Recreational participation among ethnic minorities

Gender, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Class in Leisure and Recreation

Gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic class all influence access to and utilization of leisure and recreation services. Gender influences access to and consumption of leisure activities, with females being more disadvantaged due to household duties, such as child care. Male and female visitors travel to different destinations, with females traveling to closer tourist destinations and males having the opportunity to travel to further destinations for leisure and recreation. Work is also a primary limitation in men’s leisure and recreation decisions, whereas family dominance influences females’ leisure and recreation decisions. The participation of women in leisure and recreation has improved in recent years mainly because of better education, better jobs, elevated status of women in the society, and joint sharing of family responsibilities (Khan, 2011).

Gender and Leisure Preferences

Gender also affects leisure and recreation with higher participation by males in sports and physical activities while women prefer arts and cultural activities. Reading as a recreation and leisure activity is gendered with males preferring business and sports books while women prefer relationships and self-help.

Ethnicity and Access to Leisure and Recreation

Ethnicity also affects access and consumption of leisure and recreation activities with whites participating more in leisure and recreation activities than minority groups. The reasons for minority group’s limited access and consumption of leisure and recreation activities include the marginal position in the society leading to low incomes limited ability to afford, lower education level, and employment status (Aizlewood, Bevelander, & Pendakur, 2006). Poor transportation and cultural differences are the other factors that make minority groups less likely to access and participate in leisure and recreation activities. Cultural views and values also impact participation in leisure and recreation with the choice of recreation activities dependent on ethnic backgrounds, for example, the preference of Chinese for dragon boat races and the Kwanza celebration for African Americans.

Socioeconomic Class and Leisure Accessibility

To conclude, the socioeconomic class also affects access and consumption of leisure and recreation activities with people in low socioeconomic status having access and consumes less leisure and recreation activities. Low socioeconomic status limits access to funds, proximity, and time for participation in leisure and recreation activities. Distances to cultural events are far for people from low socioeconomic class further affecting access to leisure and recreation activities. Socioeconomic status also limits the ability to travel to far destinations to access and participate in leisure and recreation activities. Gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status influence access and consumption of leisure and recreation activities.

References

Aizlewood, A., Bevelander, P., & Pendakur, R. (2006). Recreational participation among ethnic minorities and immigrants in Canada and the Netherlands. Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, 4(3), 1-32.

Khan, S. (2011). Gendered leisure: Are women more constrained in travel for leisure. Tourismos: An International Multidisciplinary Journal of Tourism, 6(1), 105-121.