This study investigated the relationship between race, gender, and 7 leisure benefits that are based on a Benefits Approach to Leisure (BAL) framework. A random sample of 47 blocks from a southern metropolitan census tract composed of racially integrated middle-class neighborhoods yielded 99 African American and 107 European American households who rated statements representing 7 leisure benefits on a Likert-type scale. Using 2-tailed t tests, with an F (folded) statistic to test for equality of the 2 variances, significant differences (p < .05) between middle-class African Americans and middle-class European Americans were found on 4 of 7 leisure benefit scales (57%): relaxation, diversion, self-expression, and social interaction. When gender was considered, African American and European American middle-class men differed significantly (p < .05) on relaxation and self-expression scales, whereas middle-class women differed significantly (p < .05) on social interaction and self-esteem scales. The 7 leisure benefit areas were ranked according to perceived importance; a strong association (R = .86, p < .05) was shown between the racial groups. Gender showed considerable effect on the ranking of preferred leisure benefits among middle-class African Americans but was of limited value when comparing middle-class European American rankings.
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