Negotiation of Leisure Constraints by Junior-High and High-School Students: An Exploratory Study

This exploratory paper has three objectives: (1) to develop categories for variables related to two key components of leisure constraints negotiation — problems encountered and negotiation strategies adopted; (2) to translate qualitative information about these variables into quantitative data and to report frequencies for the variables; and (3) to identify associations among the “negotiation” variables that contribute to the development of a preliminary picture of the constraints negotiation process. Using data from a Canadian study of leisure participation, motivations and constraints among junior high school and high school students, the study confirms Jackson, Crawford and Godbey's (1993) proposition that, instead of reacting passively to constraints on their leisure (i.e., by not participating), some people negotiate through constraints and succeed in initiating or continuing leisure participation. Thus, constraints on leisure should not be viewed as necessarily insurmountable obstacles to participation.