The Effects of Unemployment on The Leisure Behavior of Unemployed Steelworkers (Expenditure, Activity, Satisfaction, Family, Chicago, Illinois)
Raymond, Lisa Claire Pesavento
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Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/70942
Description
Title
The Effects of Unemployment on The Leisure Behavior of Unemployed Steelworkers (Expenditure, Activity, Satisfaction, Family, Chicago, Illinois)
Author(s)
Raymond, Lisa Claire Pesavento
Issue Date
1985
Department of Study
Leisure Studies
Discipline
Leisure Studies
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Recreation
Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of unemployment on the leisure behavior of unemployed steelworkers. Specifically, the salient issues of activity participation, leisure expenditure, family leisure and life and leisure satisfaction were measured.
Method. The study population was drawn form Republic Steel's union facility site, Local 1033, located on the southeast side of Chicago. Survey development revolved around earlier Depression studies and solicited demographic, behavioral, and attitudinal information. The study utilized a self-report survey for gathering data on 240 unemployed steelworkers.
Findings. All but 15% of the respondents were white males. Fifty-nine percent were married while 70% were between 20 and 39 years of age. On an activity by activity basis, participation in 33 of the 41 leisure activities decreased and eight increased. Those which increased were: study at home, child-centered events, gardening, reading, family conversation, walking, playing with children, and television viewing. Participation in activities categorized as being done predominantly at home and/or relatively cost free increased while away from home and/or expensive activities decreased. As the period of unemployment lengthened, participation in all leisure environments, and expenditure levels decreased. Marital status was more closely related to change in participation than were sex, race, age, length of layoff and financial buffers. Married respondents did less of the away from home and expensive activities than did the never married and formerly married respondents. Given participation change, cost was perceived by the sample as a greater problem for those activities which decreased in participation the most. Companionship context, or who the respondents did the activities with, tended to depend on the individual activity. There was also a drop in both life and leisure satisfaction after unemployment. Before unemployment, over 66% of the respondents had the same level of high leisure and life satisfaction and only 33% did when unemployed; a decrease of 50%.
Conclusions. Leisure behavior change after unemployment was primarily due to two factors, cost of leisure and length of unemployment. With loss of the job came reduced activity participation and life and leisure satisfaction. Findings indicated that leisure did change, yet did not disintegrate as completely as documented during the Depression.
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