Engaging with sports related serious leisure and acculturation among korean graduate students

  • Chungsup Lee
  • , Sohye Kim
  • , Megan Owens
  • , Toni Liechty
  • , Junhyoung Kim

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

International students in the U.S. face significant challenges through the acculturation process. Based on the serious leisure perspective, this study explored leisure behaviour and benefits related to acculturation among South Korean international students who engage in sports. Conducting focus group interviews with fifteen South Korean male graduate students, we identified four themes: (a) coping with both academic and acculturative stress, (b) familiarity within all the changes, (c) developing an intragroup friendship, and (d) having an opportunity for self-development. The findings suggest that engaging in serious leisure activities may be a valuable tool for helping international students cope with the stress and the unique challenges of acculturation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)247-263
Number of pages17
JournalAnnals of Leisure Research
Volume22
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 15 2019

Keywords

  • Serious leisure
  • acculturation
  • and emotional and social benefits
  • international students

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • Geography, Planning and Development
  • Cultural Studies
  • Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management

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