If it weren‘t for my hobby, I'd have a life: dog sports, serious leisure, and boundary negotiations

‘Working Out’ Identity: Distance Runners and the Management of Disrupted Identity

“…Gillespie et al, 2002), then the role of serious-leisure practice might be construed as crucial. As Gillespie et al (2002: 286) note: 'for amateur/volunteer participants in "serious leisure", an avocation is a central aspect of their lives.…”

‘Real Ale’ Enthusiasts, Serious Leisure and the Costs of Getting ‘Too Serious’ About Beer

“…Gillespie et al, 2002;Kraus, 2013;Raisborough, 1999). This paper is based on qualitative research conducted between August 2012 and May 2014.…”

“…In particular, how the fixation with a particular serious leisure activity is viewed by those outside of the activity is only explored in a few instances. In their recent study of 'morris dancers' in the English folk leisure scene, Spracklen and Henderson (2013: 235) have referred to dancers' self-awareness of the image of folk dancing as being 'uncool' while Gillespie et al (2002) have shown that serious leisure practitioners of dog sports are only too aware of how their activities are viewed as strange and obsessive by friends, family and colleagues. Similarly, Wallace (2006) explores how railway heritage volunteers are aware of and seek to negotiate how their leisure activity is perceived negatively by non-participants and wider society more generally.…”

Quid Pro Quo: Information Sharing in Leisure Activities

“…Serious leisure refers to amateur or voluntary activity, in which the hobby forms a central life interest, with participants actively acquiring and expressing special skills, knowledge, and experience (Stebbins 1996(Stebbins , 1997. Gillespie, Leffler, and Lerner (2002) have simply referred to serious leisure as "both fun and not-fun," since participants in a given hobby may or may not derive satisfying identities from the experience and since the hobby may invoke clashes with the "real world" and generate politics within the world of the hobby. Finally, project-based leisure refers to leisure that is neither serious, nor casual, but more occasional leisure, such as holidays, sporting events, or festivals, which involve creativity, planning, skills, and effort (Stebbins, 1996(Stebbins, , 1997.…”