Cultivating Boredom: Family Origins and Life Trajectories

Abstract

Drawing on 100 interviews with adults in Ontario, Canada, this study examines how people develop different responses to boredom across their lives. I identify four boredom orientations (avoidance, acceptance, embrace, resignation) and show how family practices and life circumstances shape their formation and transformation from childhood through adulthood. The findings reveal that childhood socialization creates enduring patterns, with structured upbringings fostering persistent avoidance and unstructured upbringings cultivating greater adaptability. Current circumstances also matter: Settled life phases favor acceptance, while unsettled phases marked by job loss, immigration, or caregiving roles intensify resignation, especially when gender and immigration status limit compensatory possibilities.