Canadian-Based Research in Leisure Studies on Leisure and the Aged: From 2000 to Today

Canada is an aging society. Within the next few years, it is forecasted that one of every four Canadians will be 65 years of age and older. With this change in the demographic composition of Canadian society comes changing needs and expectations for the service industry of leisure – specifically to better understand today’s seniors and their leisure needs. Leisure studies research, has thus been called upon, more so than ever in the past to play a key role in not only conducting research on leisure and the aged, but to also disseminate research to the service industry that will provide pertinent knowledge to help better serve this cohort. The questions that this paper purports to answer are: (1) how has the leisure studies research field in Canada prepared to recognize and address the growing needs of this aging population for leisure?, (2) what Canadian-based research has been conducted and published in the top peer-reviewed leisure studies journals since 2000?, and, is recent Canadian-based leisure studies research sufficient in helping prepare for the future delivery of leisure services for Canada’s growing aging population? The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the current state of condition of Canadian-based leisure studies research on leisure and aging. Specifically, the objective is to overview research published in Canada’s two major Canadian leisure journals — Leisure/Loisir and Society and Leisure/Société et Loisir that has been published since 2000. A systematic review of articles on leisure and the aged is presented identifying the quantity of studies produced by authors affiliated with a Canadian university, the research methods utilized, and the emerging thematic categories. The conclusion presents what is needed for future research, along with an evaluation of the current state of condition of research with implications for the service sector.