THE ROLE OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT IN SERIOUS LEISURE: EXAMINING PREFERENCES, EFFORT, AND CAREER PROGRESS IN THAI LEISURE PRACTICES
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the role of skill development in serious leisure among Thai individuals, focusing on Preference, Effort, and Career Progress. The aim is to understand how Thai participants prioritize skill-based leisure, commit to skill enhancement, and perceive career-like advancement, framed within a cultural context that balances personal growth and collective harmony.
Methods
Using the Serious Leisure Inventory and Measure (SLIM), data was collected from 400 respondents across diverse demographics. The study employed a non-probability sampling method, specifically convenience and snowball sampling, to recruit participants. This study specifically analyzed Preference, Effort, and Career Progress using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to reveal underlying factor structures, and correlation and regression analyses to explore relationships among these skill-related dimensions.
Results
Skill development emerged as essential in serious leisure, with participants prioritizing skill-based activities (mean Preference score: 4.3) and investing significant effort in skill mastery (mean Effort score: 4.4). Participants viewed their leisure pursuits as a path for personal growth, as shown by high Career Progress scores (4.3). Correlation analyses revealed significant positive relationships between key variables, including a strong association between Preference and Engagement (r = 0.68, p < 0.01), Effort and Fulfillment (r = 0.74, p < 0.01), and Career Progress and Long-term Intentions (r = 0.71, p < 0.01). Regression analyses further confirmed these dimensions as significant predictors of leisure outcomes.
Conclusion
This study highlights the importance of skill development in Thai serious leisure, where dedication is balanced with cultural attitudes of relaxation. The findings contribute to understanding serious leisure in non-Western contexts, offering implications for designing leisure programs that incorporate both personal and cultural motivations.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
Burton, T. L., & Jackson, E. L. (1999). Leisure studies: prospects for the twenty-first century. Venture Publishing.
Ek, A. (2021). Cross-country differences in preferences for leisure. Labour Economics, 72, 102054-102084. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.labeco.2021.102054
Elkington, S., & Gammon, S. (2015). Contemporary perspectives in leisure: meanings, motives and lifelong learning (1st ed.). Routledge.
Elkington, S., & Stebbins, R. A. (2014). The serious leisure perspective: an introduction (1st ed.). Routledge.
Esterik, P. V. (2020). Materializing Thailand (1st ed.). Routledge.
Farrell, W. C., & Phungsoonthorn, T. (2020). Generation Z in Thailand. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 20(1), 25-51. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470595820904116
Gould, J., Moore, D., McGuire, F., & Stebbins, R. (2008). Development of the serious leisure inventory and measure. Journal of Leisure Research, 40(1), 47-68. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.2008.11950132
Hofstede, G. (2011). Dimensionalizing cultures: the Hofstede model in context. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 2(1), 8-34. https://doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.1014
Kamawatana, U., & Sukonthasab, S. (2023). The effects of the intergenerational generation program for elderly. Journal of Sports Science and Health, 24(1), 89-101.
King, R. (2017). Heritage and identity in contemporary Thailand: Memory, place and power. National University of Singapore Press.
Lee, K., & Ewert, A. (2019). Understanding the motivations of serious leisure participation: a self-determination approach. Annals of Leisure Research, 22(1), 76-96. https://doi.org/10.1080/11745398.2018.1469420
Rossetti, G., & Quinn, B. (2023). The value of the serious leisure perspective in understanding cultural capital embodiment in festival settings. The Sociological Review, 71(3), 526-543. https://doi.org/10.1177/00380261221108589
Shin, K., & You, S. (2013). Leisure type, leisure satisfaction and adolescents’ psychological wellbeing. Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, 7(2), 53-62. https://doi.org/10.1017/prp.2013.6
Soyez, K. (2012). How national cultural values affect pro-environmental consumer behavior. International Marketing Review, 29(6), 623-646. https://doi.org/10.1108/02651331211277973
Stebbins, R. A. (1982). Serious leisure: a conceptual statement. The Pacific Sociological Review, 25(2), 251-272. https://doi.org/10.2307/1388726
Stebbins, R. A. (1992). Amateurs, professionals, and serious leisure. McGill-Queen's Press-MQUP.
Stebbins, R. A. (2007). The serious leisure perspective. Louisiana Society of Anesthesiologists Newsletter, 75, 6-8.
Stebbins, R. A. (2017). Between work and leisure: the common ground of two separate worlds. Routledge.
Stebbins, R. A. (2017). Serious leisure: a perspective for our time (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Triandis, H. C. (1995). Individualism and collectivism. Westview Press Boulder.
Veal, A. J. (2021). A critique of serious leisure as theory. Leisure Studies, 40(4), 575-589. https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2021.1879909
Wichasin, P. (2007). A study of Thai women as health tour participants in relation to lifestyle and leisure practice [Doctoral dissertation]. Bournemouth University.
