Francis A. McGuire

Race, Class, and Leisure Activity Preferences: Marginality and Ethnicity Revisited.

This study examines the relationship between race, leisure preferences, and class awareness. Based on interest-group theory of class identification, we hypothesized that blacks and whites who defin...

A factor analytic study of leisure constraints in advanced adulthood

Abstract Leisure lifestyles in a persons later years are often constrained by forces such as inadequate money, lack of transportation, and lack of knowledge. A body of knowledge related to leisure constraints in old age has been growing. This study was designed to advance the work in this area by determining whether commonalities exist which permit the reduction of specific limiting forces identified in previous research into broader constraint factors. A list of 30 constraints, based on previous research, was developed for this study. One hundred and twenty‐five individuals (ranging in age from 45 to 93) were asked to rate the importance of each of these constraints in limiting their leisure involvement. A factor analysis of responses yielded five constraint factors: external resource; time; approval; ability/social; and, physical well‐being. To gain further insight into these factors, their relationship to age, health, education, income, sex, and life satisfaction was examined through correlational ana...

Development of the serious leisure inventory and measure.

In this investigation, the serious leisure inventory and measure (SLIM) was developed from convenience and target samples. The multidimensional framework of serious leisure contains six qualities from which 18 operations were employed. With the use of a q-sort, an expert panel, and confirmatory factor analysis, the 72 item SLIM demonstrated acceptable fit, reliability and equivalence across samples. Mean differences and correlation patterns found between samples demonstrated preliminary evidence for the predictive ability of the new measure. The SLIM short form (54 items) demonstrated good model fit and construct validity. Future replications are needed to adequately address the psychometric complexities of the SLIM within the network of interrelated leisure constructs.

THE LINK BETWEEN SUCCESSFUL AGING AND SERIOUS LEISURE

The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine whether engagement in a serious leisure activity provided older adults opportunities for successful aging. Data were collected through in-depth interviews at shag dance festivals in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. To provide structure for the interview, a general interview guide consisting of open-ended questions was used. A total of 31 interviews were conducted with 25 individuals and 6 couples, between 60 and 82 years of age. During the analysis stage, the constant comparative method was used to analyze the data. Themes that emerged support the idea that shag dancing is a form of serious leisure for older adults and support the role of serious leisure in successful aging. The narratives provided by the informants illustrate the powerful role serious leisure can play in an individuals life and point toward the value of serious leisure as an approach that holds promise for recreators working to help older individuals experience successful aging.

Gender, race, and subjective social class and their association with leisure preferences

Abstract This study examines the leisure preferences of subgroups defined by gender, race, and subjective social class. The multiple hierarchy stratification perspective and the class polarization perspective provided the theoretical rationale for the study, and a secondary data set from a national probability telephone survey was used. The interviews obtained information regarding the leisure preferences of adults age 21 to 65. From 2,148 contacts, 1, 711 interviews were completed. The results provide partial support for the studys hypotheses. Poor‐working‐class Black women were distinct from White men and women and middle‐class Black men, but they were similar to the other Black groups. As hypothesized, the leisure preferences of middle‐class Black and White men were similar. However, contrary to the studys hypothesis, Black men of different classes did not exhibit greater dissimilarity when compared with Black women of different classes.

Having more by doing less: the paradox of leisure constraints in later life.

Abstract A considerable literature now documents the vast array of constraints that keep people from participating in or enjoying recreation and leisure activities. Consistently these factors have been regarded as negative and deserving of elimination, negotiation, or navigation. Recently, however, researchers have argued (in separate chapters in Jackson, 2005a) that constraints often exist in a beneficial relationship with leisure activity patterns and should, as a result, be studied for potential positive effects and managed accordingly. The case for the beneficial aspects of constraints to leisure has been made mostly with respect to aging, though arguably it applies to all ages. The model of successful aging that has received the most theoretical and empirical support in recent years is that of selective optimization with compensation (Baltes & Carstensen, 1996). We argue here for a proposition derived from this model that encountering and accepting constraint, while initially painful in many cases, is often life-enhancing. This paper explores this proposition and six implications for managing leisure experience in the course of adjusting to change and limitations throughout life.

The Influence of Attitude Accessibility on Attitude-Behavior Relationships: Implications for Recreation Research

Recreation researchers frequently employ the attitude concept in studying recreation phenomenon, yet there are times when attitude-behavior relationships are weak. One explanation for this is attit...

Integrating ceasing participation with other aspects of leisure behavior: a replication and extension.

This paper replicates and extends parts of an earlier work by Jackson and Dunn (1988) which created a model for examining non-participation. Data from the 1982–83 Nationwide Recreation Survey were ...

The relationship of early life experiences to later life leisure involvement

Abstract Data from the 1982–1983 Nationwide Recreation Survey were used to determine whether late life differences in leisure behavior reflect a response to early life patterns or present‐day socioeconomic differences. Individuals aged 65 and over were categorized as either “expanders”; or “contractors”; based on their pattern of leisure involvement. Differences in lifelong learning of leisure activities between these two groups were examined. In addition, a discriminant analysis was done to determine whether present‐day differences on socio‐demographic variables were effective in differentiating between expanders and contractors. Results showed that expanders altered their leisure patterns by the addition of new activities throughout the life span whereas contractors learned most of their outdoor recreation activities before age 21. However, none of the socio‐demographic variables used in this study were effective in differentiating between the expanders and contractors.

Whither the Mature Market: An Empirical Examination of the Travel Motivations of Neo-Mature and Veteran-Mature Markets

Abstract The gerontological literature has consistently made note of the danger in using chronological age as the sole predictor of attitudes and behaviors of the elderly. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the mature market is defined primarily by age or whether other variables mediate the effects of age. Data from a tourism marketing study measuring the vacation travel motivations of older individuals living in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin were analyzed to examine the importance of 35 travel benefits (push factors) and 85 vacation attributes (pull factors) to mature market members. An elaboration model was used to determine if there were age differences within the mature market (?neo-mature? versus ?veteran-mature?) and whether these age differences were affected by income and retirement status. Factor analysis of the push factors revealed six underlying travel motives: escape, education, family, action, relaxation, and ego. Factor analysis of the pull factors identified nine underlying vacation travel attributes: natural surroundings, good weather, tourism infrastructure, budget dining and accommodations, cultural and historical attractions, manmade attractions, people, upscale facilities, and outdoor recreation opportunities. Initial results indicated there were significant differences in travel motivations of neo-mature market members (aged 50-64) and veteran-mature market members (aged 65+) for four push factors (escape, education, action and relaxation) and three pull factors (natural surroundings, upscale facilities and outdoor recreation opportunities). However, adding income and retirement status into the analysis as control variables mediated the effects of age. The findings serve as a caution to those who believe that age is a sufficient variable for understanding the mature market.