Gendered leisure in the shadow of the pandemic: The self and the other in symbolic interaction

Shira Chess, Ivanka Pjesivac, & Sun Joo (Grace) Ahn (2023). “Gendered leisure in the shadow of the pandemic: The self and the other in symbolic interaction,” paper to be presented at the 109th annual National Communication Association conference, November 16-19, National Harbor, 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 have 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.