Ceasing participation in leisure activities after immigration: Eastern Europeans and their leisure behavior

Although leisure of ethnic and racial minorities has attracted significant attention from leisure scientists, research on leisure behavior of immigrants is only developing and gaining recognition as a legitimate area of inquiry. This paper examines the role of leisure in immigrants’ adaptation by focusing on one aspect of the process of post-arrival leisure change – ceasing participation in leisure activities after settling in the host country. Based on 13 in-depth interviews and a questionnaire survey completed by 264 recent Polish immigrants to Edmonton, Alberta, it explores in-depth ceasing participation patterns among immigrant populations. The study identifies major reasons immigrants have for ceasing participation in their former pastimes (lack of time, environmental differences and financial difficulties), groups of activities most commonly ceased by the newcomers (outdoor recreational activities, typical Polish activities and home-based recreation) and explains the reasons that Eastern European immigrants have for abandoning participation in their favorite activities. Findings of this study are subsequently used to isolate patterns of changes in post-arrival leisure behavior that are likely to be universally applicable as well as to establish factors that might differentiate specific immigrant populations.