Leisure Socialization: Replication and Extension

Abstract

A previous study found adult leisure activities to be evenly divided between having been started in childhood and in adult years with over 60 percent begun in a family context. These findings were replicated in a midwest Mill Town and then extended in an eastern suburban New Town. The childhood and familial contexts of socialization for adult leisure are found even more salient. Except for cultural activities, the school does not seem to be an important agency for inaugurating adult leisure. The model of the “leisure career” with leisure socialization through the family life cycle is strongly supported. However, some variation is found when over forty kinds of activity important to adults are examined individually and in categories of culture, travel, sports, entertainment, and community, family, home, and job-related activity.