ABSTRACT
This chapter explores some of the processes and mechanisms involved in young people’s selection of leisure pursuits across adolescence. Leisure provides an arena for role experimentation during adolescence, assists in the learning of social norms, and provides a forum in which adolescents can experiment with the challenges that will face them as adults, including issues related to sexuality and aggression. Adults can play an important role in adolescents’ leisure participation. Young people begin to perceive that power and decision making in youth organisations lies with adults, though adult leaders may claim that they involve young people in decision making and that they offer truly collaborative participation with the young. The factors that lead adolescents towards an involvement in commercial leisure have to do with the growing adolescent’s desire to be seen to be playing an independent adult-like role.
