Leisure/ Loisir
Volume 41, Issue 3, 2017, Pages 423-442

A ‘good life without bells and whistles’: a case study of immigrants’ well-being and leisure and its role in social sustainability in Truro, Nova Scotia (Article)

Gallant K.* , Tirone S.
  • a School of Health and Human Performance, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
  • b College of Sustainability and the School of Health and Human Performance, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada

Abstract

Attracting immigrants to small towns is one means of bolstering the sustainability of these communities, which are challenged by outmigration and aging populations. In contrast to the common emphasis on immigrants’ economic needs and contributions, this project focused on the subjective well-being of immigrants. Focusing on the experiences of immigrants in Truro, Nova Scotia, we engaged four immigrants and five service providers in semi-structured interviews focused on their experiences in terms of how members of the community in which immigrants settle help to provide resources that influence immigrants’ subjective well-being. Data analyses suggested that two themes, the ‘textured network of support’ and ‘meaningful experiences amidst changing circumstances’, describe the research findings. Overall, immigrants and their supporters described meaningful relationships and sharing of familiar cultural practices as important resources that contributed to immigrants’ well-being as they transitioned and built a ‘new kind of family’ in Truro. © 2017 Canadian Association for Leisure Studies / Association canadienne d’études en loisir.

Author Keywords

Atlantic Canada Social support social sustainability Immigration Subjective well-being

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85026878035&doi=10.1080%2f14927713.2017.1352456&partnerID=40&md5=80dfdf18a818e449ae32cdb4051d3b35

DOI: 10.1080/14927713.2017.1352456
ISSN: 14927713
Original Language: English