Recreation and Leisure

Lesson Proper for Week 1

FOUNDATIONS OF RECREATION AND LEISURE

What is Recreation?
Recreation is defined from an individual perspective. It could include watching television, attending an opera, base jumping, mowing the lawn,
taking your children to the zoo, playing checkers, downloading music, writing a book, spending an evening on the town, or whatever one chooses to
make it.

Recreation also provides major personal benefits in terms of meeting physical, emotional, philosophical, and other important health-related needs
of participants. In a broad sense, the leisure life of a nation reflects its fundamental values and character. The very games and sports, entertainment
media, and group affiliations that people enjoy in their leisure help to shape the character and well-being of families, communities, and society at
large.

CONTEMPORARY DEFINITIONS OF RECREATION

Most modern definitions of recreation fit into one of three categories:

1. Recreation has been seen as an activity carried on under certain conditions or with certain motivations;

2. Recreation has been viewed as a process or state of being— something that happens within the person while engaging in certain kinds of
activity, with a given set of expectations;

3. Recreation has been perceived as a social institution, a body of knowledge, or a professional field.

Typically, definitions of recreation found in the professional literature have included the following elements:

1. Recreation is widely regarded as activity (including physical, mental, social, or emotional involvement), as contrasted with sheer idleness or
complete rest. Recreation may include an extremely wide range of activities, such as sport, games, crafts, performing arts, fine arts, music,
dramatics, travel, hobbies, and social activities. These activities may be engaged in by individuals or by groups and may involve single or episodic
participation or sustained and frequent involvement throughout one’s lifetime.

2. The choice of activity or involvement is voluntary, free of compulsion or obligation.

3. Recreation is prompted by internal motivation and the desire to achieve personal satisfaction, rather than by extrinsic goals or rewards.

4. Recreation is dependent on a state of mind or attitude; it is not so much what one does as the reason for doing it, and the way the individual feels
about the activity, that makes it recreation.

5. Although the primary motivation for taking part in recreation is usually pleasure seeking, it may also be meeting intellectual, physical, or social
needs. In some cases, rather than providing “fun” of a light or trivial nature, recreation may involve a serious degree of commitment and self-
discipline and may yield frustration or even pain.

THE MEANING OF LEISURE: SIX VIEWS. What exactly is leisure?

1. The concept of leisure as a unique, desirable component of the human experience was first articulated by ancient Greeks. In more recent
centuries, scholars attempted to define leisure in terms of both its role in society and impact on the individual.

2. For the Athenians particularly, leisure was the highest value of life and work the lowest. Because the upper classes were not required to
work, they were free to engage in intellectual, cultural, and artistic activity.

3. Leisure represented an ideal state of freedom and the opportunity for spiritual and intellectual enlightenment.
 4. Within modern philosophies of leisure that have descended from this classical Athenian view, leisure is still seen as occurring mostly in
time that is not devoted to work.

5. However, it is considered far more than just a temporary release from work used to restore one for more work.

6. Etymologically, the English word leisure seems to be derived from the Latin licere, meaning “to be permitted” or “to be free.” From licere
came the French loisir, meaning “free time,” and such English words as license (originally meaning immunity from public obligation) and
liberty.

  Leisure Defined Recognizing that each of the six concepts of leisure just presented stems from a different perspective.

  A general definition that embraces several of the key points follows:

- Leisure is that portion of an individual’s time that is not directly devoted to work or work connected responsibilities or to other obligated
forms of maintenance or self-care.
- Leisure implies freedom and choice and is customarily used in a variety of ways, including to meet one’s personal needs for reflection,
self enrichment, relaxation, pleasure, and affiliation. Although it usually involves some form of participation in a voluntarily chosen
activity, it may also be regarded as a holistic state of being or even a spiritual experience.
- Leisure theorists struggle to agree on what to call these types of experiences. Is it recreation, leisure, free time, available time, creativity,
selfishness, or hedonism? One’s own perceptions are so important in the defining of leisure and recreation that researchers continue to
debate their meaning to society, individuals, and culture.

VARIED VIEWS OF RECREATION AND LEISURE

  For some, recreation means the network of public agencies that provide facilities such as parks, playgrounds, aquatic centers, sports
fields, and community centers in thousands of cities, towns, counties, and park districts today.

  They may view these facilities as an outlet for the young or a means of achieving family togetherness; pursuing interesting hobbies,
sports, or social activities; or as a place for growth and development for all ages.

  For others, recreation may be found in a senior center or golden age club, a sheltered workshop for people with cognitive disabilities, or
a treatment center for physical rehabilitation.

  For some, traveling, whether it be by trailer, motor coach, airplane, train, or cruise ship, is the preferred mode of recreation. The
expansion of the travel and tourism industry has been staggering.

  Travel clubs have become increasingly popular, with several airlines built around short trips through extended travel. Disney has
initiated a line of cruise ships that focuses on family, and has extended the idea of travel and tourism yet again.

AN ANALYSIS OF PLAY, RECREATION AND LEISURE

Any consideration of the broad field of recreation and leisure should include a clarification of terms and concepts. The words play, leisure, and
recreation are frequently used interchangeably, as if they mean the same thing. However, although related, they have distinctly different meanings
and it is important for both students and practitioners in this field to understand their varied implications and the differences among them.

RELATIONSHIPS AMONG PLAY, LEISURE AND RECREATION

Obviously, the three terms discussed in this chapter are closely interrelated.

  Leisure, for example, provides an opportunity to carry on both play and recreation. Much of our free time in modern society is taken up
by recreation, although leisure may also include such activities as continuing education, religious practice, or community service, which
are not usually thought of as forms of recreation. In turn, it should be understood that although play and recreation tend to overlap, they
are not identical.

  Play is not so much an activity as a form of behavior, marked stylistically by teasing, competition, exploration, or make-believe. Play can
occur during work or leisure, whereas recreation takes place only during leisure.

  Recreation obviously includes many forms of play, but it also may involve distinctly non play-like activities such as traveling, reading,
going to museums, and pursuing other cultural or intellectual activities. As a social institution, recreation has broader applications than
play or leisure in two ways:

  Recreation is often provided by institutions that do not have leisure as a primary concern, such as the armed forces or business
concerns; and recreation agencies often provide other social or environmental services and may in fact become an important linkage
between municipal governments and the people they serve.
   Leisure is a subject of scholarly study for many economists and sociologists; it also has come increasingly under the scrutiny of
psychologists and social psychologists. However, to the public at large, leisure tends to be a somewhat abstract or remote concept.

BENEFITS OF RECREATION AND LEISURE

  Be happier – Feel great

  Build family unity

  Take care of Latch key children, educate children and adults

  Control weight, look better, build strong bodies

  Diminish chance of disease, live longer

  Build self-esteem

  Reduce stress – relax

  Promote sensitivity to cultural diversity

  Eliminate loneliness – conquer boredom

  Increase community pride

  Reduce crime, diminish gang violence, provide safe places to play

  Meet friends – create memories

  Generate revenue

  Boost economy – reduce unemployment

  Increase tourism

  Protect environment

  Provide space to enjoy nature – clean air and water

  Offer place for social interaction

TRENDS AND NEW DEVELOPMENT IN RECREATION AND LEISURE

1. Female and teens Participation Increasing

- Girls and women are participating in outdoor recreation and sports in greater number.
- More dedicated space for teens which provides an opportunity for casual socializing and recreational activities.
- Basketball and skateboarding become the most popular activities

2. Trails and linkages best for meeting fitness and leisure needs
- The most popular outdoor activity according to the Super study of Sports
Participation is walking and trail related activities.
- The first two popular activities are walking and bicycling. Fitness walking, day hiking, and running or jogging have risen in popularity.
-Both activities require less expenditure and partner to do the activities together.

3. Longer hours of access and multi-purpose facilities

- Lack of time is one of the main factors affecting participation in recreation.
- Older adults may have more time and money to participate in recreation, however, working age households are finding themselves to be
increasingly time-stressed.
- Recreational providers provide longer hours of access and multi-purpose used facilities where more than one family member can
participate at the same time.

4. Special facility associated with aging baby boomers.

- A large number of people who are the baby boomers are getting old and will enjoy their enticements.
- Increased demands for computer centers in recreation centers to meet the growing interest of elderly in digital technology, web design,
emailing and playing.
Lesson Proper for Week 2

HISTORY OF RECREATION

Ancient Egypt was very developed regarding leisure and recreation. This is according to article “History of Recreation” by the University of
Manitoba. There was a well-developed class system where the upper class liked to be entertained while the lower class participated in athletics and
sports. Children played with marbles, bouncing balls and other toys.

  This is to say that the recreational games that you know and love today were created a long time ago. Many studies now show that most
of the games originated from ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. Swimming, running, ball games were all develop by 641 A.D.

  In ancient civilization, tribal people do not know how to distinguish leisure and work. Work can be classified as play and play can also be
considered work.

  Ancient Egypt – wrestling, gymnastics and lifting

  Ancient Babylonia – dancing and listening to Music

  Ancient Israel – fishing and hunting

  Ancient Greece – military training

  Ancient Rome – entertainment

  Dark and Middle Age – gambling

  Renaissance – drama

RECREATION is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human
biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun".

  Etymology The term recreation appears to have been used in English first in the late 14th century, first in the sense of "refreshment or
curing of a sick person", and derived turn from Latin (re: "again", creare: "to create, bring forth, beget"). Prerequisites to leisure Humans
spend their time in activities of daily living, work, sleep, social duties, and leisure, the latter time being free from prior commitments to
physiologic or social needs, a prerequisite of recreation.

Leisure is considered a human right under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Play, recreation and work Pieter Bruegel Children's Games
(1560) Recreation is difficult to separate from the general concept of play, which is usually the term for children's recreational activity. Children may
playfully imitate activities that reflect the realities of adult life. It has been proposed that play or recreational activities are outlets of or expression
of excess energy, channeling it into socially acceptable activities that fulfill individual as well as societal needs, without need for compulsion, and
providing satisfaction and pleasure for the participant.

Leisure Development

  Development of Parks

  Inclusion to Education

  Establishment of Leisure Organization

  Leisure around the World

  Home Based Leisure

  Park Based Leisure

  Travel Leisure
Health and recreation

  Recreation has many health benefits, and, accordingly, Therapeutic Recreation has been developed to take advantage of this effect. The
National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) is the nationally recognized credentialing organization for the profession
of Therapeutic Recreation. Professionals in the field of Therapeutic Recreation who are certified by the NCTRC are called "Certified
Therapeutic Recreation Specialists".

  Recreational physical activity is important to reduce obesity, and the risk of osteoporosis and of cancer, most significantly in men that of
colon and prostate, and in women that of the breast; however, not all malignancies are reduced as outdoor recreation has been linked to
a higher risk of melanoma. Extreme adventure recreation naturally carries its own hazards.

  Recreational activities can be communal or solitary, active or passive, outdoors or indoors, healthy or harmful, and useful for society or
detrimental. A significant section of recreational activities is designated as hobbies which are activities done for pleasure on a regular
basis. Some recreational activities – such as gambling, recreational drug use, or delinquent activities – may violate societal norms and
laws.

Games any structured form of play could become a game.

  Games are played sometimes purely for recreation, sometimes for achievement or monetary rewards as well. They can be played alone,
in teams, or online; by amateurs or by professionals as part of their work for entertainment of the audience.

  The games could be Board games, Puzzles, computer or Video games. Literature Writing may involve letters, journals and weblogs.
Elocution is another way to use literature for recreation. Music Creation Music is composed and performed for many purposes, ranging
from recreation, religious or ceremonial purposes, or for entertainment.

Bricolage and DIY are some of the terms describing the building, modifying, or repairing things without the direct aid of experts or professionals.
Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals engage raw and semi-raw materials and parts to produce, transform, or
reconstruct material possessions, including those drawn from the natural environment (e.g., landscaping)".

Outdoor recreation engaged in out of doors, most commonly in natural settings. The activities themselves — such as fishing, hunting, backpacking,
and horseback riding — characteristically dependent on the environment practiced in. While many of these activities can be classified as sports,
they do not all demand that a participant be an athlete.

e-commerce

Since the beginning of the 2000s, there are more and more online booking / ticketing platforms for recreational activities that emerged. Many of
them leveraged the ever-growing prevalence of internet, mobile devices and e-payments to build comprehensive online booking solutions. The first
successful batch includes tourist recreation activities platform like TripAdvisor that went public.

TRENDS AFFECTING RECREATION AND LEISURE

  RECYCLING – one of park and recreations most cherished environmental quality efforts may rapidly come to an end

  OPIOID ABUSE IN PARKS – Forcing changes in design, programming, maintenance and public safety.

  TECHNOLOGY – More technology in parks: Beacon counters, Geofencing and drones.

  E-Sports – Coming to public park and recreational facilities

  FUNDING – Investment in park infrastructure will rise

Lesson Proper for Week 3

DEVELOPMENT OF THE LESSON

Relevance of Philosophy to Recreation and Leisure Studies

Philosophy helps us to more clearly understand our leisure values, improving our abilities as leisure service providers.
Philosophy helps us to be better leisure services providers by giving us a method for solving the practical ethical
dilemmas that all leisure providers face during their careers. Why Does Philosophy Matter? Creates a grounding in
philosophical reasoning to help people become ethical service providers.

  Leisure service providers are likely to encounter many vexing ethical dilemmas during their careers.

  Leisure service providers are often put in a position of trust when working with vulnerable populations.

  Leisure service providers are expected to exercise a high degree of responsibility and provide healthful
activities.

  Organized leisure services is a serious undertaking that imposes significant ethical responsibilities on service
providers.

Philosophy

  Helps Leisure Service Providers

  Solve Ethical Issues

  Philosophizing can be used to clarify our leisure values. It provides a method to resolve specific ethical
dilemmas.

Two functions of philosophic inquiry:

1. values clarification

2. ethical dilemma solving can complement each other.

Greek Philosophy Ancient

Greek philosophers used their “powers of reasoning” to determine the best style of life. Their goal was to develop
systematic knowledge about how the behavior of both individuals and society could be optimized. Greeks focused on
questions of ethics (for optimizing the lifestyle of the individual) and politics (for optimizing the functioning of the state).
Plato and Aristotle Their intellectual focus was to determine how people should live their lives. Both recognized that
knowledge about “how” people could optimize their lives was important. They understood that knowledge of ethics had
practical applications for instructing both individuals and societies on how they should behave. Both believed that the
proper development of an individual’s character traits was the key to living an optimal lifestyle. Plato’s Theory of Leisure
Plato separated “good” leisure activities from “bad.” Only certain types of virtuous leisure were allowed, e.g., controlling
storytelling and music. He was fearful of recreation that excited the emotions. The legacy of Plato’s political philosophy is
present in leisure services today: Recreational programming and activities should contribute to positive character
development. Plato’s belief was that leisure and recreation are important tools for influencing individuals and society.

Plato (at left) and Aristotle (at right). Aristotle is usually thought to
be the creator of metaphysics

Aristotle’s Philosophy of Leisure

   Advocated the repression of women and slaves. They were not allowed the luxury of leisure. Privilege was
reserved for the male citizenry. Leisured elite were expected to strive for self-perfection. Living the ideal lifestyle
required following habits of living that were virtuous and avoiding those filled with vices.

Ethical Analysis: Three Approaches

  Consequence-based ethics: weighing the consequences

  Duty-based ethics: evaluating the duties and obligations

  Virtue-based ethics: consulting one’s conscience.

Metaphysics

  branch of philosophy that examines the fundamental nature of reality, including the relationship between mind
and matter, between substance and attribute, and between possibility and actuality Plato (at left) and Aristotle
(at right). Aristotle is usually thought to be the creator of metaphysics.

Epistemology.

  The word epistemology is derived from the ancient Greek epistēmē meaning "knowledge" and the suffix -logia,
meaning "logical discourse" (derived from the Greek word logos meaning "discourse").

History of epistemology

  The concept of "epistemology" as a distinct field of inquiry predates the introduction of the word. John Locke,
for instance, described his efforts in Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689) as an inquiry "into the
original, certainty, and extent of human knowledge, together with the grounds and degrees of belief, opinion,
and assent".

Central concepts in epistemology

1. Knowledge: Knowledge Nearly all debates in epistemology are in some way related to knowledge.
Philosophers tend to draw an important distinction between three different senses of "knowing" something:
- "knowing that" (knowing the truth of propositions),
- "knowing how" (understanding how to perform certain actions),
- "knowing by acquaintance" (directly perceiving an object or otherwise coming into contact with it; being
familiar with something).
With epistemology being primarily concerned with the first. All three senses of "knowing" can be seen in our
ordinary use of the word. In mathematics, you can know that 2 + 2 = 4, but there is also knowing how to add two
numbers, and knowing a person (e.g., knowing other persons, or knowing oneself), place (e.g., one's
hometown), thing (e.g., cars), or activity (e.g., addition.)

2. Belief: One of the core concepts topics in epistemology is belief. A belief is an attitude that a person holds
regarding anything that she takes to be true. For instance, to believe that snow is white is comparable to
accepting the truth of the proposition "snow is white".
- Beliefs can be occurrent (e.g. a person actively thinking "snow is white"),
- or can be dispositional (e.g. a person who if asked about the color of snow would assert "snow is white").
- While there is not universal agreement about the nature of belief, most contemporary philosophers hold the
view that a disposition to express belief B qualifies as holding the belief B.

3. Truth: Truth is the property of being in accord with facts or reality. On most views, truth is the correspondence of
language or thought to a mind independent world. This is called the correspondence theory of truth. Among
philosophers who think that it is possible to analyze the conditions necessary for knowledge, virtually all of them
accept that truth is such a condition.
 4. Justification: (epistemology)
- As the term "justification" is used in epistemology, a belief is justified if one has good reason for holding it.
- Loosely speaking, justification is the reason that someone holds a rationally admissible belief, on the
assumption that it is a good reason for holding it.
- Sources of justification might include perceptual experience (the evidence of the senses), reason, and
authoritative testimony, among others.
- Importantly however, a belief being justified does not guarantee that the belief is true, since I could be justified
in forming beliefs based on very convincing evidence that was nonetheless deceiving.

5. Internalism and externalism: A central debate about the nature of justification is a debate between
epistemological externalists on the one hand, and epistemological internalists on the other. While epistemic
externalism first arose in attempts to overcome the Gettier problem, it has flourished in the time since as an
alternative way of conceiving of epistemic justification. The initial development of epistemic externalism is often
attributed to Alvin Goldman, although numerous other philosophers have worked on the topic in the time since.
Externalists hold that factors deemed "external", meaning outside of the psychological states of those who gain
knowledge, can be conditions of justification.

6. Logic comes from the Greek word logos, originally meaning "the word" or "what is spoken", but coming to mean
"thought" or "reason". In the Western World, logic was first developed by Aristotle, who called the subject
'analytics'. Aristotelian logic became widely accepted in science and mathematics and remained in wide use in
the West until the early 19th century.

Aristotle's system of logic was responsible for the introduction of

  hypothetical syllogism

  temporal modal logic

  inductive logic

The influential vocabulary such as terms,

  predicable,

  syllogisms

  propositions.

  And the rival Stoic logic.

TYPES OF LOGIC

1. Syllogistic logic: Aristotelian logic A depiction from the 15th century of the square of opposition, which
expresses the fundamental dualities of syllogistic. The Organon was Aristotle's body of work on logic, with the
Prior Analytics constituting the first explicit work in formal logic, introducing the syllogistic. The parts of
syllogistic logic, also known by the name term logic, are the analysis of the judgements into propositions
consisting of two terms that are related by one of a fixed number of relations, and the expression of inferences
by means of syllogisms that consist of two propositions sharing a common term as premise, and a conclusion
that is a proposition involving the two unrelated terms from the premises.
A depiction from the 15th century of the square of opposition, which expresses the fundamental dualities of syllogistic.

2. Propositional logic: Propositional calculus A propositional calculus or logic (also a sentential calculus) is a formal
system in which formulae representing propositions can be formed by combining atomic propositions using
logical connectives, and in which a system of formal proof rules establishes certain formulae as "theorems". An
example of a theorem of propositional logic is , which says that if A holds, then B implies A.

3. Predicate logic: Predicate logic is the generic term for symbolic formal systems such as first-order logic, second
order logic, many-sorted logic, and infinitary logic. It provides an account of quantifiers general enough to
express a wide set of arguments occurring in natural language.

Gottlob Frege's Begriffschrift introduced the notion of quantifier in a graphical notation, which here represents the
judgement that is true.

4. Modal logic: Modal logic In languages, modality deals with the phenomenon that sub-parts of a sentence may
have their semantics modified by special verbs or modal particles. For example, "We go to the games" can be
modified to give "We should go to the games", and "We can go to the games" and perhaps "We will go to the
games". More abstractly, we might say that modality affects the circumstances in which we take an assertion to
be satisfied.

5. Mathematical logic: Mathematical logic comprises two distinct areas of research: the first is the application of
the techniques of formal logic to mathematics and mathematical reasoning, and the second, in the other
direction, the application of mathematical techniques to the representation and analysis of formal logic.

6. Philosophical logic: Philosophical logic deals with formal descriptions of ordinary, non-specialist ("natural")
language, that is strictly only about the arguments within philosophy's other branches. Logic and the philosophy
of language are closely related. Philosophy of language has to do with the study of how our language engages
and interacts with our thinking. Studying logic and the relationship between logic and ordinary speech can help a
person better structure his own arguments and critique the arguments of others.

7. Computational logic: Computational logic and Logic in computer science A simple toggling circuit is expressed
using a logic gate and a synchronous register. Logic cut to the heart of computer science as it emerged as a
discipline: Alan Turing's work on the Entscheidungs problem followed from Kurt Gödel's work on the
incompleteness theorems. The notion of the general purpose computer that came from this work was of
fundamental importance to the designers of the computer machinery in the 1940s. In the 1950s and 1960s,
researchers predicted that when human knowledge could be expressed using logic with mathematical notation,
it would be possible to create a machine that mimics the problem-solving skills of a human being.
A simple toggling circuit is expressed using a logic gate and a synchronous register.

Aesthetic

  is derived from the Greek αἰσθητικός (aisthetikos, meaning "esthetic, sensitive, sentient, pertaining to sense
perception"), which in turn was derived from αἰσθάνομαι (aisthanomai, meaning "I perceive, feel, sense" and
related to αἴσθησις (aisthēsis, "sensation"). Aesthetics in this central sense has been said to start with the series
of articles on.

Aesthetics and the philosophy of art

  Aesthetics is for the artist as Ornithology is for the birds. — Barnett Newman Some separate aesthetics and
philosophy of art, claiming that the former is the study of beauty and taste while the latter is the study of art
proper, in the form of materialized works of artists.

  Aesthetics encompasses both questions around beauty as well as questions about art. It examines topics such
as aesthetic objects, aesthetic experience, and aesthetic judgments.

Personal Leisure Philosophy

  Leisure should be a part of everyone's everyday life. Leisure is the use of one's free time, and can take many
forms. It is something that should be done independently.

  In this summary, philosophy of leisure which is: leisure should allow you to enjoy your own presence and find
self happiness. This view closely resembles the metaphysical concept and Aristotle's view of leisure. It also
challenges the contemporary philosophy of leisure.

  Leisure creates the opportunity to unwind and not focus on reality; it is an escape

Lesson Proper for Week 4

LEISURE and RECREATION for INDIVIDUALS in SOCIETY

LEISURE AS A COMPLEX SOCIAL PHENOMENON

Leisure is affected by many social institutions:

  Economics

  Politics

  Work

  Technology

  War

SOLITARY LEISURE AND SOCIETY

   A few activities are entirely solitary, some are purely social, and most can be other private or communal.

  Consider the following:

- Solitary leisure does not take place in a social vacuum.
- Individuals and groups profoundly affect our solitary leisure activities.
- Leisure activities while we are alone influence the people and the world around us.

THE WORLD AROUND US

Consider how the world around us affects our private leisure in three ways:

1. By supporting it

2. By infringing upon it

3. By forcing us into it

IMPLICATIONS FOR LEISURE PROFESSIONALS

  Recognize the benefits and costs of solitary leisure pursuits to individuals, those around them, and society in
general.

  Most solo leisure activities require, at the least, space, some equipment and materials, and unencumbered
time, but not a great many resources.

  Recognize and educate the public about the essential balance that must exist between solitary leisure and
leisure that directly involves others.

PRIMARY GROUPS DEFINED

  These are small groups in which there are face-to-face relations of a fairly intimate and personal nature.

  Two basic types are families and cliques. In other words, they are organized around ties of either kinship or
friendship (Lenski, Nolan, 1995)

LEISURE AND PRIMARY GROUPS

  Most leisure is undertaken with others.

  Other people involved in the leisure activity are not merely bystanders; they are essential components of the
activity.

  “In general, people are more important in leisure than the form of the activity” (Kelly, 1987).

  Social custom and societal expectations profoundly affect leisure when it is undertaken in the family and with
close friends.

LIFE SPAN AND FAMILY CYCLE AND THE TYPICAL LEISURE ACTIVITY

  Some leisure activities are common and some less common at different stages of life.
   A core of activities persists through a person’s life, especially their adult years (Kelly, 1999).

  “General types of leisure” also tend to be common for many members of the same age group.

  Variation, or balance, exists among and between the age groups.

LEISURE ACTIVITY AND THE FAMILY

  Different cultures have various forms of kinship groupings.

  The same culture may change its “notion” of family over time.

  Families move through a series of predictable stages.

  The stages are not separate and distinct with sharp dividing lines; rather, each stage tends to merge into the
stage before and after it.

LEISURE AND SECONDARY GROUPS

  Henslin (1993) defines a secondary group as “a larger, relatively temporary, more anonymous, formal and
impersonal group based on some interest or activity, whose members are likely to interact on the basis of
specific roles.”

  The influence an individual has on secondary groups, while not obvious, is very real.

LEISURE, RECREATION, AND GENDER

  Gender is a social category that includes attitudes, expectation, and expressions of masculinity and femininity.
Sex refers to the biological component of being either male or female.

  Gender is one of the most defining characteristics human beings possess. Because of that, it is linked to leisure
in many complex relationships.

HISTORICAL “GENDER” EXAMPLES

  Males have enjoyed a privileged position in all Western cultures.

   Recreation activities for women have taken place in the home and have had a domestic component such as
cooking, decorating, and providing activity for children.

  Women are still responsible for the major duties in maintaining home and family. On average, women spend 50
hours each week on family work, while men average 11 hours. This limits the time available for leisure (Newman,
1999).

RUSSELL’S FIVE (5) CONCLUSIONS

1. Disparity has decreased over the past century, but men continue to experience more leisure in terms of breadth
and depth.

2. Long-entrenched roles for each gender significantly affect recreation.

3. Men’s recreation more often takes place beyond the confines of the home. Women more often participate in
leisure in the home.

4. Women’s leisure and recreation is fragmented because of the burden of family care. Men can block out an entire
afternoon or even a few days exclusively for leisure.

5. Older women especially may labor under the false belief that leisure must be earned or that they are not
entitled to do it at all.

LEISURE, ETHNICITY, AND RACE

  Race refers to biological characteristics.

  Ethnicity refers to cultural characteristics. Hensin (1993) notes that people of the same ethnicity “ identify with
one another on the basis of common ancestry and cultural heritage.”

  Leisure participation rates vary according to race and ethnicity.

LEISURE, RECREATION, AND RELIGION

   “Religion has always been the anchor of identity for human beings. Religious beliefs give meaning to life, and
the experiences associated with them provide personal gratification, as well as release from the frustrations and
anxieties of daily life” (Eschleman, Cashion, & Basirico, 1993).

  Relationship among leisure, recreation, and religion in the United States is long and complex.

  The leisure of most citizens was dominated by religion when America was just beginning.

  Churches have recently used recreation as a tool to foster a sense of community, attract members, and keep
members from activity that is harmful.

LEISURE, RECREATION, AND SOCIOECONOMIC CLASS

  Individuals of nearly all societies are categorized according to some combination of wealth, power, party
affiliation, life chances, and prestige.

  Some systems, like the caste system in India, are very rigid. The boundaries are distinct and movement
between the different categories is nearly impossible.

  A class system is much more fluid with overlap between classes and the possibility of movement up and down
among the classes.

GOOD AND BAD LEISURE AND RECREATION

  These are difficult to determine because of differences in individual values and interpretations. (There are
several different and competing theories about what is “good and bad” and “right and wrong.”)

  The individual and the various societies of which he or she is a part jointly determine goodness in all things,
including leisure and recreation.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PROFESSIONALS

  One must continue to drive home the point that leisure and recreation are essential: So important, in fact, that
humans, regardless of their lot in life, have them by right, not because they are of a particular correct color, age,
ethnicity, gender, religion, or class.