جامعه شناسی کاربردی (Dec 2017)
Semantic Implications of Leisure among Isfahani Citizens: A Qualitative Research
Abstract
Introduction As a new concept is emerging from separation of work and home, technological advances, and the social division of labor, leisure time has provided people with the opportunity of turning away from the limits and constraints of modern social order (Kivisto, 2001:80). In this regard, working and non-working hours have increasingly been divided further into the modern life. This has provided the modern societies with more leisure so that it has become a controversial issue as how to spend leisure time. The way people spend their leisure time has something to say about their mindset, preferences, tastes, and lifestyles. The meaning of leisure in human subjects can lead us to the implications of leisure patterns. Research on leisure patterns has mainly adopted a quantitative, outward approach to determine factors affecting leisure consumption patterns. In fact, little attention has been paid to what the human subjects think of leisure. A qualitative study may examine how citizens perceive and interpret leisure and its related issues. Therefore, the present study aims to identify and describe some of the most important semantic implications that Isfahani citizens attribute to leisure. Materials and Methods The study adopted an interpretive paradigm and a methodology based on grounded theory. The present study was conducted in Isfahan city. Purposive sampling method incorporating maximum required diversity was used to select the participants from among Isfahani citizens. Due to the breadth of the field, it is necessary to use various methods of accessing the subjects. Theoretical and snowball samplings are two valid and well-known methods of accessing the sample. Three-step coding is the essential analytic technique used in grounded theory. Discussion of Results and Conclusion 1. communicative/technological leisure This type of leisure is pursued by those who consider communication and interaction as their primary activity while in leisure time. Such people tend to run their means of communication to interact with other people as soon as they find free time. Indeed, the meaning of leisure is strongly linked to the presence and companion of others. 2. family-oriented leisure Family is another key concept related to leisure and its perception so that one may make frequent references to their family when talking about free time. Being with one’s family, enjoying one’s time with family, travelling with one’s family, and other family activities are highly important. Close emotional interaction and safe communication with family members reinforce such meaning making of leisure in people. 3. Domestic leisure Domestic leisure is another variation which makes sense to women. This refers to either married employed women or homemakers who talk about their leisure time at home. Domestic leisure is related to leisure time spent on house chores or home management. 4. Individualist leisure Individualization may mean both distancing from and lack of interaction with public spaces and extending the private territory and importance of leisure in private, lonely situations. This is more prevalent in young-age groups while the middle-aged and members of senior groups give less emphasis to individualized and private meanings of leisure. Core Category: reductionist leisure/anomic leisure One of the key themes extracted from data analysis refers to the reductionist meaning of leisure that participants attribute to leisure activities. Thus, what the participants and citizens in different age groups, genders and even educated class perceive of leisure looks predominantly similar to free time and daily pastime. Indeed, leisure is reduced from its original meaning as a set of planned activities for the purposes of self-actualization, growth, and transcendence to routine, unplanned activities. Another reductionist tendency discovered through the analysis of the data is to attribute leisure only to recreational and leisurely activities which require no effort while along with its pleasurable and blissful dimensions, leisure requires seriousness, assiduity, and practice. One who fills his leisure time with a training class may have a more serious meaning of leisure in his mind. Overall, two reductionist approaches to meaning making of leisure include: leisure is only a recreation which needs no especial effort or activity. However, anomic leisure denotes the actors’ confusion and ambiguity in selecting leisure tastes and patterns. Unemployment and inevitable free time as well as unavailability of the facilities and infrastructure needed to spend leisure time lead them to a situation where they have to make leisure choices which they do not consider appropriate. In fact, leisure is forced upon the person. Here, leisure is not defined as opposed to work so that it is not willingly gained following serious efforts and exhausting activities; rather, it is an accessible leisure opportunity that is readily available and lacks enough utility. Under such circumstances, one feels confused and looks for different alternatives aimlessly to kill his time.
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