Abstract
Over the past five years, I have explored Serious Leisure (SL) in diverse contexts. SL encompasses hobbies and voluntary activities which require learning new skills and creating commitment and social identity. SL should be challenging and rewarding, generate personal and communal benefits, and may become a profession. I have studied hobbies like bonsai growing, knitting, birdwatching, and pottery. The role of SL in cultivating a sense of belonging among people and how it impacts their overall wellbeing, is one of the most visible themes in my data analysis. An inductive thematic analysis reveals that regardless of the nature of the pastime, SL engagement has a social aspect, and the participants often establish clubs and associations. For example, there are 57 bonsai societies in Australia. Moreover, I explain how I used the belongingness theory to conceptualise my findings deductively. Finally, I discuss the practical implications in policymaking, practice and research.
| Original language | English |
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| Publication status | Published - 22 May 2023 |
| Event | DocFest 2023 Graduate Research Conference: The Evolving Researcher - Charles Sturt University , Wagga Wagga, Australia Duration: 22 May 2023 → 26 May 2023 https://research.csu.edu.au/research-support/researcher-development/docfest/docfest-2023 (Event website) https://cdn.csu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/4195896/DocFest,-Abstract-booklet.pdf (Abstract booklet) https://research.csu.edu.au/research-support/researcher-development/docfest/docfest-2023/docfest23-recordings (Program, abstracts and recordings) https://web.archive.org/save/https://research.csu.edu.au/research-support/researcher-development/docfest/docfest-2023/docfest23-recordings (Wayback Machine link) |
Conference
| Conference | DocFest 2023 Graduate Research Conference |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | The evolving researcher |
| Country/Territory | Australia |
| City | Wagga Wagga |
| Period | 22/05/23 → 26/05/23 |
| Other | As researchers we evolve over time - we learn new skills, broaden our thinking, and expand our horizons and networks. The world in which we work is also evolving - in some ways we are more connected than ever and in others more disconnected, and the global challenges we face are many. Just as academic employment opportunities are becoming more limited and increasingly precarious, the opportunities outside of academia are growing and the skills you develop as researchers are more in-demand by industry, business, and the not for profit and public sectors than ever before. At DocFest23 we explored how we as researchers can evolve to meet these challenges and much more! |
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