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The Complexity of Sport-as-Leisure in Later Life

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Book cover Positive Sociology of Leisure

Part of the book series: Leisure Studies in a Global Era ((LSGE))

Abstract

In this chapter, we review research on sport participation in later life and posit the concept of sport-as-leisure. A sport-as-leisure conceptualization posits that sport is a form of leisure that contributes to later-life growth and meaning but not to the exclusion of other forms of leisure that also provide meaning and fulfillment. Topics discussed include the privileged nature of sport participation, the multifold meanings of sport across the lifespan—including gendered perspectives, the paradox of older adult sports, societal and policy implications of sport, and future directions in later-life sports. An exploration of sport-as-leisure in later life provides fertile ground to examine the value of sport in the context of a positive sociology of leisure and aging.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA

    Julie Son

  2. Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, NSW, Australia

    Rylee A. Dionigi

Authors
  1. Julie Son
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  2. Rylee A. Dionigi
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Correspondence to Julie Son .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    Shintaro Kono

  2. Government Meera Girls College, Rajasthan, India

    Anju Beniwal

  3. Rajasthan University, Jaipur, India

    Priyanka Baweja

  4. Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK

    Karl Spracklen

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Son, J., Dionigi, R.A. (2020). The Complexity of Sport-as-Leisure in Later Life. In: Kono, S., Beniwal, A., Baweja, P., Spracklen, K. (eds) Positive Sociology of Leisure. Leisure Studies in a Global Era. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41812-0_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41812-0_7

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-41811-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-41812-0

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

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