The construction of identities in narratives about serious leisure occupations

Taylor, JA and Kay, S 2015, 'The construction of identities in narratives about serious leisure occupations' , Journal of Occupational Science, 22 (3) , pp. 260-276.

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Abstract

Engagement in occupation contributes to the shaping of identity throughout the human life. The act of telling about such engagement involves interaction based on symbolic meaning; the speaker constructing an identity by conveying how the occupation is personally meaningful. This study explored meaning in narratives told by people who engage in serious leisure occupations. A total of 78 narratives were extracted from interviews with 17 people who invest considerable time and other resources into their leisure. Analysis focused on the content, structure and performance of each narrative in order to explore meaning. The meanings were organised into a framework based around three dimensions: the located self, the active self and the changing self. Each dimension has facets that the individual might emphasise, constructing a unique identity. The framework offers a structured basis for conceptualising how occupation contributes to the shaping of the internalised self and the socially situated identity.

Item Type:	Article
Themes:	Health and Wellbeing Memory, Text and Place
Schools:	Schools > School of Health Sciences
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of Occupational Science
Publisher:	Taylor and Francis Group
Refereed:	Yes
ISSN:	1442-7591
Related URLs:	Publication
Funders:	Non funded research
Depositing User:	Dr Jackie Taylor
Date Deposited:	06 Jun 2013 15:09
Last Modified:	15 Feb 2022 18:20
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URI:	https://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/29255

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