Leisure in the Life of a Military Spouse

Abstract

This study draws on phenomenology using the memory-work method to examine the everyday leisure experiences of five military women spouses living in a remote part of Aotearoa New Zealand. The results revealed the women's freedom of choice for leisure activities were adversely affected by relocating to a military community. Consequently, they shared an empathy with each other and modified their leisure to best suit the situation in which they were currently living. However, they all made many compromises and were emphatic this was not an ideal situation for the family, their leisure or sense of self.

Keywords:

• family
• women's leisure
• military spouse