Leisure: Its meaning and role in the life of a sample of London adolescents during the school years.

The overall objective of the study was to explore the leisure needs, choices and preferences of a sample of London adolescents during the school years and to examine what leisure means to them and what role it plays in their lives. The primary aim was to examine how personal factors (aspirations, motivations, personality and attitudes), social factors (family, education, peers and media) and demographic factors (age, sex and class) affect adolescents' leisure needs and interests. A secondary aim was to identify discrepancies between how adolescents perceive their world, how they think adults perceive it, and how adults actually react to adolescents and their life-style. Extensive pilot work resulted in a questionnaire which generated both qualitative and quantitative data. Open-ended questions were used to explore the self-concepts of adolescents and how they think and feel with regard to the meaning and role of leisure. The questionnaire also included a series of scales focusing on family, school, peers, leisure attitudes and personality: factors which are expected to play a major role in determining adolescents' leisure choices and participation. Questionnaires were distributed to a sample of 555 adolescents, aged between 11 and 18 years, attending secondary schools in London. The analysis focuses on how adolescents perceive leisure in relation to other aspects of their lives and how their leisure choices and preferences relate to demographic, personal and social factors. The findings are discussed in relation to adolescent development and familial and societal constraints. The results are evaluated with the aim of achieving a clearer understanding of youth leisure socialization during the school years