The Social World of Shuffleboard

Abstract

In this article the author examines a leisure social world among senior citizens.Specifically, the social world of shuffleboard incorporates participants from several regions of the country that share meanings, events, procedures, and forms of communication. Attention is focused on "shuffling" as an expressive leisure activity and the attendant contingencies that may enhance or detract from a commitment to and integration in the social world. Secondarily, aspects of the shuffleboard subculture are highlighted. An analysis of the shuffleboard social world, its subculture, and the career progression of "shufflers" provides a generic model of leisure that may be generalized to other spheres of activity.RECENT RESEARCH has focused on leisure as a phenomenon in its own right rather than as a mere complement to or compensation for work. Kelly (1981 ) notes that the meanings associated with leisure are often &dquo;relational,&dquo; that is, they center on primary social relationships. Presumably, this increased attention to the social context of leisure meanings reflects the fact that for many people leisure activities are no longer a residual or something left over; rather, they are a primary source of self-fulfillment and a &dquo;central life interest&dquo; (Dubin, 1978;Stebbins, 1982). Although a case can be made for viewing leisure as a problem, particularly for retirees if their identities remain fixed on a diminished occupational role, leisure for many older adults is a source of social integration. Yet research shows that older people manifest low levels of leisure activity. For example, in a study of leisure across the life span Gordon et al. (1976) report the youngest respondents (age 20-29) were

The Link between Successful Aging and Serious Leisure

“…The social world construct has been used by researchers to examine various activities as forms of serious leisure. For example, Snyder (1986) examined senior citizen participation in the social world of shuffleboard and found the social world to consist of beginners, regulars, and insiders, based on the level of involvement and career stages. Other researchers have used the social worlds perspective to explore music making (Finnegan, 1989), contract bridge (Scott & Godbey, 1992, 1994, barbershop singing (Stebbins, 1996), adult amateur ice skating (McQuarrie & Jackson, 1996), tournament bass fishing (Yoder, 1997), mushroom collecting (Fine, 1998), and dog breeding (Baldwin & Norris, 1999) as serious leisure activities.…”

The Red Hat Society®: Exploring the Role of Play, Liminality, andCommunitasin Older Women's Lives

“…Rather, play is frequently a backdrop for studying more "serious" topics like festivals, sport, games, social networks, friendships, or aging (e.g., Fournier & Fine, 1990;Gibson, Ashton-Shaeffer, Green, & Corbin, 2002;Green, 1998;Kalab, 1992). Or, play emerges as important during a study initially focused on another concept (e.g., Fine, 1987Fine, , 1991Scott & Godbey, 1994;Snyder, 1986). Cheang's (2002) study of older adults' and fast food restaurants, for example, concluded that the main reason for daily visits was because the restaurant became a "play area" (p. 371).…”