Exploring leisure constraints and participation among urban women through the lens of ambivalent sexism theory

ABSTRACT

Through the lens of ambivalent sexism theory, this study explores the relationship between leisure constraints, gender bias, and leisure participation among urban women. We confirmed a pronounced negative correlation between leisure constraints and participation. Our findings further validate the pronounced influence of intrapersonal and structural constraints on participation, underscoring the importance of developing safe and private leisure venues tailored for women. A key insight from our research is the moderating effect of gender bias, notably hostile sexism, on the relationship between leisure constraints and participation. This highlights the pressing need to challenge and counteract male-centric ideologies. Our study suggests that policymakers and urban planners should prioritise the creation of women-friendly leisure spaces that are both safe and accessible. Public awareness campaigns may also be beneficial in challenging prevailing sexist ideologies that contribute to leisure constraints for women. Collectively, our findings not only contribute to the theoretical discourse in leisure studies but also provide pragmatic insights to champion gender equity in leisure participation.

KEYWORDS:

• Urban women
• gender bias
• hostile sexism
• intrapersonal constraints
• structural constraints
• gender equity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2024.2379417

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mingfang Zhu

Mingfang Zhu, a professor at the Shenzhen Tourism College of Jinan University, Shenzhen. Her research interests focused on tourism management, destination marketing and management, tourist behaviour, etc. Her key publications were included in Tourism Management, Tourism Review, Frontiers in Psychology, Journal of Marketing and Consumer Research, etc.

Jie Gao

Jie Gao is an Associate Professor at San Jose State University. Her research focuses on individuals’ emotions and their emotion regulation strategies in hospitality and tourism contexts, and the degree to which their emotions influence consumer decision-making.

Qingxu Yang

Qingxu Yang is a Master’s degree candidate at Shenzhen Tourism College of Jinan University. Her research focuses on consumer behavior and destination marketing.

Zhu Ju

Zhu Ju is a Product Manager at MCCL IT Digital Product PM&Solution in Nanjing. She holds a Master’s degree from Shenzhen Tourism College of Jinan University, with research interests in leisure studies.