Serious Leisure Perspectives in Sports: Professional Athletes’ Career Progress via Serious Leisure

The aim of this study is to determine serious leisure perspectives of professional athletes. 689 athletes selected through random sampling participated in the study. The data were collected with the “Serious Leisure Inventory and Measure (Short Form) (SLIM)’’, developed by Gould et al. (2011) adapted to Turkish by Ozdemir, Ayyıldız Durhan, and Akgül (2020) which consisting of 12 items and 3 sub-dimensions. It was determined that the data were not distributed homogeneously and non parametric tests were applied. In the analysis of the data, descriptive statistics, Man Whitney U, Kruskall Wallis, Tukey (HSD-LSD) and Pearson Correlation test were used for within-group comparisons. In this study, total internal reliability coefficient of SLIM (short form) scale was determined as .93. Participants had higher SLIM scores (89,60 ± 15,76), the highest subscale score was ‘’identification with pursuit and social outcomes’’ sub-dimension (37,39 ± 7,35), and the lowest subscale score was ‘’individual outcomes’’ (22,30 ± 4,39). Significant relationships and differences were found among the variables of gender, sports, age of athletics, number of trainings per week, participation status of international competitions, perceived challenge of duties, perceived skill development and perceived total development. As a result of the research, it was determined that professional athletes had high serious leisure perspectives and this situation being in interaction with certain variables

Competition Climbing as Serious Leisure

Serious Leisure has received considerable attention in the leisure research for the past forty years. Building on recent efforts to operationalize serious leisure constructs, this study examined the relationship between serious leisure characteristics and rewards in the context of indoor competition climbing, a sport recognized as a potential serious leisure pursuit. The purposes of the study were to validate the 18-item Serious Leisure Inventory Measure (SLIM) as well as the three-factor model of serious leisure proposed by previous researchers. A national sample of 646 indoor competition climbers completed a 59-item survey. Results suggest partial validation of the 18-Item SLIM and a three factor model of serious leisure characteristics and rewards. Serious leisure characteristics significantly, positively contributed to personal and social rewards in the structural model, confirming the relationships and distinctions between these constructs. Further replication and validation of the 18-Item SLIM with different populations is recommended

Information activity in serious leisure

Background. In the past decade, scholars of information science have started to conduct research on information behaviour in serious leisure. Presently, these studies lack common concepts and terms and empirical discoveries are not easy to assemble into theory. Aim. This conceptual and methodological paper surveys the aforementioned research area and introduces Anders Hektor’s model of information behaviour in conjunction with the serious leisure perspective as a means to systematically study information behaviour in serious leisure. Method. Three methods are employed. The first is a selective literature review and intellectual history of research into information behaviour in serious leisure. The second is a conceptual analysis of Hektor’s model that relates its key features to the serious leisure perspective. The third consists of a deductive audit of three forms of serious leisure (the liberal arts hobby, amateur musicianship, and the hobby of running), utilizing the frameworks, concepts, and terms outlined in the paper. Results. Studies of information behaviour in serious leisure have increased and deepened in the past decade, largely through ideographic case studies. Hektor’s model of information behaviour, with its locus in everyday life and precise delineation of eight information activities, can complement such research designs. A deductive audit guided by Hektor’s model illuminated information activities within the three forms of serious leisure and enabled comparative observations. Conclusions. When combined with the serious leisure perspective, Hektor’s model enables research that is comparative and more precise. However, the extent to which this model captures physical or embodied information should be further examined

The construction of identities in narratives about serious leisure occupations

Engagement in occupation contributes to the shaping of identity throughout the human life. The act of telling about such engagement involves interaction based on symbolic meaning; the speaker constructing an identity by conveying how the occupation is personally meaningful. This study explored meaning in narratives told by people who engage in serious leisure occupations. A total of 78 narratives were extracted from interviews with 17 people who invest considerable time and other resources into their leisure. Analysis focused on the content, structure and performance of each narrative in order to explore meaning. The meanings were organised into a framework based around three dimensions: the located self, the active self and the changing self. Each dimension has facets that the individual might emphasise, constructing a unique identity. The framework offers a structured basis for conceptualising how occupation contributes to the shaping of the internalised self and the socially situated identity

Equestrianism: serious leisure and intersubjectivity

2010 Fall.Includes bibliographical references.Using the concepts of serious leisure and symbolic interactionism, this thesis explores the experiences of equestrians in the hunter/jumper discipline. This thesis draws from ethnographic research methods that utilize a combination of two years of participant observation and in-depth interviews. This research challenges the basis for Mead's (and others') exclusion of nonhuman animals from consideration as "authentic" social actors by highlighting the ways horse owners, in this study, describe their horses as minded, thoughtful individuals. These owners refute the notions that horses are mindless objects or are indistinct from other insensate elements of "nature," (i.e. air, water, or land). Focusing on the interactions between humans and horses, I examine the criteria used by horse owners to define their horses as minded individuals with whom they construct and maintain meaningful and satisfying social relationships. Using the rich and detailed descriptions of participants, I argue that two features of hunter/jumper equestrianism warrant reclassifying it as an amateur pursuit, rather than hobbyist activity: the visible and influential presence of professionals within the sport and owners' perception of horses' subjectivity, which makes the achievement of intersubjectivity possible. I emphasized the role of actions and argue that the concepts of 'mind,' 'self,' and 'personhood' are social constructions that arise from interaction. Furthermore, using the Serious Leisure Perspective as a theoretical foundation I explore key features of hunter/jumper equestrianism beyond merely human-animal 'attachments' or 'bonds.' This thesis considers hunter/jumper equestrianism in terms of serious leisure's six definitional social-psychological elements and confirms the viability of classifying hunter/jumper equestrianism as a form of serious leisure pursuit. Additionally, I present a new model for classifying the negative consequences, or costs, of serious leisure pursuits. Examining hunter/jumper equestrianism as a form of serious leisure highlights the 'serious' costs of participation in a pursuit, which is marginal to both human-animal interaction and leisure activities. Finally, this thesis highlights the potential of studying humans' relationships with horses for advancing an understanding of how personhood, mind, and identity are socially constructed, and the possibility of studying serious leisure pursuits as alternative sites for community, belonging, and identity in an increasingly fragmented post-modern society

SERIOUS LEISURE LEVEL AND WORK OF KOREAN WOMEN'S BASEBALL CLUBS - LEISURE CONFLICT

  The purpose of this study is to verify the differences and relationships in work-leisure conflict based on the level of serious leisure among female baseball enthusiasts who participate in baseball as a serious leisure activity. To achieve this goal, a survey was conducted using a purposive sampling method among female baseball enthusiasts. Out of the collected surveys, a total of 175 were used for the final analysis, excluding 34 responses that were deemed insincere. In this study, exploratory factor analysis, cluster analysis, K-means cluster analysis, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple regression analysis methods were employed. The data collected were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 Program and AMOS 26.0 Program.   The results of the analysis showed the following: Firstly, the analysis of differences in work-leisure conflict based on the level of serious leisure revealed a significant difference among female baseball enthusiasts. Secondly, the differences in the four sub-factors of work-leisure conflict based on the level of serious leisure were examined. Post-hoc analysis results indicated that only the negative affect_WL and time pressure_WL factors had significant differences based on the level of serious leisure. Thirdly, the impact of sub-factors of serious leisure on work-leisure conflict showed that only the personal effort factor had a negative influence on work-leisure conflict.This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between the level of serious leisure among female baseball enthusiasts participating in baseball as serious leisure and work-leisure conflict. Through this research, a deeper understanding of the lives of women participating in sports activities as serious leisure is sough

SERIOUS LEISURE

This is the book review of Serious Leisure: a perspective for our time, published in 2007. Robert A. Stebbins presents the "serious leisure perspective", which includes three forms of leisure: the "serious leisure", "casual leisure " and "project-based leisure." The importance of this perspective in contemporary studies of leisure is presented from studies that have been developed in different contexts, giving an overview of the scientific to the reader. The book has not yet been translated into Portuguese, but we present this work as initial resource for those interested in this perspective still little known in Brazil.   Esta es la reseña del libro Serious Leisure: a perspective for our time, publicado en 2007. Robert A. Stebbins presenta la "perspectiva de ocio serio", que incluye tres formas de ocio: el “ocio serio", "ocio casual" y ocio proyecto-basado”. La importancia de esta perspectiva en los estudios contemporáneos de ocio se presenta de estudios que se han desarrollado en contextos diferentes, dando una visión general de la producción científica. El libro aún no se ha traducido al portugués, pero se presenta ese trabajo como recurso inicial para aquellos interesados ​​en esta perspectiva poco conocida en Brasil.  Trata-se da resenha do livro Serious Leisure: a perspective for our time, publicado em 2007. Robert A. Stebbins apresenta a “perspectiva do lazer sério”, que reúne três formas de lazer: o “lazer sério”, o “lazer casual”, e o “lazer baseado em projeto”. A importância dessa perspectiva nos estudos contemporâneos do lazer é apresentada a partir de estudos que têm sido desenvolvidos em diferentes contextos, dando uma visão geral da produção cientifica ao leitor. O livro ainda não foi traduzido para o português, mas apresentamos este trabalho como recurso inicial para os interessados nesta perspectiva ainda pouco conhecida no Brasil

Serious Leisure, Job Task Load, & Satisfaction

The study examined the relationship between degree of leisure seriousness and leisure, job, and life satisfaction, as moderated by perceived job mental workload. Serious leisure has largely been studied in reference to general life satisfaction and health outcomes, and less research exists to examine whether serious leisure participation may influence work. This study tested the following hypothesis: the relationship between serious leisure participation and employee well-being is moderated by mental workload on the job, such that a) as mental workload increases, then serious leisure participation and satisfaction will be less strongly positively correlated, and b) as mental workload decreases, then serious leisure participation and satisfaction will be more strongly positively correlated. Participants completed Gould’s Serious Leisure Inventory on their most frequently pursued leisure activity, the NASA Task Load Index on characteristics of their employment and chosen activity, and the Leisure Satisfaction Scale, short form Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale to respectively measure leisure, job, and life satisfaction. The results shed light on the conditions with which serious leisure can be pursued to enhance well-being, both to inform individuals on how to improve their health and on the nature of resources organizations ought to invest in

How to analyse the experience of serious leisure onstage: actors and spectators

The practice of serious leisure engenders a deep sense of self-fulfilment, observable in artistic activities in general - and in theatre in particular. In relation to theatre, the serious leisure perspective suggests that this activity has an influence on the self, whether the individual is playing the role of actor or active spectator, but few studies have analysed the impact. Given the scarcity of empirical evidence and methodological references, in this paper we propose a qualitative methodological procedure to analyse the relations between theatre as serious leisure and the self. This procedure, besides showing the influence of theatre as serious leisure on actors and spectators, permits the assessment of intervention programmes