Social scientists express growing concern about man's capacity to achieve a state of existence greater than that of mere survival. "Popularizers" and writers of "social criticism" echo this concern. Obviously, because of scientific and technological changes, man's participation is needed less and less in the production of economic abundance. He is, therefore, to be free to engage in other pursuits. Awareness of this impending freedom challenges those intellectuals who wish to describe and to anticipate the direction and quality of man's total existence.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between family differentiation, family recreation and symptoms of eating disorders. The Family Intrusiveness Scales, the Perceived Social Support from Family, the Family Leisure Activity Profile and the Eating Attitudes Test were used. Participants were students at two large universities, one in the East and one in the West. Data were analyzed using correlation and ANCOVA. Findings supported the hypothesis that a positive relationship exists between family leisure involvement and family differentiation. In addition, a negative relationship between family differentiation and symptoms of eating disorders for individuals whose parents are not in their first marriage was indicated by the results.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between family religiosity, family recreation, and family functioning. Mahoney's Joint Religious Activities Questionnaire was used to measure family religiosity, while Zabriskie's Family Leisure Activity Profile (FLAP) was used to measure family leisure involvement. Olson's Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales (FACES II) was used to measure family functioning. The sample consisted of 121 parents and 99 youth from various faith groups and were selected using a convenience and snowball sample. Results indicated that there was a relationship between family religiosity and family recreation, and that both family religiosity and family recreation had a significant influence on family functioning for this sample. Data collected from both parents and youth in families provided interesting insights into the nature of the impact of family religiosity and family recreation on family functioning. Family religiosity was the most significant predictor of family functioning for parents, whereas for youth, both family recreation and family religiosity were the significant predictors of family functioning. These findings provide specific implications for parents and professionals who work with families.

The objectives of the present dissertation were: (1) determine the relationships between time use in physical vs social leisure activities (PLA - SLA), and cognitive vs emotional leisure activities (CLA - ELA) by older adults age cohort (60-69, 70-79 and 80-plus yrs.); (2) ascertain the role of sex in moderating the relationship between time use in PLA-SLA and CLA-ELA by older adults age cohort; and (3) assess how employment status mediates the relationship between time use in PLA-SLA and CLA-ELA by older adults age cohort with moderation by sex. Secondary data was obtained from the 2019 American Time Use Survey database. Applying a cross-sectional design, data were analyzed using a linear regression model in SPSS version 27 and PROCESS Macro with Hayes Model 1 and 59. We identified the extent of the conditional indirect moderation effect of sex and the indirect employment status mediation effect moderated by sex in the relationship between PLA-SLA and CLA-ELA by older adult age cohorts. An index of moderated mediation was used to test the significance of each effect. The 80-plus yrs. cohort SLA time use was greater than in PLA across cohorts. Sex moderation showed a stronger effect in men by substantially decreasing their engagement time in PLA than in women across cohorts. A non-significant moderated mediation effect in SLA and PLA across age cohorts was observed. Women had the lowest minutes of engagement in both ELA and CLA compared to men. Sex moderation showed a more substantial negative effect on ELA and CLA in men than women. Finally, a significant moderated mediation effect in ELA and CLA across age cohorts was observed, where the mediation effect was stronger for males than females. Our findings indicate age cohort and sex effects on time engagement in both SLA-PLA and ELA-CLA, likely tied to sex roles that amplify at an older age. Sex effects in both ELA and CLA by age cohort appear not immutable in the life span and to equate among the oldest old, suggesting compression of leisure use in later years of life. Work participation is important for ELA and CLA among older adults, but not their SLA and PLA, which is likely explained by the loss of workplace social networks with retirement. Our findings suggest a need for aging well-being policies and initiatives to focus on older adults leisure participation variations within cohorts by sex and work life for optimally targeted interventions.

Work stress can have a negative impact for both individuals and organizations, warranting research on how to recover from it. This research analyzes how the relationship between video games and work recovery differs depending on the genre of the video game played. In addition, these relationships are compared against the relationships between the recovery experiences and other leisure activities. Participants were asked to provide information on how often they play video games and engage in other leisure activities. In addition, two different measures of the four components of work recovery (psychological detachment from work, relaxation, mastery experiences, and control) were included. The data was analyzed using a multivariate regression framework. Based on the literature review, it was predicted that different genres of video games will relate differently with the different recovery experiences, and video games will relate differently with the different recovery experiences compared to the other leisure activities. Results showed that the different video game genres did relate differently to the experiences of work recovery, but not in the predicted directions. The overarching goal of this study is to further the literature on the possible benefits of video game use and to provide a basis for further research on video games and work recovery.

A great deal of previous sociological research has examined the social contours of subcultures, focusing either on highly transient subcultures (e.g., among youth) or, conversely, stable institutionalized subcultures (e.g., among professionals). More recent scholarship has examined how leisure subcultures are formed and sustained around a particular interest or activity (e.g., windsurfing). However, little attention has been paid to the role of recreational settings (i.e., specific geographical locales) in the formation of leisure subcultures. Using the Appalachian Trail as a case study, I aim to fill that gap by examining a long-distance hiking subculture. I use ethnographic data collected from long-distance hikers on the Appalachian Trail to carry out the study. My investigation is guided by a subcultural perspective which allows me to identify and understand the sociality and social practices of a long-distance hiking subculture. Consequently, long-distance hikers can be identified and understood through (1) a negative relation to work, (2) a negative or ambivalent relation to class, (3) an association with territory, (4) non-domestic forms of belonging, (5) a range of excessive attributes, and (6) a refusal of the banalities of ordinary life. My qualitative analysis of long-distance hikers’ accounts and interactions permits me to explore how subcultural ideologies and practices are combined with a socially significant place to forge powerful emotional bonds among long-distance hikers and strong attachments to the Appalachian Trail.

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No description available.

The majority of grandparents in the United States are married and do not reside with their grandchild(ren) (U.S. Census Bureau, 2014; Wu, 2018). The life stage of encore adulthood between 55 and 75 years old (Moen, 2016) often overlaps with grandparenthood. Time with grandchildren, and more broadly shared leisure time within couples during encore adulthood is minimally studied, this study provides insight to the process of family leisure among grandparent couples. Guided by life course and critical feminist perspectives, this qualitative inquiry examined the process of family leisure among grandparent couples during the life stage of encore adulthood (Daly, and Beaton, 2005; Moen, 2016). The results of this study, utilizing the method of constructivist grounded theory, present a theory grounded in lived experiences of 10 grandparent couples (Charmaz, 2014; Daly, 2007). The family leisure experiences with grandchildren model is presented with three components: life course dimensions, engaging in family leisure, and relationships within the couple and with grandchildren. / Doctor of Philosophy / The purpose of this study was to understand how grandparent couples between the ages of 55 and 75 years navigate family leisure experiences. Family leisure is defined as time spent together by grandparents and grandchildren in free time or recreational activities. Through in-person interviews, I interviewed each partner in 10 couples. Criteria to participate in the study included: (a) both members of the couple were able and willing to participate in interviews, (b) both members of the couple were in encore adulthood (between 55 and 75 years), (c) couples were in relationships with each other for at least five years, and (d) couples had grandchild(ren). Participants were asked to complete a demographic questionnaire, an in-person interview, and a reflective journal. All participants completed the demographic questionnaire and five individuals submitted a reflective journal. On average, interviews lasted 64 minutes. After interviews were transcribed, they were analyzed at the couple level. Grounded in the experiences of the 10 couples, the findings resulted in a model that illustrates how they performed family leisure with their grandchildren. Grandparent couples indicated that leisure with their grandchildren contributed to the way they thought about and talked about their family relationships. The grandparent couples described how instrumental their children were in allowing access to grandchildren for family leisure. Grandparent couples’ experiences illustrated that family leisure with grandchildren was more meaningful to their couple relationship than other shared recreational activities, yet family leisure required navigating family relationships such as with in-laws and children. Implications of research and future research are provided.

This mini-dissertation deals with the market demand for campus recreation at the North-West University’s (NWU) Potchefstroom Campus. The market demand refers to the proposed needs for recreation activities on-campus among fulltime undergraduate students studying at the Potchefstroom Campus. For the purpose of the study, undergraduate students (n = 327) were requested to complete a questionnaire containing questions related to reasons for recreational sport participation and constraints hindering participation, as identified by literature. The study was undertaken by using historic, fulltime first- to third-year students studying at the Potchefstroom Campus of the NWU. Participants consisted of a diverse group residing both on-campus and off-campus and also from different faculties, with the exclusion of the Faculties of Law and Theology. Data collected by means of questionnaires was organised and analysed by the Statistical Consultation Services of the NWU (Potchefstroom Campus). Descriptive statistics were used to determine frequencies. It was found that the majority of students participate in the seven major sport codes of the university, and in particular hockey and soccer, followed by tennis and athletics. Even though participation figures for rugby are lower than those for the other seven major sport codes, the participation frequencies by the students are the highest of the major sport codes. The highest additional sport codes that students participated in are cycling, squash, golf, swimming and table tennis. The additional sport codes are predominantly participated in either through hostel teams or with private clubs. It was found that there are five main reasons why students participate in recreational sport, namely for the purpose of challenge and enjoyment, for recognition and achievement, to socialise, for health and physical wellness and to relieve stress. From the mean scores, it appears that the students’ primary reasons for participating in recreational sports are recognition and achievement and to a lesser degree for health and wellness. The study found participation constraints, namely lack of knowledge, lack of interest, individual psychological aspects and accessibility or financial constraints. The constraint experienced most by the students, according to the mean scores, is lack of knowledge about recreational sport. Regarding the students’ recreational sport needs, hockey was mentioned the most, followed by netball, cycling, swimming, tennis and squash. Students prefer to participate in the above mentioned recreational sport activities with hostel teams, whereas very few students prefer to participate on their own. The first recommendation would be to include student development, health and wellness as key components in the current vision of NWU sport. It is also recommended that the NWU revise the information obtained from the Marketing Department regarding the recruitment of future students. Valuable knowledge could be obtained regarding which sports the students were exposed to during their school years and to adjust the additional sport codes accordingly. The third recommendation is the introduction of leisure education during the orientation programme for first-year students. Leisure education will provide the students with the skills to prepare for future events peculiar to campus life. Fourthly it is recommended that, due to the increase in demand for multi-gender sport, the university shall focus on marketing and public awareness of sports such as women’s cricket and rugby for women. The last recommendation refers to the need for more information regarding the management of facilities and grounds. The implementation of a web-based system could increase productivity and may decrease the pressure placed on the utilisation of facilities and grounds. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014