Leisure activities enhance a person's quality of life. Each person enjoys some activities more than others. This is often the escape that they use to relax and enjoy their free time. The following essay will look into different activities that are considered leisure for people of different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. The first person to interview will be an individual from a different racial and ethnic group. The second interviewee will be that with a disability and lastly, the third person will have a different gender identity from that which I identified with.
Bio data of the First Participant
The first interviewee is called Martin. We go to the same gym. I met Martin during one of our usual warm up sessions. Martin is 33 years old and the third born in a family of four siblings. He is male and he identifies himself as a bisexual. Martin is married with one child and works as a high school teacher whose core subjects are math and science. Martin is culturally and ethnically identified as Hispanic. Although both of his parents are immigrant, he was born and brought up in America. Martin’s family belongs to the upper middle class although Martin identifies himself with the lower middle class.
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Interview Questions
1. What do you consider to be leisure activities and which are more or less work oriented?
2. Which of these activities do you indulge in more often during your free time?
3. What are the main considerations that influence the specific facilities of choice for leisure activities?
4. Does your ethnic and cultural identity limit the kind of leisure activities you take part in?
5. What are some of the other factors that limit your participation in the leisure activities and hobbies that you enjoy?
6. Do you enjoy the leisure activities despite of the company you are with?
7. What are some of the changes that you would apply to your leisure program if cost was not a consideration?
8. How have leisure activities changed over your lifetime?
9. What facilities do you wish were more readily available within the neighbourhood?
Summary of the Interview
Martin considers any activities that brings together his family and friends as leisure activities . However, this does not include functions such as weddings or funerals where attendance is required. He rather considers functions such as parties ,discos, barbecues and frequenting amusement parks to be suitable leisure activities. Martin also does not consider working out in a gym or catching up movies to be recreational in nature since the events do not necessarily require company in order to be enjoyed. Martin also enjoys going on road trips on his motorcycle, and camping in the company of his friends and cousins. He attends amusement parks more often with his siblings and their families rather than friends. He also tends to participate in road trips to a lesser extent because of the high expenditures. The Hispanic culture influences the nature of leisure activities because Martin associates leisure with family time. He therefore considers setting time aside for family as he plans his leisure activities. Eating out is also considered with respect to their favorite places where all family members would enjoy themselves. Being Hispanic is not a barrier to Martin's leisure activities because he grew up in a diverse culture where he had an opportunity to interact with different types of people n relation to culture, religion, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status and origin among others. He is therefore not limited to cultural entertainment spots or places. He occasionally frequents entertainment spots where Hispanic meals are offered to enjoy the traditional delicacies. Notably, money is one of the main aspect that influences how often Martin indulges in his hobbies. For example, road trips are more costly than a day out with the family. Availability of friends and family is also another key aspect.
Interestingly , Martin does not consider any leisure activities enjoyable if he is without company. However, sometimes back, he preferred attending more affordable events such as family outings and parties if he happened to have unlimited funds. However, today, Martin notes that that there are many more indoor leisure activities now than before. That is why he prefers taking leisure time outdoors to break the monotony. Martin also wishes that there were more camping sites around the neighborhood so that he could easily take his children with him. Martin uses a bike and it is almost impossible to take them along especially on long distances .
Bio of the Second Participant
The second interviewee is called Keira. She is a neighbor, just two houses from my house. As a result, we have had some brief interactions during neighbourhood parties and other welfare meetings. We have known each other for a few years. Keira is 27 years old and she identifies herself as a bisexual. She has a deformity on her legs forcing her to become confined to a wheel chair. Keira was born with the disability, she thus identifies herself as a physically disabled person. Although she is of mixed Caucasian and African heritage, Keira culturally and ethnically identifies herself as an African American woman.. Her mother is Caucasian while her father is African American. Her family belong to the middle class. She thus herself with the lower middle socioeconomic class.
Questions
1. What activities do you consider as leisure and which do you think are not leisurely ?
2. Which of these activities do you indulge in more often during your free time?
3. Does your ethnic or cultural background influence your choice of leisure activities?
4. Does your disability limit the extent to which you can participate in leisure activities?
5. What are some of the other factors that limit your participation in the leisure activities and hobbies that you enjoy?
6. Do you enjoy the leisure activities despite of the company you are with?
7. What are some of the changes that you would recommend to recreational facilities so that they would be able to accommodate physically disabled persons?
8. How have leisure activities changed over your lifetime?
9. What facilities do you wish were more readily available within the neighbourhood?
10. How would you want other people to treat you in a setting where you are sharing leisure facilities.?
Summary of the Interview
Keira enjoys activities such as listening to music, watching movies, swimming, dining out, attending concerts, making crafts and reading stories to children and volunteering to read to blind people. She does not consider board games such as chess or scrabble to be leisure activities. However, she enjoys dining out with friends and family. She also enjoy a volunteering to read to children in hospitals, daycare centers and nursing homes among others. Keira also watches movies during her free time and listens to music alone or with company. She admits that her African American heritage influenced her love for dining out. That is because her family has a culture of meeting regularly to socialise or to celebrate any small achievement. They also enjoy watching a lot of movies during their free time.
Interestingly, activities that Keira tends to enjoy most are not limited by her disability. However, she prefers engaging more in active interactions such as making crafts and reading to others. This is because her job as an online counsellor limits her social interactions. During the interview, Keira pointed out that sometimes her disability tend to limit her choice in physical activities such as playing table tennis or even swimming. Sometimes she was unable to visit the nearby swimming pool because it lacks the attendant who could assist her. She also claimed that sometimes the available attendants are often unwilling to grant her much help. Moreover, some strangers avoided her while others treated her like a fragile object. This caused tension and they were all unable to relax and have fun. However, the company of others at these places always enhances her experiences. Close family members and friends are her greatest fans.
Most recreational facilities were legally compliant with the requirements to accommodate disabled persons but they left out some amenities. Keira recommended hand wash basins to to be placed lower in order to accommodate wheel chair access. She also recommended a gentler slope for the wheel chair ramps. She longed for the presence of a swimming pool that could accommodate her special needs, nearer to the neighborhood. She also appreciated the presence of a wider variety of computer based leisure activities available today than they were in the past. Finally, Keira hoped that people would understand that she is just a normal person who enjoys enjoy leisure activities just like any other person.
Bio data of The Third Participant
The third interviewee is named Lucas. He is one of the members in the chess club that I frequent. Lucas used to be one of the trainers of Chess, who later introduced me to the game. Lucas is also a great family friend . Although, he left the organization some few months ago, Lucas also used to be a very committed member of the charity organization that my family supports. He is 41 years old. He works as an investment banker at a local bank. He is Caucasian. Though he is male by birth Lucas identifies himself as a transgender. He prefers to be addressed in gender neutral adjectives and pronouns. He belongs to the upper middle class.
Questions (Ménard et al., 2016).
1. What do you consider to be the description of leisure activities and what does not work for you as leisure?
2. Which of these activities do you indulge in more often during your free time?
3. Does your ethnic or cultural background influence your choice of leisure activities?
4. Does your gender identity limit the extent to which you can participate in leisure activities?
5. What are some of the other factors that limit your participation in the leisure activities and hobbies that you enjoy?
6. Do you enjoy the leisure activities despite of the company you are with?
7. How have leisure activities changed over your lifetime?
Summary of the Interview
According to Lucas, leisure is any activity that is enjoyable and invigorating for a person. It could be an occupational activity such as a job that one enjoys. It could also be a recreational activity that one takes part in during their free time. Lucas enjoys reading science fiction, skating, blogging on fashion, eating out with friends and family, mentoring young chess players and attending concerts. Attending or watching competitive sports is not a form of leisure that appeals to him. He blogs, eats out and attends concerts more during his free time. His Caucasian cultural and racial background does not really influence his leisure activities. This is because he dislikes competitive sports which is the only thing he associates with his heritage.
Lucas believes that his gender identity limits his interactions with others especially when it comes to recreational activities. He explains that there are instances when his dressing has attracted harassment in terms of verbal insults and people staring. Others had even gone as far as taking pictures of him and ridiculing his company. He still attends concerts because it is easier to blend into the crowd and have a good time anonymously. Apathy from people is the other factor that limits his ability to work with others. He explains that some of his mentees have been withdrawn from the program because of their guardians discomfort with his physical presentation. Lucas is also limited in enjoying some of his leisure activities by a busy work schedule. He works long rigid hours that sometimes deny him the chance to engage in his hobbies.
Interacting with others is one of the main aspects of leisure that Lucas enjoys. He believes that it enhances the quality of his experiences and makes them more rich. Lucas also compares leisure time when he was younger and as it is today. He believes that it is better now because there is a wealth of information available at the finger tips. He also says that the many social media platforms have provided people with a new means of communicating and practicing leisure activities. In conclusion, Lucas enjoys all the activities that bring fulfillment. He considers work a hobby for some, even as he enjoys other activities outside the work place.
Analysis and Application
Leisure activities are different depending on personal tastes and preferences. Although gender, culture and ethnicity may influence these activities, a person's experiences and attributes will determine what they choose to indulge in (Ménard et al., 2016). This is because leisure is not something compulsory. One has to make a deliberate effort to spent time and money on such activities. The interviewees each expressed a part of themselves by sharing their interests. They were able to prove that hobbies and other leisure activities are not fixed depending on one's cultural backgrounds. However, the three interviewees were also able to demonstrate that leisure activities have changed over time. Most of the interviewees acknowledged the shift in society by pointing out how technology had taken over. This shift has lessened the need for social interactions even as outdoor activities take the back burner (Sharp et al., 2015)
This findings both reinforce and contradict the videos and text that were presented in the classroom. The interviews show that some people embrace culture and their ethnic identity to a point where it shapes their activities. This contradicts the claim that suggested that people use leisure to reflect on how they were socialized. The change from leisure activities that were once pleasurable, to activities that are now socially acceptable is also reinforcing societal change. A few observations contradict the information that was presented earlier. For instance, the interviews showed that some of the participants rejected their culture and they created their own cultural practices. Others still put their own self gratification above any of the other factors. This is contrary to any of the information that suggested that leisure was directly related to how one was socialized during their formative and developmental years (Paggi et al., 2016). Some of the activities also appealed to all the participants despite their demographic and cultural differences.
From this experience, I highly believe that leisure can be anything ranging from indoor activities to outdoors activities. The experience has me more receptive to trying out new things than before. I also noted that the attitudes of the participants played a key role in enhancing one’s social aspect of enjoying leisure. All the participants noted how sharing their leisure time with the right company gave them more fulfillment. The information is very important to leisure professionals because it could help them enhance their services delivery. For example, the professionals can extend the scope of their services to include specialised care for disabled persons. The information can also be used when counseling one on the various stress management strategies especially when it comes to identifying the right leisure activities and company during the leisure activities.. In sum, it is possible to use leisure activities as a means of stress management, self development, providing services as well as meeting the needs of different unprivileged socioeconomic and demographic groups among other activities.
References
Ménard, J., Foucreault, A., Stevens, C., Trépanier, S. G., & Flaxman, P. (2016). Daily Fluctuations in Office-Based Workers’ Leisure Activities and Well-Being. International Journal of Psychological Studies , 9 (1), 47.
Paggi, M. E., Jopp, D., & Hertzog, C. (2016). The importance of leisure activities in the relationship between physical health and well-being in a life span sample. Gerontology , 62 (4), 450-458.
Sharp, E. H., Tucker, C. J., Baril, M. E., Van Gundy, K. T., & Rebellon, C. J. (2015). Breadth of participation in organized and unstructured leisure activities over time and rural adolescents’ functioning. Journal of youth and adolescence , 44 (1), 62-76.
