Gendered Leisure in the Shadow of the Pandemic: Navigating the Self and in Changing Lifestyles

Shira Chess, Ivanka Pjesivac, and Sun Joo (Grace) Ahn. “Gendered Leisure in the Shadow of the Pandemic: Navigating the Self and in Changing Lifestyles.” National Communication Association (NCA). November 16, 2023, Baltimore, MD.

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic affected lives both globally and regionally, often disproportionately affecting women and minorities; family, health, work life, and leisure all changed over a short span of time. This study specifically focuses on one aspect of this equation: leisure. Leisure studies has long demonstrated equity issues regarding how women (particularly mothers) spend their free time. Because leisure can affect both physical and mental health, understanding women’s perception of their pandemic-related leisure practices illuminates the specificities of broader inequities both during and beyond the pandemic. In this qualitative study, we interviewed 30 US-based mothers describing their leisure habits before, during, and in the shadow of the pandemic to shed light on how COVID-19 disrupted and reinforced pre-existing gender-based leisure practices. Using the lens of symbolic interactionism, we posit that its meaning is being co-created in interaction between women and their surroundings during the pandemic. To this end, while leisure might seem to be a point of frivolity, the occurrence and quality of leisure time speaks to broader issues about how COVID-19 resulted in changes to quality of life and mental health issues.