An Analysis of Gender Difference in Youth Leisure Patterns at Isfahan

The purpose of this paper is to study leisure patterns among young people in Isfahan with special reference to on gender difference. Considering the fact that the world of values, beliefs, and lifestyles can vary among men and women, the authors try to provide answer to the question whether in regard to shaping the pattern of leisure, gender, as a variable, is decisive as it was in the past, or has lost its effects anymore. The method utilized in the study was a mixed one. On the basis of survey method and employment of questionnaire as a tool, leisure patterns were identified among 1748 boys and girls living in Isfahan aging 20-29 years selected through stratified random sampling. Furthermore, in the qualitative section, 27 semi-structured interviews, based on purposive sampling, were conducted on which data analysis and providing qualitative interpretation was accomplished through data coding. On the basis of quantitative results of the study, six leisure patterns can be put into order according to their level of significance among girls studied. The found patterns of leisure are as following: Religious leisure, extra home leisure, domestic leisure, unusual leisure and participatory leisure. On the other hand, boys were identified with six leisure patterns including traditional-Iranian leisure, religious leisure, cultural-artistic leisure, participatory and movies oriented leisure and leisure time spending with friends as well. The results of the qualitative section suggest some of the nuances among leisure patterns identified among boys and girls; that is, boys are of more active, diverse, and courageous patterns of leisure time in comparison to those of girls’ which are contrastively more conservative and passive.
Leisure patterns among young people, in spite of owning some similarities, are still supposed to be influenced by gender, choice and consumption.