality and reflexivity influences an understanding of our personal identities related to leisure and social justice research using epiphany moments is examined. It is posited that our socially constructed identities (defined by race, age, gender, sexuality, able-bodied, class, etc.) can have a profound impact on the intersection of our research programs and our commitment to issues of social justice. Emphasis is also placed on understanding the cringe continuum, feelings of unease with research topics, the significance of social justice research in the classroom, and understanding the risks associated with this type of work.

Negotiating the Complexities and Risks of Interdisciplinary Qualitative Research

This article interrogates the experiences of an interdisciplinary research team that engaged in a qualitative research program for over 5 years, beginning with the grant writing process through to knowledge dissemination. We highlight the challenges of constructing shared understanding and developing research synergies, embracing vulnerability and discomfort to advance knowledge, and negotiating risks of legitimacy and transcending disciplinary boundaries. Based on critical reflections from the research team, the findings call attention to the politics of knowledge production, the internal and external obstacles, and the open mindedness and emotional sensitivity necessary for interdisciplinary qualitative research. Emphasis is placed on relational and structural processes and mechanisms to negotiate these challenges and the potential for interdisciplinary research to enhance the significance of scholarly work.

Revisiting Family Leisure Research and Critical Reflections on the Future of Family-Centered Scholarship

ABSTRACT In this special issue of Leisure Sciences, we examine the progress made and challenges ahead in research on leisure and families—20 years revisited. We consider what advancements have been made in family leisure research and potential new directions that family-centered scholars can look towards. We also consider the dominance of particular theoretical perspectives and methodological designs, and the limitations and consequences of such perspectives, to understand the complexities, diversity, and richness of the lived family experience. Emphasis is placed on the need for scholarship that explores diverse constructions of family and to provide a call to action for family-centered scholars to engage with broader global social issues.