Hobbies of Retired People in the People's Republic of China: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

This study describes and analyzes the hobbies of over 500 retired individuals (ages fifty to eighty-eight in the People's Republic of China. Data were obtained through questionnaires and compared with the responses of 100 younger people (twenty to thirty-nine years of age). Hobbies of the retired people were classified into five categories: reading, physical exercise, productive, visual-auditory, and recreational. This classification is at variance with the one proposed by some Western writers. The following conclusions were reached: 1) there are significant differences between the hobbies of retired people and those of younger people; 2) reading is the hobby most preferred by the retired person in China; and 3) gender, age, education, and previous occupation are the factors that most influence the retired person's choice of hobbies.