Running head: INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEW 1

Individual Interview

Amanda M. Malizia

RPTM 120
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Individual Interview

Erickson’s “Stages of Psychosocial Development” can be thought of as a framework for

leisure needs across the lifespan. In Erickson’s theory adults ages 40-65 face “Generativity vs.

Stagnation” in regards to their leisure activities (Erikson, 2019). During this stage people try to

create memories, create positive change and give back to society (Taff, 2019) by “raising our

children, being productive at work, and becoming involved in community activities and

organizations” (Taft, 2019, slide 28). For this paper I sought to interview someone in this age

group to see how their answers corresponded to Erickson’s Theory. I also sought to interview

someone who defined leisure differently than myself. In this paper I will break this interview

into three sections: my interviewee’s definitions of leisure, her leisure activities and her leisure

constraints. I will then offer a comparison between her responses and my own. Finally, I will

discuss whether her responses fit within Erickson’s framework.

I interviewed Mrs. Shuey in Pollock Shop on 12/4/2019, She is the wife of my landlord

and I barely know her. Mrs. Shuey defines leisure as “time away from work” (M. Shuey,

personal communication, December 04, 2019) and believes that leisure “is a state of mind more

than participation in an activity” (M. Shuey, personal communication, December 04, 2019). She

says that she uses her leisure time as a way to get her mind off of work and that she “has done

both physical and mental work and they are both wearing” (M. Shuey, personal communication,

December 04, 2019).

During her leisure time Mrs. Shuey enjoys swimming, crocheting, playing wither her pet

ferrets, and gardening. Of those activities gardening is her favorite because “I have a big yard
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and find it relaxing” (M. Shuey, personal communication, December 04, 2019). Mrs. Shuey

considers gardening her number one hobby because “I spend a lot of time on it” (M. Shuey,

personal communication, December 04, 2019). Her next favorite hobby is “crocheting baby

blankets for relatives who are expecting” (M. Shuey, personal communication, December 04,

2019). Mrs. Shuey shared that the she spends most of her leisure time watching dish television

after work because “I’m tired after working” (M. Shuey, personal communication, December 04,

2019). She also shared that she usually spends her leisure time alone, without interacting with

other people (including her husband) and that this alone time is her favorite thing about her

leisure time. Mrs. Shuey says that on a scale of 1-10 that leisure is an 8 in terms of importance to

her.

The two main constraints Mrs. Shuey experiences in regards to leisure is her full-time

job and health concerns. Specifically, she says that her “wellness and backaches stop her from

gardening” (M. Shuey, personal communication, December 04, 2019). Another constrain Mrs.

Shuey experiences is time. She says that lack of time prevents her trying to do new things. I

asked if she was content not trying new things and she said that she was.

I feel that my definition of leisure, my leisure activities and my leisure constraints differ

drastically from Mrs. Shuey’s. Based on Erickson’s Stages of Psychological Developments this

makes sense as I’m in a different stage of development. I fall squarely within the “Intimacy vs.

Isolation” (Erickson, 2019) stage of this theory. My personal definition of leisure is simply

having fun and experiencing new things. I also like idea of weisure, in which leisure and work

are blurred (MacMillion, 2019). This differs from Mrs. Shuey’s leisure definition of “time away

from work”. My leisure activities include listening to music, going to concerts, getting tattoos

and being part of various sub-cultures and fandoms. Comparatively, my leisure pursuits are more
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escapist in nature than Mrs. Shuey’s. My leisure activities and identity also increasingly involve

my children and include going on vacation and attending functions my kids are involved in.

Comparatively, Mrs. Shuey’s leisure activities don’t usually involve her children as they have

grown up. My leisure constraints are similar to Mrs. Shuey’s because I too have a lack of time

and my own health concerns.

I was not surprised by Mrs. Shuey’s responses. Mrs. Shuey is older, has an empty nest

and isn’t economically advantaged. Mrs. Shuey is a lot like many people that I know around her

age. In fact, her leisure definitions, pursuits, and constraints echo those of my own mother and

mother in law. Personally, I hope to have more generativity and less stagnation then she has

when I reach her age.

According to Erickson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development Mrs. Shuey is in the

Generativity vs. Stagnation stage of development (Erickson, 2019). I feel that she embodies both

of these characteristics. She embodies generativity because her hobbies of gardening and making

baby blankets are about leaving something behind for others to enjoy. Likewise, she also

embodies the concept of stagnation because she is ok just watching television and isn’t

concerned with trying new activities. Based off of her responses I feel that Mrs. Shuey fits within

Erickson’s framework of psychosocial development.

In conclusion I feel that Mrs. Shuey has a different perspective on what leisure means

than me and she does different leisure activities. However, we both have similar leisure

constraints. My takeaway from this interview is that the definition of leisure varies greatly from

person to person and may be fluid as we age.

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References

Erickson (2019). “Stages of Psychosocial Development” (Table) in “Early

Childhood Development, Adolescence, & Emerging Adulthood, <Powerpoint> Taft, B
Taff, B (2019). “Early Childhood Development, Adolescence, & Emerging Adulthood
[PowerPoint slides].
Shuey, M (2019, December 04). Personal Interview
MacMIllion Dictionary (2019) “Weisure” retrieved 04 12 2019
from: https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/weisure