Life Course Changes and Competing Leisure Interests as Obstacles to Boating Specialization

Abstract

Research has shown that most boaters do not follow a specialization trajectory resembling a progression from novice to expert. This paper asks what kept people from becoming boating specialists. A life course analysis was used to explore the relationship between changes in boating specialization and life course events (e.g., family changes, career changes, health issues, and new leisure interests). Marriage had a uniformly negative effect on five specialization indicators. Changes in finances, retirement, and illness had selective effects. Although cause-and-effect constraints of life course disruptions were modest, developing other leisure interests had a strong negative influence on specialization, indicating a natural process of attrition occurred from boating over time. Future specialization studies should model processes of progression and retrogression in the research designs.

Keywords:

• change
• leisure careers
• life course
• panel studies
• specialization

Note: The University of Wisconsin Sea Grant program funded the 1985 and 1997 surveys and analysis, and the Agricultural Experiment Station provided funding for the 1975 baseline survey. The National Park Service has provided invaluable assistance to this research throughout.

Notes

∗X ² significant at < .10.

∗∗ X ² significant at < .05