Recreational shopping has long been of interest to business academics and practitioners, but research on it has been underdeveloped in the leisure field. Although the leisure literature and business literature represent distinct perspectives, there appears to be many significant parallels between recreational shopping and leisure. The purpose of this study was to examine the intrinsic meanings of shopping; to explore the experiential aspects of the recreational shopping experience (including the influences of the retail environment on individuals who regularly engage in recreational shopping). This study took place in Toronto, Ontario. The sample included five female self-proclaimed recreational shoppers. The researcher accompanied each participant on a shopping excursion which took place at a shopping mall selected by the participant. Data were collected through three qualitative methods. First, participant observation involved the researcher walking alongside the participant as she shopped. Following the shopping session, the researcher conducted an in-depth face-to-face interview with each participant; the interview was guided by a set of open-ended questions. In addition, this study utilized photo-elicitation in which the participants were asked to photograph ‘anything’ that made an impression during their visit to the mall. The photographs offered tangible illustrations of shopping experiences and were used as a catalyst for discussion during the interviews. The data was analyzed using Grounded Theory coding which lead to the identification of two main themes and six respective subthemes. The emergent themes are all connected to the key idea that shoppers are motivated by their expectations and desires when they partake in the recreational shopping activity. Shopping offers numerous opportunities that provide immediate hedonic pleasure as well as intrinsic rewards. Such opportunities often include, the ‘before and after’ phases of experiences of acquisition and unexpected discoveries, the positive interactions which occur both inside and outside a retail environment, and lastly, the individual’s use of shopping as a means of self-expression and a tool to manage their self image. Satisfaction, spontaneity, familiarity, mastery, accomplishment, and feelings of escape were all present in these shopping experiences. The findings also described the role of shopping malls as a leisure space and as facilitators of recreational shopping activities. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that shopping can offer a profound leisure experience for many people and the activity should not only be researched in terms of just ‘recreational shopping’ or ‘utilitarian shopping.’ Rather, the findings indicate several overlaps between the two types of shopping and further research is needed to more fully understand the complexities of the activity.

Recreational shopping has long been of interest to business academics and practitioners, but research on it has been underdeveloped in the leisure field. Although the leisure literature and business literature represent distinct perspectives, there appears to be many significant parallels between recreational shopping and leisure. The purpose of this study was to examine the intrinsic meanings of shopping; to explore the experiential aspects of the recreational shopping experience (including the influences of the retail environment on individuals who regularly engage in recreational shopping). This study took place in Toronto, Ontario. The sample included five female self-proclaimed recreational shoppers. The researcher accompanied each participant on a shopping excursion which took place at a shopping mall selected by the participant. Data were collected through three qualitative methods. First, participant observation involved the researcher walking alongside the participant as she shopped. Following the shopping session, the researcher conducted an in-depth face-to-face interview with each participant; the interview was guided by a set of open-ended questions. In addition, this study utilized photo-elicitation in which the participants were asked to photograph ‘anything’ that made an impression during their visit to the mall. The photographs offered tangible illustrations of shopping experiences and were used as a catalyst for discussion during the interviews. The data was analyzed using Grounded Theory coding which lead to the identification of two main themes and six respective subthemes. The emergent themes are all connected to the key idea that shoppers are motivated by their expectations and desires when they partake in the recreational shopping activity. Shopping offers numerous opportunities that provide immediate hedonic pleasure as well as intrinsic rewards. Such opportunities often include, the ‘before and after’ phases of experiences of acquisition and unexpected discoveries, the positive interactions which occur both inside and outside a retail environment, and lastly, the individual’s use of shopping as a means of self-expression and a tool to manage their self image. Satisfaction, spontaneity, familiarity, mastery, accomplishment, and feelings of escape were all present in these shopping experiences. The findings also described the role of shopping malls as a leisure space and as facilitators of recreational shopping activities. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that shopping can offer a profound leisure experience for many people and the activity should not only be researched in terms of just ‘recreational shopping’ or ‘utilitarian shopping.’ Rather, the findings indicate several overlaps between the two types of shopping and further research is needed to more fully understand the complexities of the activity.

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the literature on successful aging, serious leisure, and sport. A qualitative methodology was used to understand the lived experiences of three master-aged athletes involved in serious powerlifting. The goal of using such an approach was to share participants’ stories within a given context, as well as uphold the emotion, merit, and authenticity of each narrative. The results address issues around participants’ initial and continued engagement with the sport of powerlifting, the ways in which powerlifting shapes the aging process, and the meaningful role that powerlifting plays in one’s life. The discussion offers further exploration of key points, including: reconnecting to one’s youth, modified training and pain management, identity formation, resistance toward older female powerlifters, powerlifting as a context for self-improvement, career stages over the life-course, social interactions and relationships, and aging successfully. A number of future research directions are offered in the hope of continuing to understand the experiences of older adults in the context of physical activity. / Graduate / 0680 / absilver@uvic.ca

This thesis explores the role of comfort in adventure leisure and in recreational SCUBA diving in particular. In this chapter the study’s central elements of comfort, constraints and negotiation will be introduced. Human engagement with marine locations provides background to the evolution of SCUBA diving as a leisure activity. The concept of comfort is then introduced, with attention given to what comfort means from a range of disciplines. Following this, the use of the term comfort in adventure, leisure and tourism research is reviewed. Divers’ constraints to comfort are also briefly examined here in this introduction, to build understanding of how comfort can be experienced during adventure, and SCUBA diving. Leisure constraints-negotiation research is discussed briefly and linked to SCUBA diving experiences. The objectives of this study are then presented prior to introducing the qualitative research paradigm that guides the research, and the thesis outline.

This study reports on an investigation into individuals’ experiences of spiritual leisure. Though there is a range of literature and research that examines the independent concepts of leisure and spirituality, there continues to be a lack of empirical research into the existence and experience of leisure that may be spiritual. Given that both traditional and ongoing understandings of leisure emphasise their impact on the whole of the person, this lack of attention to the spiritual dimension creates a gap in our understanding. Leisure is increasingly seen as having a role to play in human well-being. What is less well known is the role and place of spirituality in that interplay. It is recognised that a sense of spirituality can be accessed in a diversity of ways, through, for example prayer, meditation and an engagement with sacred places. The spiritual forum of leisure however, remains less acknowledged and understood despite the fact that spiritual benefits have been identified as part of leisure participation. The purpose of this study was to develop insight into the existence and nature of this relationship by exploring the phenomenon of spiritual leisure experiences. As a primary research focus, this topic is rarely directly considered. Rather it is most often raised as an anecdotal benefit of leisure, a philosophical potential for leisure, or more recently, a component of people’s spiritual and general well-being. Based on personal interest, informed by intuition and grounded in the theoretical and philosophical concepts of leisure and spirituality, this study sought to fill some gaps in our understandings of spiritual leisure experiences. Using a phenomenological approach, this descriptive, qualitative study aimed to explore the subjective meanings individuals give to experiences they refer to as spiritual leisure. Thus, 24 co-researchers were invited to share their self-defined spiritual leisure experiences, through open, unstructured interviews and reflective journaling. The leisure experiences the co-researchers described as spiritual occurred within various locations and involved multiple contexts. These included social and solo experiences, nature based or urban environments and active or passive pursuits. Reflective of what happened, the descriptions of the co-researchers revealed that spiritual leisure experiences could vary in situation, conditions, activity and contexts. The meanings behind these descriptions were also sought and three groupings of common themes were recognised: namely triggers; responses and outcomes. These structural components of spiritual leisure were interrelated in the co-researchers conscious understandings and represented a suite of feelings, thoughts, sensations and meanings embedded in the context, actions and locations of their leisure. Finally, the research included an exploration of the underlying essences of the experiences. Five interrelated essences of spiritual leisure emerged representing the phenomenon of spiritual leisure. These were: experiencing self; time and space for self; being; becoming; and belonging. Overall, the results demonstrated that experiences of leisure that were spiritual were evident for the 24 co-researchers. The experience of spiritual leisure was understood as an event that was lived physically, emotionally and affectively and while it varied in context it also shared the characteristics of providing a forum for knowing, being and becoming more of the self. In spiritual leisure, individuals found a life-space in which to discover and know aspects of themselves and to feel a sense of belonging. This study clearly identifies leisure as a valuable and edifying aspect of some people’s lives in relation to developing their spiritual self or for experiencing their spirituality. The essential themes remind us of the true potential leisure can have in people’s lives. More broadly, the study acknowledges the nature of spiritual leisure, its structural components and the value of studying the phenomenon from the perspective of the experiencing person.

This thesis explores the role of comfort in adventure leisure and in recreational SCUBA diving in particular. In this chapter the study’s central elements of comfort, constraints and negotiation will be introduced. Human engagement with marine locations provides background to the evolution of SCUBA diving as a leisure activity. The concept of comfort is then introduced, with attention given to what comfort means from a range of disciplines. Following this, the use of the term comfort in adventure, leisure and tourism research is reviewed. Divers’ constraints to comfort are also briefly examined here in this introduction, to build understanding of how comfort can be experienced during adventure, and SCUBA diving. Leisure constraints-negotiation research is discussed briefly and linked to SCUBA diving experiences. The objectives of this study are then presented prior to introducing the qualitative research paradigm that guides the research, and the thesis outline.

This thesis explores the role of comfort in adventure leisure and in recreational SCUBA diving in particular. In this chapter the study’s central elements of comfort, constraints and negotiation will be introduced. Human engagement with marine locations provides background to the evolution of SCUBA diving as a leisure activity. The concept of comfort is then introduced, with attention given to what comfort means from a range of disciplines. Following this, the use of the term comfort in adventure, leisure and tourism research is reviewed. Divers’ constraints to comfort are also briefly examined here in this introduction, to build understanding of how comfort can be experienced during adventure, and SCUBA diving. Leisure constraints-negotiation research is discussed briefly and linked to SCUBA diving experiences. The objectives of this study are then presented prior to introducing the qualitative research paradigm that guides the research, and the thesis outline.