Who Has It Best? Women's Labor Force Participation, Perceptions of Leisure and Constraints to Enjoyment of Leisure

Data from a mailed questionnaire completed by 1,549 adult females in Ontario, Canada were used to examine women's leisure meaning systems, their experience of leisure and constraints to their enjoyment of leisure. The labor force participation of the subjects was classified into three categories: employed full time, part time workers, and homemakers not employed outside the home. The findings show that women do not, regardless of labor force participation, subscribe to the view that leisure is either activity or free time. The data also indicate that, in general, homemakers are least likely to feel assertive, competent or independent during their leisure. As well, they are less likely than their employed counterparts to feel serene, playful and feminine while at leisure. With respect to leisure enjoyment, homemakers feel more constrained than other women by lack of skills and opportunity, poor self-image, fear, their personal values and the belief that some leisure activities are only for men. Those employed full time are most likely to report responsibilities, fatigue, insufficient time and scheduling problems as constraints. Part time workers appear to “have it best” in their leisure. Of all the women surveyed, those who work part time are most likely to report feeling serene, playful and feminine in their leisure, while they were less likely than those employed full time to feel fatigued, have scheduling problems, lack time or be overwhelmed by responsibilities.