"If I'm not gardening, I'm not at my happiest": exploring the positive subjective experiences derived from serious leisure gardening by older adults. Issue 4 (1st October 2016)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- "If I'm not gardening, I'm not at my happiest": exploring the positive subjective experiences derived from serious leisure gardening by older adults. Issue 4 (1st October 2016)
- Main Title:
- "If I'm not gardening, I'm not at my happiest": exploring the positive subjective experiences derived from serious leisure gardening by older adults
- Authors:
- Cheng, Eva (Hui-Ping)
Pegg, Shane - Abstract:
- ABSTRACT: Exploring the indicators of an individual's happiness and well-being over their lifetime has become a major research focus. The aim of this study was to identify meanings and values of gardening as a core leisure activity in the lives of older individuals living in a community setting. A key focus of such effort being to discern whether or not leisure gardening contributes to the participants' overall level of happiness and subjective well-being. Participants were purposely selected from previous research conducted by the authors and who were identified as serious leisure gardeners. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 13 Australians aged 57–84 years. Results identified that participants considered the activity as integral to who they were as a person. Moreover, the study found that the respondents considered gardening to be a central life interest that provided them with a social and active lifestyle. Critically, the activity also offered them a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction through which they derived a deep sense of enjoyment and happiness not experienced by them in other activities. Findings provide strong support for the activity of gardening to be considered more seriously by policy-makers and program developers as a core leisure pursuit that aids older adults to lead a more joyous and fulfilling life in their golden years.
- Is Part Of:
- World leisure journal. Volume 58:Issue 4(2016)
- Journal:
- World leisure journal
- Issue:
- Volume 58:Issue 4(2016)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 58, Issue 4 (2016)
- Year:
- 2016
- Volume:
- 58
- Issue:
- 4
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2016-0058-0004-0000
- Page Start:
- 285
- Page End:
- 297
- Publication Date:
- 2016-10-01
- Subjects:
- Positive subjective experiences -- gardening -- older adults -- serious leisure -- happiness -- self-fulfilment
Leisure -- Periodicals
Recreation -- Periodicals
306.4805 - Journal URLs:
- http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rwle20 ↗
http://www.tandfonline.com/ ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1080/16078055.2016.1228219 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 1607-8055
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 9356.440000
British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 407.xml