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This study examines the association between underemployment and quality of life, with a focus the explanatory power of community and leisure factors. Using survey data collected by the Canadian Index of Wellbeing in four mid-size communities (N = 5561), a subsample of participants was selected who indicated that they worked for pay (n = 2845). About one-fifth of workers were underemployed, based on a perceived mismatch between their job and their education and training. Guided by a modified perspective of the Leisure Constraints Model that includes intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural level constraints and/or facilitators to participation, data were analyzed using two linear regression models examining overall wellbeing and self-assessed mental health. After controlling for socio-demographic characteristics in each model, mediators were introduced and then further probed to determine significant pathways in the relationships. In both cases, the direct effect of underemployment was negative. Wellbeing among underemployed workers was partially mediated by two structural, and one interpersonal factors: time for self, perceived access to recreation and cultural opportunities, and sense of community. Mental health was fully mediated by time for self and sense of community. In a test of contrast between significant pathways, there were no differences in either model, suggesting that each of the significant leisure moderators contributed equally to the relationship between underemployment and quality of life. Community and leisure factors have been relatively unexamined to date, but results show that they should be considered for inclusion in future research on personal outcomes of underemployment.

Vacations provide an opportunity to relax, recover from the demands of work, and spend time with family and friends. Recently, however, concerns have been expressed regarding the low uptake of paid vacation time among Canadian workers and its potential impact on their quality of life. Guided by the conservation of resources theory, we examined the extent to which Canadian employees use their paid vacation allotment and how the amount of paid vacation time is related to feelings of wellbeing. A subsample of 3,451 people who worked full-time at a paid job or business was drawn from Statistics Canada’s 2010 General Social Survey. More than one-third of Canadian employees reported taking less than the minimum amount of federally mandated paid vacation time (10 days) during the previous year. This included 19.3% who reported taking no paid vacation days at all. Factors significantly associated with uptake of vacation days were age, socio-economic status, having younger children in the household, flexib...

Leisure research on adolescent females’ holiday experiences, and how these experiences may contribute to their happiness is scarce. Recent work in the area of positive psychology has suggested that novelty within an experience may enhance positive emotions and life satisfaction which together comprise subjective well-being (SWB), a common conceptualization of happiness. The purpose of this paper was to test the direct influence of activity novelty and the mediating influence of emotion balance (the balance between positive and negative emotions) on life satisfaction for a group of adolescent females on a winter holiday. As part of a larger study, participants (n = 74) were German girls aged 12–17 years who completed a diary-based questionnaire for 21 consecutive days (before, during, and after their holiday). A conditional process analysis indicated that activity novelty may have a positive or negative influence on emotion balance depending on pre-vacation activity novelty patterns. Furthermore, while novelty does not have a direct influence on life satisfaction, it has a positive indirect influence through emotion balance. This study provides evidence that holiday experiences can contribute to young women’s SWB and highlights the important role of emotions during such experiences. In addition, results support the use of a positive psychology framework to understand adolescent vacationers’ experiences.

Using a life course lens with a focus on linked lives, this study explores experiences and perceptions of support through in-depth interviews with 22 self-employed men and women with children. Experiences of informal support were varied and complex, with multiple layers of support often operating simultaneously. With few exceptions, gender differences in perceived support reflected traditional role expectations. While men and women both spoke of the importance of emotional support, women more often identified spouses' financial support as essential to operating a business, whereas men valued instrumental support in the form of childcare and domestic activities. Informal communities of support comprised of other self-employed people were valued for mentoring, assistance, and friendship, and were less emotionally intense compared to experiences of support from family members. Parents generally misunderstood or were unaware of the potential for formal government support through the Canadian government's Empl...

This paper examines commute time, time spent in activities benefical to well-being, and the relationship to self-assessed well-being. Using cross-sectional data from the 2010 Canadian General Social Survey, Cycle 24, time use patterns and feelings of well-being are assessed for a subsample of 3409 men and women who regularly commute to work by car. Drawing upon a resource drain model, daily activities known to affect well-being were selected for analysis, and well-being was measured by life satisfaction and time pressure. Time spent commuting is associated with lower levels of life satisfaction and an increased sense of time pressure. Reduced time for physically active leisure and experiences of traffic congestion mediate the association of commute time with well-being, consistent with a resource drain model. Results suggest workplace practices aimed at increasing opportunities for physical activity and government-led efforts towards more integrated solutions to reduce traffic congestion may help increase...

This paper explores whether and in what ways telework is associated with a reconfiguration or remixing of daily work, family and leisure activities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 51 teleworkers employed in a financial organisation in Canada. For some, telework was a condition of employment, while others negotiated part-time telework arrangements with managers. Using interpretive thematic analysis techniques, intersections and inter-relationships between experiences of work, family and leisure were identified. Three main themes emerged, including the need to not only protect, but also containing work time and space; the significance of family and being available for children; and, the relative devaluation of leisure. Although it was anticipated that differences between involuntary and voluntary teleworkers would be evident, gender and family stage were more influential in structuring daily life. The flexibility of telework was valued, but there was little evidence of a reconfiguration of life spheres except for women with children at home.

With a population-based sample of dual-earner parents (951 women and 1059 men), we examined the association of paid work hours and perceived time-stress with two forms of leisure participation and the ways gender may shape the social context of that participation. We expected that although work hours and time-stress would be associated with a lower likelihood of leisure participation, the typically gendered nature of childcare would mean women would be unlikely to reduce time spent with children, but men would. The two forms of leisure, watching TV and walking or jogging, were selected based on the nature and frequency of participation in these activities and the opportunity to do so in a variety of social contexts, namely alone, with another adult or with a child present. In bivariate and multivariate analyses, results showed greater paid work hours were associated with a lower likelihood of leisure participation, but the association of time-stress with likelihood of leisure participation was less consis...

Previous research on family vacations has emphasized tourism and marketing but largely ignored lived experiences. As part of a larger project exploring the meanings of family vacations to all family members, this study focuses on children's perspectives through analysis of in‐depth interviews of 24 school‐age children from 15 different families. Throughout the many different types of vacations, activities were central and created a context from which three main themes emerged. The first was a focus on having fun as an important vacation outcome. The second, newness and familiarity, conveyed the importance of adventure, new experiences, and other possibilities within a secure and stable social environment. The third theme was the centrality of social connections to reaffirm and strengthen relationships with family and friends. Children's experiences did not neatly fit into previously established family leisure models, thereby reinforcing the importance of considering all family members’ perspectiv...

Using a stratified sample of Canadian adolescents residing in Ontario (n = 2,154) time use patterns and perceptions of time pressure are explored to determine gender differences among younger (12–14 years) and older adolescents (15–19 years). For both age groups, girls report a higher total workload of schoolwork, domestic activities and paid employment and spend more time on personal care while boys have more free time, especially during early adolescence. Feelings of time pressure for teens increase with age and are significantly higher for girls in both age categories. Gender differences are less pronounced on school days when time is fairly structured, but become more consistent with traditional gender schema on the weekend when time use is more discretionary.

In this paper, selected theories and research on the work–leisure relationship are reviewed and approaches that might be developed further in relation to changing workplace cultures and socio‐economic trends are discussed, with a particular focus on Canada. Key concerns in studying and theorising about work and leisure are highlighted and potential areas for development are discussed. Beginning with foundational work–leisure theories based on a manufacturing economy, selected theories of advanced capitalism are introduced along with contemporary theorising about the work–leisure relationship in response to social and structural changes. The varied nature of employment experiences suggests that it is unlikely a grand, overarching theory of the work–leisure relationship is desirable, or even possible. While globalisation will lead to some shared experiences, other factors that influence experiences of work and leisure such as cultural differences, geographic variability, and gender relations should...

Cadre de recherche : L’écart générationnel grandissant entre les parents et adolescents a retenu l’attention des chercheurs depuis les années 1920. L’augmentation de cet écart a souvent été attribuée au rôle croissant des médias et des pairs dans la vie des adolescents.Objectifs : Les changements dans le rôle joué par les parents, les médias et les pairs dans la vie des adolescents sont examinés à la lumière de leur gestion du temps. Les données sur l’emploi du temps documentent le rôle déclinant des parents, mais montrent également que des stratégies constructives de la gestion du temps peuvent aider les parents à conserver et à renforcer leur rôle dans le développement intellectuel et affectif de leurs adolescents.Méthodologie : Les données proviennent de l’Enquête sociale générale menée par Statistique Canada (ESG) (1986 à 2005) et de l’Enquête ontarienne sur l’emploi du temps et le bien-être des adolescents de 2003 (OATUS). Les relations entre l’utilisation du temps des adolescents et le bien-être émotionnel sont contrôlées pour l’âge, le sexe et les antécédents familiaux.Résultats : Malgré l’élargissement de l’écart de communication et d’attitude entre les adolescents et les parents au cours des dernières décennies, la situation n’est pas irrémédiable. Les analyses des données d’OATUS suggèrent que les stratégies indirectes, soulignant l’importance des routines et des relations familiales, ont des impacts plus importants sur les performances scolaires et la qualité de vie des adolescents que les règles domestiques, les interventions verbales ou les contrôles comportementaux sporadiques.Conclusions : La conservation de l’influence parentale sur les adolescents s’effectue peut-être davantage par « osmose » des valeurs et des habitudes. En effet, le partage des valeurs familiales, des activités communes et la capacité parentale à servir de modèle joue un rôle important dans l’influence des structures de motivation des adolescents.Contribution : Les résultats de cette recherche appuient le fait que les performances scolaires et le bien-être émotionnel des adolescents sont fondés sur leurs routines comportementales et l’efficacité des interventions des parents., Research framework : The widening generation gap between parents and teens has occupied researchers’ attention since the 1920s. The expansion of this gap has been often attributed to the growing roles of mass media and peers in teens’ lives. Objectives : Changes in the role played by parents, mass media and peers in the lives of teens are examined through the lens of time use. Time use data document the declining role of parents, but also show that constructive time use strategies can help parents to retain and enforce their role in teens’ intellectual and emotional development. Methodology : Data are taken from the Canadian General Social Surveys (1986 to 2005) and the 2003 Ontario Experience Sampling Survey of Adolescents’ Time Use and Well-Being. Relationships between teens’ time use and emotional well-being are controlled for age, gender, and family background.Results : Although the communication and attitudinal gap between teens and parents widened during the past decades, the situation is not irremediable. Analyses of OATUS data suggest that indirect strategies, emphasising the importance of time use routines and habitual inter-family relationships, affect teens’ academic performance and quality of life more profoundly than household rules, verbal interventions, or sporadic behavioural controls. Conclusion : Perhaps the most powerful but underestimated leverage that parents have to protect their share of influence on teens is the social ‘osmosis’ of family values and practices. The seemingly imperceptible sharing of family values, joint activities, and parental ability to serve as a model play an important role in affecting teens’ motivational structures.Contribution : The proposition that teens’ academic performance and emotional well-being are grounded in their behavioural routines, and that the effectiveness of parents’ interventions depends to a large extent on their ability to redress these routines or habits is supported by research findings.