Exclusionary Mechanisms of Community Leisure for Low-Income Families: Programs, Policies and Procedures

Abstract

With the rise of neoliberalism, community leisure practitioners have access to fewer resources, which requires adopting the business-like practices of private sector organizations. To ensure access for low-income families, practitioners incorporate economic-based access policies. Despite these efforts, many low-income families are still unable to access community-based leisure provisions. Drawing on data from a case study of a nonprofit organization that supports low-income families’ access to leisure activities, we found that community leisure provisions had rigid program structures, subsidy programs, registration processes, and volunteer obligations that hindered rather than helped parents’ ability to enroll, facilitate, and maintain their children’s leisure participation. Our findings indicate that top-down programming resulted in not meeting families’ needs due to program options, despite being designed for low-income families, the leisure access provisions prevented rather than cultivated participation in leisure activities.

Keywords:

• Canada
• community
• families
• neoliberalism
• poverty

Notes

1 Jumpstart Charities is a Canadian organization that helps kids overcome financial and accessibility barriers to sport and recreation in an effort to provide inclusive play for kids of all abilities. Eligible activities are physical activity or sports and must have a minimum number of hours or weeks.