2020 Graduate Leisure Research Symposium abstracts

SonTung Nguyen
Vancouver Island University

References

Caudwell, J. (2014). [Transgender] young men: Gendered subjectivities and the physically active

body. Sport, Education and Society, 19(4), 398–414.

Cunningham, G. B., & Pickett, A. C. (2017). Trans prejudice in sport: Differences from LGB

prejudice, the influence of gender, and changes over time. Sex Roles, 78(3-4), 220– 227.

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Justin Robar
Brock University

Abstract

The first wave of Sport for Development (SfD) initiatives made bold assumptions that sport was inherently good for all participants and could achieve both social and developmental outcomes (Levermore, 2008, Lyras & Welty-Peachey, 2011). Many scholars began to question the impacts that SfD programs were having achieving developmental goals and positive social outcomes (Darnell, 2010, Coalter, 2013, Schulenkorf, Sherry, & Rowe, 2016, Svensson & Levine, 2017). Researchers also conveyed that there were possible issues associated with race and power dynamics, Global North and South relations, cultural sensitivity, and gender issues apparent in SfD programs (Darnell et al., 2016). There has been shifts in the SfD sphere in response to this critical research to work closer with the communities and individuals who are the co-creators of these programs (Coalter, 2007, 2010; Darnell, 2012; Collison & Marchesseault, 2018; Van der Kleshorst, 2018). The purpose of this study was to better understand how the community members who are co-creators and participants of this SfD initiative perceive the impacts of these programs at a community, and individual level. The community that I worked with has been working with a SfD program for the past eight years. I worked closely with a local gatekeeper (the rugby development officer) to understand the community and identify interviewees. Participants included; community members, parents, coaches, teachers, and former participants. During my time there I also participated in coaching seminars, worked with participants, and helped life skills sessions. Using Stake’s (1995) case study approach interviews, fieldwork, and content analysis were used. Through these methods and data analysis four over arching themes emerged. Community development through a sport-education centre, community interaction and engagement, development of participants, and High-Performance rugby development. These findings work to fill multiple gaps in literature identified by Schulenkorf, Sherry, & Rowe (2016) and attempt to address critical issues laid out by Darnell et al. (2016). This research also hopes to work as a bridge between academia, and practitioners and will aim to make recommendations for possible best practices moving forward in the SfD world that include; community engagement in development, upskilling local participants and community members, and seeking out feedback from the community members involved.

References

Coalter, F. (2007). A wider social role for sport: Who’s keeping the score? New York, NY: Routledge.

Coalter, F. (2010). Sport-in-development: Accountability or development. In R. Levermore & A. Beacom (Eds.), Sport and International Development (p. 55-75). UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

Coalter, F. (2013b). ‘There is loads of relationships here’: Developing a programme theory for sport-for-change programmes. International Review For The Sociology Of Sport, 48(5). 594-612.

Collison, H., &, Marchesseault, D. (2018). Finding the missing voices of Sport for Development  and Peace (SDP): Using a ‘Participatory Social Interaction Research’ methodology and anthropological perspectives within African developing countries. Sport in Society. 21(2). 226-242.

Darnell, S. (2010). Power, politics and “sport for development and peace”: Investigating the utility of sport for international development. Sociology of Sport Journal, 27(1), 54-75.

Darnell, S. (2012). Sport for Development and Peace: A Critical Sociology. New York, NY: Bloomsburg.

Darnell, S.C.,Chawansky, M., Marchesseault, D., Holmes, M., Hayhurst, L. (2016) “The State of Play: Critical Sociological Insights into Recent ‘Sport for Development and Pace’ Research.” International Review for the Sociology of Sport.

Levermore, R. (2008a). Sport: A new engine for development? Progress in Development  Studies, 8, 183–90.

Lyras, A., & Welty-Peachey, J. (2011). Integrating sport-for-development theory and praxis. Sport Management Review, 14(4). 311–326

Schulenkorf, N., Sherry, E., &, Rowe, K. (2016). Sport for Development: An Integrated   Literature Review. Journal of Sport Management. 30. 22-39.

Stake, R. E. (1995). The art of case study research. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Svensson, P., &, Levine, J. (2017). Rethinking Sport for Development and Peace: The Capability Approach. Sport in Society. 20(7). 905-923.

Van der Klashorst, E. (2018). Exploring the economic, social and cultural rights of youth leaders working in Sport for Development initiatives at grassroots level in South Africa. Leisure Studies. 37 (1). 109-116.

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Vinu Selvaratnam
Department of Recreation and Leisure, University of Waterloo

Abstract

Participation in campus recreation provides an opportunity for students to improve their health and well-being, develop connections with other students and the university, engage in enjoyable and personally meaningful recreation, and enhance their academic performance. Despite the importance of recreation for university students, understandings of why only some students participate in recreation on campus are limited. Partnering with the Campus Athletic Recreation Network at the University of Waterloo, this study sought to develop theoretical and practical insights into participation and non-participation. Theoretically, the study draws on the Psychological Continuum Model which identifies awareness and attraction as preceding conditions to individuals reaching the stages of psychological attachment and loyal behaviour. Additionally, this study also draws on leisure constraint theory to further explain variations in levels of participation. The study explored the following research questions: (1) Is greater awareness of campus recreation opportunities associated with higher levels of participation? (2) What constraints reduce participation in campus recreation notwithstanding the effects of awareness? (3) What motivations are associated with participation in campus recreation notwithstanding the effects of awareness? and (4) What organizational strategies might increase an interest in participating in campus recreation? This study also explored how awareness, constraints, motivation, and organizational strategies differed based on gender and international vs domestic students. Data were collected from students using a cross-sectional survey during the spring and fall terms of 2018. A total of 314 usable surveys were returned. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine how awareness, motivations, and constraints were associated with varying levels of participation in three types of campus recreation (i.e., intramural sport, drop-in sport, fitness). ANOVAs were used to examine differences in awareness, motivation, constraints, and organizational strategies based on gender and student type. Results revealed that awareness of opportunities was significantly and positively associated with levels of participation in all three types of campus recreation. Furthermore, results indicate the effects of constraints and motivation differ based on the type of campus recreation activity and student characteristics. For example, constraints such as “takes too much of my time” and “don’t know enough people” had statistically significant associations with drop in sports participation but not for fitness centre participation. This study has important implications for practitioners seeking to increase campus recreation participation levels. 

References

Funk, D. C., & James, J. (2001). The psychological continuum model: A conceptual framework for understanding an individual’s psychological connection to sport. Sport Management Review, 4, 119–150.

Funk, D. C., & James, J. D. (2006). Consumer Loyalty: The Meaning of Attachment in the Development of Sport Team Allegiance. Journal of Sport Management, 20(2), 189-217.

Wood, L., & Danylchuk, K. (2015). The impact of constraints and negotiation strategies on involvement in intramural sport. Managing Sport and Leisure, 1-15.

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Georgia Teare
University of Ottawa, School of Human Kinetics

Abstract

Althoughdebated,proponents of sport events claim that viewing elite sport events can inspire youth to become more physically active and increase sport participation (Weed et al., 2015). Empirical investigations have explored this inspiration phenomenon, however, findings have been largely inconsistent (Taks, Green, Misener, & Chalip, 2018), in that there is no consensus as to whether the phenomenon exists, and if so, to what extent, and under what circumstances.

Little is known about the role that engaging with elite sport events might play in youths’ sport participation intentions and behaviours. Through understanding the unique ways that youth passively consume major sport events, new leveraging initiatives can be developed to better engage and inspire youth to actively participate in sport. Thus, guided by Social Ecology Theory, the purpose of this research is to explore how youths’ consumption of major sport events might shape their sport participation behaviours. The purpose of the presentation will be to present the proposed research project.

Using purposive sampling with a youth population, I will employ a collective case study methodology, longitudinally exploring two cases (sport events) that differ in size, scope, type of athletes, and proximity to the region in which the participants live. Adhering to an embedded sequential mixed methods design, both quantitate (i.e., surveys) and qualitative (i.e., diaries) data will be collected concurrently (embedded), then analyzed together to inform how follow-up qualitative data (i.e., unstructured art-informed interviews) will be collected to help explain the phenomena (sequential). Research, theoretical, and practical implications will also be presented.

References

Taks, M., Green, B. C., Misener, L., & Chalip, L. (2018). Sport participation from sport events: Why it doesn’t happen? Marketing Intelligence and Planning,185-198.

Weed, M., Coren, E., Fiore, J., Wellard, I., Chatziefstathiou, D., Mansfield, L., & Dowse, S. (2015). The Olympic Games and raising sport participation: A systematic review of evidence and an interrogation of policy for a demonstration effect. European Sport Management Quarterly, 15(2), 195-226.

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Alyssa McCulloch
University of Waterloo

Abstract

The purpose of this honours thesis was to gain a better understanding of how an individual’s attitudes change based on the context performance enhancing substances (PESs) are used (e.g., sports, music) and the consequence of using the PES (e.g., causes harm to self or others). Further, this study examined whether an individual’s preconceived moral beliefs influence their attitudes towards PESs. Participants included 284 undergraduate students from the University of Waterloo and was grounded in the theory of bracketed morality (Kavussanu & Ring, 2016). The Moral Disengagement in Doping Scale(Kavussanu et al., 2016)and the General Drug Use Subscalefrom the Drugs Attitude Scale (Goodstadt et al., 1978)were used to assess participants moral beliefs and attitudes towards substance use. The results indicated that as attitudes towards general drug and substance use became more conservative, the stronger moral beliefs are towards PESs. Further indicating that individuals had the most conservative attitudes towards the use of PESs in the sport context and more liberal attitudes towards the surgical field. In comparison, the data indicated that harm consequences were not a strong indicator to predict attitudes towards PESs unless harm occurred directly within a context. The data showed that when sport and harm to others were paired individuals had the strongest moral attitudes toward substance. Whereas when Post-secondary No Harm, Surgical Field No Harm, and Surgical Field Harm to Others were paired, individuals had more lenient moral beliefs. 

References

Goodstadt, M., Cook, G., Magid, S., & Gruson, V. (1978). The drug attitudes scale (DAS): Its development and evaluation. The International Journal of the Addictions, 13(8), 1307-1317.

Kavussanu, M., Hatzigeorgiadis, A., Elbe, A.M., & Ring, C. (2016). The moral disengagement in doping scale. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 24, 188-198.

Kavussanu, M., & Ring, C. (2016). Moral thought and action in sport and student life: A study of bracketed morality. Ethics & Behavior, 26(4), 267-276.

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Selena Uong
University of Waterloo

Intrinsic Motivation: A Mediational Analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70, 461-475.

Hatzigeorgiadis, A., Zourbanos, N., Goltsios, C., & Theodorakis, Y. (2008). Investigating the Functions of Self-Talk: The Effects of Motivational Self-Talk on Self-Efficacy and Performance in Young Tennis Players. The Sport Psychologist, 22(4), 458-471. doi:10.1123/tsp.22.4.458

O, J., Munroe-Chandler, K. J., Hall, C. R., & Hall, N. D. (2014). Using Motivational General- Mastery Imagery to Improve the Self-Efficacy of Youth Squash Players. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 26(1), 66-81.

Sagar, S. S., Lavallee, D., & Spray, C. M. (2007). Why Young Elite Athletes Fear Failure: Consequences of Failure. Journal of Sports Sciences, 25(11), 1171-1184.

Wikman, J. M., Stelter, R., Melzer, M., Hauge, M., Elbe, A. (2014). Effects of goal setting on fear of failure in young elite athletes. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 12(3), 185-205.

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References

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101.

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Mashrur Kazi
University of Waterloo

Abstract

The purpose of this literature review is to examine habit formation from a psychological perspective and to explore the most significant habits that are employed by elite athletes around the world to achieve success in their respective field of competition and sport. Habit formation remains one of the most fascinating topics in sports psychology today and understanding the mechanisms through which it is achieved can allow athletes to become more successful in their sport. For this literature review, scientific literature, books, grey literature and online articles were searched and screened for relevant information pertaining to the topic. Grounded in the habit loop framework, habit formation consists of a cue, routine and reward (Duhigg, 2012). For any habit, the cue acts as a signal to the brain to trigger a routine such that a reward can be achieved. Over time this pattern associates cues to rewards, creating a sense of craving for the brain, further reaffirming habits. Across sports, certain habits are employed more frequently by elite athletes than others. Nutrition, sleep, visualization, physical training and mental strengthening habits were found to be most employed for success. These habits also can act as keystone habits; a habit leading to the development of other habits (Stemmle, 2019). Habits serve as the foundation for success of elite athletes. Understanding habit efficacy for achieving success across sports can be enlightening and useful to prospective athletes, and people looking to improve performance.

References

Duhigg, Charles. (2012) The power of habit :why we do what we do in life and business New York : Random House.

Stemmle, C. (2019, October 29). What are Keystone Habits? (And How They Build Breakthrough Routines).

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Hannah Mueller
Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, University of Waterloo

Keywords:  fishing, leisure experience, loyalty, outdoor, recreation service providers, satisfaction

Abstract

A major objective for agencies that provide recreation is for the consumer to perceive their experience as positive or satisfying (Tian-Cole, Crompton, & Willson, 2002). Satisfaction is important for consumers, but also crucial for the providers as it is an indicator of future customer behaviors such as repurchase or return (Hauser, Simester, & Wernerfelt, 1994). One way to explain satisfaction is by using the Expectation Confirmation Theory (ECT) which states that satisfaction is contingent upon the experience (perceived performance) matching or exceeding the consumers expectations (Oliver, 1977). In the service industry, this gap between expectations and the perceived performance can be measured using the SERVQUAL model; specifically addressing responsiveness, assurance, tangibles, empathy, and reliability (Parasuraman, Zeithaml, & Berry, 1988). While the ECT and SERVQUAL model are widely used in the service industry, there has been limited applications in the field of recreation. Thus, the intent of this study was to explore the meaning of satisfaction in a recreation context.

This study explored visitor (n = 151) experiences on a fishing float located on the Mississippi River during the summer months of 2017. Data were collected using a survey as the instrument. Results suggested that satisfaction with the experience was more than the success of the activity (i.e. fishing was more than just catching fish). In this case, satisfaction was better explained by emotional, environmental, service, and social features.

References

Hauser, J. R., Simester, D. I., & Wernerfelt, B. (1994). Customer Satisfaction Incentives. Marketing Science, 13(4), 327–350. Retrieved from JSTOR.

Oliver, R. L. (1977). Effect of expectation and disconfirmation on postexposure product evaluations: An alternative interpretation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 62(4), 480.

Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1988). Servqual: A Multiple-Item Scale For Measuring Consumer Perc. Journal of Retailing; Greenwich, 64(1), 12.

Tian-Cole, S., Crompton, J. L., & Willson, V. L. (2002). An Empirical Investigation of the Relationships Between Service Quality, Satisfaction and Behavioral Intentions among Visitors to a Wildlife Refuge. Journal of Leisure Research, 34(1), 1–24.

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Michelle Bauer
University of Ottawa

Abstract

The decline in children’s outdoor risky play over time in Canada is alarming to child health and family leisure advocates and is currently a major public health concern. Parents’ perspectives on their children’s outdoor risky play can provide insight into why the decline in children’s outdoor risky play is occurring and how to mitigate the negative health consequences for children associated with it. There is thus a need to situate a diversity of parents’ perspectives on outdoor risky play within leisure research. Military parents are a subset of parents who can provide unique perspectives on children’s outdoor risky play due to their daily contact with risk and danger, exposure to processes of stress inoculation in military training, and subscription to values systems contextualized by militarized masculinities. Our research makes a timely contribution to the current state of leisure knowledge by exploring combat specialists’ and their wives’ and female partners’ perspectives on their children’s outdoor risky play. For this presentation, I discuss how military parents’ perspectives on outdoor risky play are influenced by time away from the home during deployment and training, past injury experiences, militarized masculinities, social media, and societal risk aversion and overprotection. I provide an overview of our approach to this research, including the theoretical framework and analytical tools used, and discuss the relevance of the results to furthering the current state of knowledge on outdoor risky play within leisure research.

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Chris E. Hurst
Department of Recreation and Leisure, University of Waterloo

Abstract

There is growing acknowledgement among geologists, geographers, and social scientists that the planet has entered into a new epoch, one in which humans have set in motion different processes (ecological and otherwise) and left permanent traces on a planetary scale(Lorimer, 2015). This epoch, the Anthropocene, recognizes human activity as pervasive; permeating spaces typically perceived of as untouched by society and calls into question conventional conceptualizations of nature and wilderness (Lorimer, 2015; Monbiot, 2014; Ryan, 2015). This presentation focuses on a description and analysis of the Anthropocene as the geological context impacting on contemporary nature-based leisure. The presentation describes and interrogates current scholarly critiques of the Anthropocene as an epoch informed by anthropocentrism (i.e., human-centredness), autopoiesis (i.e., self-reproducing and bounded individuals), and/or nihilism (i.e., meaninglessness/ hopelessness) (Haraway, 2016; Morton, 2018). The presentation proposes an alternative conceptualization - the Anthropocene as catalyst – to take into account the impact of human activity while also considering natures as entanglements of: i) human and nonhumans, and ii) ecological and geological processes (Lorimer, 2015; Monbiot, 2014). The presentation concludes with a discussion of how traditional ways of thinking about nature and wilderness within leisure may be challenged in the Anthropocene epoch.

References

Haraway, D. (2016). Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene. Durham, US: Duke University Press.

Lorimer, J. (2015). Wildlife in the Anthropocene: Conservation after nature. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.

Monbiot, G. (2014). Feral: Rewilding the Land, the Sea, and Human Life. Chicago, IL: Chicago University Press.

Morton, T. (2018). Being Ecological. London, UK: Pelican Books.

Ryan, S. (2015). Theorizing outdoor recreation and ecology: Managing to enjoy ‘nature’? London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan

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John Read
Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, University of Waterloo

Abstract

Citizen science has grown exponentially with the evolution of technology especially within the birding community (Sullivan et al., 2009). Allowing avian researchers access to large volumes of data (Sullivan et al., 2014) while additionally providing avian conservation managers an alternative to the high costs associated with research at a similar scale (Callaghan & Gawlik, 2015). Much of the current literature interrogates the methods for including citizen science as a data collection tool (Devictor et al., 2010; Dickinson et al., 2012; Lukyanenko et al., 2011; among others). Yet in 2012, only 15 percent of Canadians reported participating in a citizen science initiative within the previous 12 months (Canada et al., 2014). With approximately 18 percent of Canadians participating in bird watching (Canada et al., 2014) and 25 percent having bird feeders and/or bird houses in their yards (Statistics Canada, 2015). The potential to engage these bird watching citizens towards driving the train of data production has been only initially investigated with research addressing motivations (Wright et al., 2015), science literacy and sense of place (Evans et al., 2005), and identifying birdwatching as a gendered serious leisure pursuit (Lee et al., 2015). As such, this research addresses a gap in the literature through employing the leisure constraints model (Crawford et al., 1991; Crawford & Godbey, 1987) to explore the factors that restrict the participation of bird watchers in citizen science. Through understand constraints, organisations that provide opportunities for citizen science can work towards integrating additional avenues that reduce participation barriers.

References

Callaghan, C. T., & Gawlik, D. E. (2015). Efficacy of eBird data as an aid in conservation planning and monitoring. Journal of Field Ornithology, 86(4), 298–304.

Canada, Environment Canada, & Canadian Councils of Resource Ministers. (2014). 2012 Canadian nature survey: Awareness, participation, and expenditures in nature-based recreation, conservation, and subsistence activities.

Crawford, D. W., & Godbey, G. (1987). Reconceptualizing barriers to family leisure. Leisure Sciences, 9(2), 119–127.

Crawford, D. W., Jackson, E. L., & Godbey, G. (1991). A hierarchical model of leisure constraints. Leisure Sciences, 13(4), 309–320.

Devictor, V., Whittaker, R. J., & Beltrame, C. (2010). Beyond scarcity: Citizen science programmes as useful tools for conservation biogeography. Diversity and Distributions, 16(3), 354–362. x

Dickinson, J. L., Shirk, J., Bonter, D., Bonney, R., Crain, R. L., Martin, J., Phillips, T., & Purcell, K. (2012). The current state of citizen science as a tool for ecological research and public engagement. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 10(6), 291–297.

Evans, C., Abrams, E., Reitsma, R., Roux, K., Salmonsen, L., & Marra, P. P. (2005). The Neighborhood Nestwatch Program: Participant Outcomes of a Citizen-Science Ecological Research Project. Conservation Biology, 19(3), 589–594.

Lee, S., McMahan, K., & Scott, D. (2015). The Gendered Nature of Serious Birdwatching. Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 20(1), 47–64.

Lukyanenko, R., Parsons, J., & Wiersma, Y. (2011). Citizen Science 2.0: Data Management Principles to Harness the Power of the Crowd. In H. Jain, A. P. Sinha, & P. Vitharana (Eds.), Service-Oriented Perspectives in Design Science Research (pp. 465–473). Springer.

Statistics Canada. (2015, March 10). Canadians and Nature: Birds, 2013 - Enviro Fact Sheet.

Sullivan, B. L., Aycrigg, J. L., Barry, J. H., Bonney, R. E., Bruns, N., Cooper, C. B., Damoulas, T., Dhondt, A. A., Dietterich, T., Farnsworth, A., Fink, D., Fitzpatrick, J. W., Fredericks, T., Gerbracht, J., Gomes, C., Hochachka, W. M., Iliff, M. J., Lagoze, C., La Sorte, F. A., … Kelling, S. (2014). The eBird enterprise: An integrated approach to development and application of citizen science. Biological Conservation, 169, 31–40.

Sullivan, B. L., Wood, C. L., Iliff, M. J., Bonney, R. E., Fink, D., & Kelling, S. (2009). eBird: A citizen-based bird observation network in the biological sciences. Biological Conservation, 142(10), 2282–2292.

Wright, D. R., Underhill, L. G., Keene, M., & Knight, A. T. (2015). Understanding the Motivations and Satisfactions of Volunteers to Improve the Effectiveness of Citizen Science Programs. Society & Natural Resources, 28(9), 1013–1029.

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Rahul Tiwari
University of Waterloo

Abstract

Introduction

This literature review interpreted how race, location, time and income intersect and influence the ability of people to access physical activity (PA) as a means of chronic disease (CD) prevention and management in Canada.

Methods

The literature view included a thorough search of UWaterloo Library, Statistics Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada, World Health Organization and Google Scholar databases.

Results

Canada ranks amongst the bottom of developed countries when analyzing the equity level of their respected healthcare systems (Doty et al., 2017). 1 in 3 Canadian adults live with at least one form of chronic disease (PHAC, 2019). Although the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines were created to provide the public with an evidence-based tool to combat chronic disease, Health Canada concluded that 77.8% of adults aged 18 and over, and 90.7% of children and youth aged 5 to 17 are not meeting these guidelines (PHAC, 2018).

Discussion

The relationship between PA and CD was analyzed by using a social determinants of health framework. Racialized Canadians (specifically Black Canadians and Indigenous Peoples living in Canada), low-resource communities, time limited individuals and low-income individuals, face significant barriers to accessing PA. These barriers have made it difficult for individuals to use PA as a means of preventing and managing CD. International and Canadian health institutions have recognized the socioeconomic benefits to regular PA. Despite this, governing bodies at all levels of Canadian governance have failed to integrate PA into the social fabric of Canadian life, disproportionately placing the burden of CD upon marginalized peoples across Canada.

 References

Public Health Agency of Canada. (2019, September 25). At-a-glance – How Healthy are Canadians? A brief update. 

Public Health Agency of Canada. (2018, May 30). A Common Vision for increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary living in Canada: Let’s Get Moving. 

Doty, M. M. D., Squires, D. S., Sarnak, D. O. S., Schneider, E. C. S., & Shah, A. S. (2017). Mirror, Mirror 2017: International Comparison Reflects Flaws and Opportunities for Better U.S. Health Care.

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Giana C.L. Tomas
School of Health and Human Performance, Dalhousie University

Abstract

Obtaining employment, accessing health care, and exploring recreation are some challenges that immigrants experience in their attempts to re-settle and integrate into Canadian society. These challenges can impact their health and well-being, as well as their sense of identity, which is understood as a perceived state and process of knowing oneself and one’s capabilities, as shaped by social structures. For many individuals, employment is not only a way of obtaining of income, but also of constructing identity. Since recent immigrants are more likely than others to be unemployed or underemployed in jobs that are not reflective of their educational background or training, experiences of unemployment are relevant to this population. However, jeopardized identities experienced through unemployment and resettlement among immigrants in Canada can potentially be reinforced or reconstructed through leisure. By providing a path for exploring, understanding, and creating a unique identity, leisure plays a key role in identity development. In this presentation, I will share my master’s thesis proposal, a qualitative study exploring immigrants’ experiences of identity through unemployment and leisure. This study will investigate the lived experience of Filipino immigrants living in Canada since they are one of the largest ethnic minorities in the country whose individual and lived experience regarding employment and identity are often overlooked or misunderstood. Semi-structured interviews and phenomenological data analysis will explore Filipino immigrants’ lived experience of identity through unemployment and leisure.

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Teresa Hill
University of Toronto

Abstract

The number of people living in poverty in Canada is estimated to be between 1 in 10 and 1 in 7 (The Canadian Press, 2011), with racialized and Indigenous peoples experiencing poverty at significantly higher levels than their non-racialized and settler counterparts (Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, 2017; Niagara Poverty Reduction Network, 2013). The utilization of space connects to experiencing recreational activities, as spaces are a fundamental component of a person’s identity and experiences, and have profound social meaning (Fitzpatrick & LaGory, 2003). However, opportunities for participation in recreation or social life in certain spaces are not always available when particular bodies are heavily policed, and when the population utilizing outdoor spaces are homeless or living in visible poverty (Hodgetts & Stolte, 2016; Nemeth, 2008). Moreover, there has historically been a failure to recognize that activities such as walking, biking, and sitting on park benches, which are traditionally regarded as ‘recreational’ by those living not in poverty, may serve instead as survival techniques for those who are. The aim of this paper then, is to examine the multiple roles that recreation spaces and activities can occupy, specifically for individuals living in poverty. The data presented in this paper emerged from a one-year ethnography in the Niagara Region in Canada. Central to the purpose and meaning of this project was to humanize poverty and homelessness, simultaneously deepening the understanding of the lived experiences of persons in poverty.

References

Canadian Observatory on Homelessness (2017). Who is homeless? In The homeless hub: Homelessness 101. Retrieved from https://homelesshub.ca/about-homelessness/homelessness-101/who-homeless.

Fitzpatrick, K., & LaGory, M. (2003) “Placing” health in urban sociology: Cities as mosaics of risk and protection, City & Community 2(1): 33-46.

Hodgetts, D. & Stolte O. (2016). Homeless people’s leisure practices within and beyond urban socio-spaces. Urban Studies, 53(5), 899-914.

Nemeth, J. (2008). Defining a public: The management of privately owned public space. Urban Studies, 46(11).

Niagara Poverty Reduction Network. (2013). Poverty myths and facts. In Factsheet. 

The Canadian Press. (2011). Poor in Canada: Statistics Canada reports one in 10 Canadians are living in poverty. The Huffington Post. 

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Rebecca Koroll
Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, University of Waterloo

Abstract

Numerous authors can attest to the benefits people accrue from spending time in, and connecting with, the natural environment (Nisbet, Zelenski, & Murphy, 2011; Zelenski, & Nisbet, 2014). However, the wellbeing benefits people gain vary by motivations, and are influenced by their view on nature and place. In a survey of over 600 trail users in Ontario, respondents were asked questions regarding their place attachment, levels of nature relatedness and motivations for their most recent trail use. To understand the types of wellbeing gained in this sample, Stebbins (1982) serious leisure typology was applied as a lens to users’ motivations, which included health, social and learning opportunities, activity participation and sense of autonomy. The purpose of this application of serious leisure is to further the understanding of the types of wellbeing gained by users after spending time in, and with nature. As evidenced by Stebbins (1982) descriptions, serious leisure provides durable benefits such as self-actualization, enrichment, renewal of self, and accomplishment, which are associated with the characteristics of eudaimonic wellbeing. Casual leisure provides benefits such as feelings of happiness, entertainment, and relaxation, qualities associated with hedonic wellbeing (Stebbins, 1997). In order to test which wellbeing plays more of a role in relation to time spent in and with nature, motivations were first grouped into serious or casual leisure using factor analysis with varimax rotation. Once classified, analyses sought to understand what wellbeing related to levels of place and nature relatedness. Preliminary findings show strong significant correlations (p p

References

Nisbet, E.K., Zelenski, J.M., & Murphy, S.A. (2011). Happiness in our nature: Exploring nature relatedness as a contributor of subjective wellbeing.  Journal of Happiness Studies, 12, 303-322.

Stebbins, R.A. (1982). Serious leisure: a conceptual statement. Pacific Sociological Review, 25(2), 251-272.

Stebbins, R.A. (1997). Casual leisure: a conceptual statement. Leisure Studies, 16(1), 17-25.

Zelenski, J.M., & Nisbet, E.K. (2014). Happiness and feeling connected: The distinct role of nature relatedness. Environment and Behaviour, 46(1),3-23.

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Can Ergen
Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, University of Waterloo