Journal Activities Journal - Essay Example

LEISURE Student’s name Code & Course Professor’s name University City Date WEEK 1 Definition of leisure Leisure is viewed as the time set aside for a predetermined period when one is not engaged in another basis day to day activities, one may opt to engage in activities that bring a sense of satisfaction to them and is not view as work to them the activity they engage in is not difficult and may not necessarily indulge brain activity. (Godbey, 1985) Discussion Leisure is the time allocated away from the normal schedule where one finds himself or herself in a situation where time is not a constraint, and one is often left spoilt for choice in deciding which activity they would like to engage in. Preference is also a contributing factor where one would like to spend the free time which avails itself once in a blue moon must then be well utilized. One has to decide on what activity they would like to engage in during this free time. The aspect of hobbies also comes into place here; they are like extra skills. Most of the people during this leisure time often opt to perfect their skills be it in the sporting sector or whatever skill it is that they have. Perspectives on Leisure Leisure may totally have different meanings to different people. The difference here is that some may view it as time set aside from normal routine while to others a significant change in the nature of work where one follows passion in this case the job is no longer viewed as work but more of a hobby which was before done only during leisure but is now done all through. People have different ways of utilizing their leisure time. (Veal, 1992) For instance, one may use it to sleep. Some may also utilize this time in reading. Others opt to engage in sporting activities. Leisure time utilization all bubbles down to what makes you tick. In that from you own perspective it is not time spent on doing any other activity other than that one activity that when you engage in it does not feel like a burden and does not end up adding any monetary value or educating factors. Leisure is only supposed to bring in a sense of relief from tedious work and also break the monotony in your day to day activities. Leisure is supposed to refresh our minds. Therefore, in my words, leisure simply means free time spent on doing something that you love voluntarily on time that is not allocated for engaging in another activity. WEEK 2 Historical Development of Leisure Back in time these hunters and gatherers were the origins of the existence of mankind arranged in small groups. They had a nomadic kind of lifestyle. In their clan there was no sense of hierarchy men were hunters while the women were gatherers. No time was set aside for leisure. Also, one could not tell the difference between work and leisure. The Neolithic Revolution Places where this people settled required items that would make them comfortable. They needed good clothing, weapons, and tools. They had merchants that traded goods. A chief led them. Ancient World This was the birth of civilisation. Discussion From the beginning leisure was not well defined according to the origin of mankind like in the case of the hunters and gatherers all they did was hunt and gather food. For the Greek development of leisure was a case of social status. The have nots were considered slaves and worked for the elite here. Leisure was not an option for the poor as the served endlessly for the rich. The rich on the other hand had all the time to spare as all their burdens were catered for by the poor. In Rome leisure was paramount as it was an activity which would boost the productivity the following day. The Romans kept circuses in an aim to keep the people happy and entertained. In the Middle Ages, leisure was also experienced the only difference between the poor and the rich and the activities they engaged in was the depth of their pockets. (Juniu, 2010) The poor engaged in village eating competitions while the rich participated in hunting. In the industrial revolution time for leisure decreased as the emergence of industries was on the rise and it required labourers. The working hours were so intensive that leisure was now viewed more as a right. Women were seen not to be entitled to leisure as they practically did no work. The trade unions wanted time to be allocated for leisure and time for work decreased significantly. Leisure was viewed as a cost. In the recent past people ended up working long hours just to satisfy their lifestyle and even at the time ended up in debt. Historical Development of Leisure Perspective Leisure in the past was not predetermined. In the sense that a specific time was set aside for leisure. People interacted with leisure differently in terms of their pocket depth. Leisure ultimately ended up attaching a monetary value to itself since people had different interests and culture was also attached to it. It was very bad that people put on work in the recent past so as to acquire tools that they required for leisure and at times ended up in debt. The people ended up not enjoying this tools for leisure but instead at work trying to settle their debts and not enjoying their leisure time. It is well known that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Leisure which was fought for by the leisure society was meant to break the monotony of just working all through in the work places without a significant break. WEEK 3 The Benefits of Leisure Leisure is proven to have improved the performance index of a person after being relieve off work for a period. Once he or she is back one is said to be fresher. Government for various states has been seen chipping into vacations in cost sharing for the employees and encourage regular visits to this places. Governments are now on board with people spending less time working and spending more on leisure. Leisure builds up social relations between people and strengthens the bond. It also improves our health not only physiological but also psychological. Perspective on the benefits of leisure Leisure has many benefits to a person economically, psychological, socially and physiologically. It is proved that time set aside from the normal routine of the normal day to day activities. Leisure flushes away the mere thought of monotony as it is a set of random activities that are not for seen and are unplanned for they do not occur in an organised manner. This creates a thrill out of the ordinary feeling one experiences while at work. Leisure can be used to develop social relationships with your loved ones and eradicate the feeling that they have of you valuing whatever it is that you usually do more than them. It builds up your bond as one appreciates that one took time off work to spend with them. Also, during leisure time to most people they engage in activities that build up their health and strain their muscles which are a great thing heath wise. It faces out the problem of obese people who spend most of their time behind the computer. Leisure also tends to relieve us from stress that one has while working, one just takes a moment and relaxes not a worry in the world and just enjoy the moment. WEEK 4 Self-esteem Leisure and Stress During this week’s study, the focus has been on self-esteem, leisure and stress and how these three are inter-related. From the readings, it is clear that leisure has beneficial effects that directly relate to self-esteem and stress management at a social level. This weeks’ study was guided by the journal entitled “Leisure and Health: The Role of Social Support and self-determination”. The discussions therein are focussed on exploring the ways in which leisure can contribute or is related to the health of an individual. From the onset, the paper takes the position that leisure has beneficial effects on a person’s health because it cushion’s people from stress brought about by various experiences in life. Health, in a narrow sense, has been perceived to be the extent to which there is the absence of diseases in a person (Coleman & Iso-Ahola: 1993). In a broader sense, health is perceived as a state of well-being, which brings together the emotional, social, spiritual and physical aspects of a healthy person (Caldwell & Smith: 1998). When problems abound, people reach and behave in different ways. Usually, though, people resort to strategies to help them cope. These strategies usually include avoiding issues that will make the situation worse; others devalue the stress while others would seek professional help. According to Caltabiano (1988), increased participation in leisure activities usually helps counter the ill effects of sickness. This is indeed true. I have observed from time to time that people who involve themselves in constructive leisure activities often appear happy and stress-free. Sometimes when I am stressed, and I decide to join a group of guys for swimming, I always emerge feeling ‘relieved.' I have also observed that people tend to under-estimate the powerful psychological effects of taking the time to relax. Observations from an experiment conducted by Zeich and Zautra (1981) indicated that students under high-stress levels benefitted most from engaging themselves in leisure-related activities. In the same vein, physical exercise of the body helps counter the effects of stress (Caldwell & Smith: 1998). What is interesting here is that there does not seem to be a logical explanation for the relationship between psychological well-being and the usage of energy during physical exercise. This baffles me too. I have never quite understood how the two issues work together and the nature of their relationship. Worse even, I have not been able to come across any literature, scientific or otherwise, to explain this phenomenon. Also, involvement in leisure activities is closely related to better health without necessarily involving stress. Research by Cabaltino (1998) showed that involvement in sports especially out-doors sports has a way of reducing the extent of an illness regardless of the levels of stress involved. This is something that I have also observed among those who actively involve themselves in sporting activities. Whenever they fall ill, participating in these out-door activities help them recover quite fast. It cannot be taken for granted. Also, involvement in leisure activities helps people prevent accumulation of stress or coping with it before it has any impact on a person’s health. Perhaps this can be explained based on the fact that involvement in leisure activities gives people the opportunity to socialise, which brings the realisation that they are likely to receive the much needed social support in the event of a huge life crisis or problem. This view is also supported by Crandal et al (1980) who view involvement in leisure activities as being social in nature. This is true also because; usually a person cannot participate in leisure activities by himself. It involves interaction with others. This week’s topic was very helpful and quite informative. I was glad that I was able to associate some of the research findings to my situation. I have learnt the importance of leisure in my life. Also, I have learnt the importance of taking time off to relax and engage in leisure both as a way of avoiding and also managing stress. WEEK 5 Leisure Patterns IN The Contemporary Society This week’s study was largely focused on understanding contemporary leisure patterns, and how these patterns influence people’s lives. One common pattern is the one related to the saying, “hard labour, hard leisure”. This one involves activities such as alcohol consumption and casual relations with women. Then there were sporting activities which included horse racing, blood sports, cards, shooting, fishing, etc. Then there was also the male-dominated leisure. In the period between 1788 and 1851, there was also something called British leisure. This involved imported leisure from home culture. Such leisure activities did not pay much attention to indigenous forms of leisure. Also, there were very few migrants from other nationalities at the time. Around the year 2000 or thereabout, there was an increase in the participation of instant sporting activities such as in-line skating, snowboarding, and bicycle riding. The question underlying this shifting trend is whether it represents a shifting reducing trend in the involvement of traditional team-based sports. Through this week’s study, the general thinking was to the effect that the domination of instant sporting has a sociological connotation (Murray & Dixon: 2000). The sociological aspect is perhaps due to changes in societal values, where people have tended to move away from collective societal values in favour of individual values. According to Hui and Trianidis (1986), the difference in these two value systems can perhaps be explained from the perspective of what is viewed as important for survival. To the individual, “self” is important for survival. To those who believe in collectivism, then the community (or group) may be seen as the most important for survival. The interests of the community at large are more important than those of an individual. According to Oyama (1950), alternative cultures are beginning to be overshadowed by ideas associated with the Western culture. This in my point of view is true. When you observe today’s society, it is full of imitations from the ‘West.' Our leisure patterns are therefore aligned to those congruent with the culture of the ‘West’. As a result, it is refreshing to learn from this week’s study that leisure is dependent on how individuals choose to see it. In as much as there has been a shift from communistic to individualistic interests in leisure, people ought to engage themselves in leisure activities that they like. Bibliography Caldwell, L.L. and Smith, E.A. (1988). Leisure: An over-looked component of health promotion. Canadian Journal of Public health 79, 44-48. Caltabiano, L.M. (1988). The effect of predisposing variables and leisure on the relationship between stressful life events and illness symptomatology. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation Godbey, G (1985) Leisure in your life State college, P.A, Venture p.9 Hui, C.R. and Trianidis, H.C. (1986). Individualism-collectivism. A study of cross-cultural researchers. Journal of cross-cultural Psychology 17, 225-248. Juniu, S (2000) Regaining the essence of leisure Montclair State University. Journal of leisure research 2000 Vol. 32, No. 1, pp. 69-73 Oyama, N. (1990). Some recent trends in Japanese values: Beyond the individual collective dimension. International Sociology 5(4), 445-459. Veal, A.J (1992) Definitions of leisure and Recreation University of technology Sydney Australian journal of leisure and recreation, vol. 2, No 4, 1992, pp 44-48, 52 Read More