Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation
8-2010
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Department
Sociology
Committee Chair
Gagne, Patricia L.
Author's Keywords
Serious leisure; Women; Motivation; Benefits; Airplane piloting
Subject
Women air pilots; Women--Recreation--Social aspects; Leisure--Social aspects
Abstract
Serious leisure theory (Stebbins, 1992) is used to frame this examination of women's long-term involvement in airplane piloting. Through in-depth, semi-structured telephone and e-mail interviews with women having over 15 years experience as private pilots, this study examines their leading motivations and their personal and social benefits realized through airplane piloting as a leisure activity. Women's participation in amateur airplane piloting displays the six characteristics of serious leisure. In addition to the durable benefits ascribed to serious leisure, the respondents demonstrated several other personal and social benefits. The interview data revealed that women pursue airplane piloting as independent, interdependent, or dependent pilots. I identified independent pilots as the women who were intrinsically motivated to become involved with piloting for self-oriented rewards. Interdependent pilots who decided with their significant others to engage in airplane piloting as a shared leisure activity demonstrates internalization of extrinsic motivation. Dependent pilots are women whose partner had already been piloting for years before they are extrinsically motivated to pursue their pilot certificates in order to assist their partners. Using grounded theory analysis and feminist research methodology, this study allowed a comparison of benefits realized from airplane piloting as serious leisure based upon women's initial motivations to become pilots. This study of women airplane pilots enabled insight into women's involvement in a male dominated serious leisure that requires a significant investment of time, effort and money in the acquisition and maintenance of specialized skills.
Recommended Citation
Shupe, Frances Louise 1956-, "The personal and social benefits of airplane piloting as a serious leisure activity for women." (2010). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1325.
https://doi.org/10.18297/etd/1325
