ABSTRACT

Recreation is an important resource that can support residents’ capacity to cope with stress and deal with community crisis, such as a pandemic. However, rural low-income families often experience inequitable access to recreation provisions. COVID-19 pandemic forced municipal recreation departments across Canada to re-evaluate and adapt their provisions, of particular importance for rural low-income families. Through the lens of social liberalism, this study examined the role of a municipal recreation department's response to community crisis and the implications of its provisions on rural low-income mothers and their families’ capacity to facilitate leisure during the pandemic. Through 29 interviews with low-income mothers and a focus group with the recreation department, we illuminate how provisions were designed and delivered to address income inequality, geographic isolation, social exclusion and childcare. Considering these findings, we discuss the department's approach to redesigning and delivering provisions and the implications to supporting low-income families’ access to recreation.

摘要

娱乐是一种重要资源，可以支持居民应对压力和应对流行病等社区危机的能力。然而，农村低收入家庭往往无法公平地获得娱乐设施。COVID-19 大流行迫使加拿大各地的市政娱乐部门重新评估和调整其规定，这对农村低收入家庭尤其重要。通过社会自由主义的视角，本研究考察了市娱乐部门应对社区危机的作用，及其规定对农村低收入母亲及其家庭在大流行期间促进休闲的能力的影响。通过对低收入母亲的 29 次访谈以及娱乐部门的焦点小组，我们阐述了如何设计和提供相关规定来解决收入不平等、地理隔离、社会排斥和儿童保育问题。考虑到这些发现，我们讨论了该部门重新设计和提供规定的方法以及支持低收入家庭获得娱乐的影响。