Young People's Leisure and Risk-Taking Behaviours - Assignment Example

1001HSL Assessment #3Reflective Essay Due Week 6, 3rdSeptember by 3:00pm. Weighting 30% Save this document and type your answers below, maximum 500 words per question. Student name: Student ID number: Tutor’s name, class time and day: (Please ensure these details are complete so we can return your assignment promptly) Marking Criteria Questions answered with clear explanations drawing upon ideas in the readingsand lecture notes Examples are used to illustrate ideas in a relevant way Clarity of written expression, appropriate length (minus or plus 10% of 500 words) with correct use of grammar Correct referencing overall using APA 6or the AGPS Harvard system in the text and reference list. Include a list of all references at the end of your assessment 1. As discussed inGodbey (2003) (Reading 1: Course Reader) there are three main concepts of leisure: time, activity and attitude. Usingthis readingas your source of knowledge, discussthe meaning of each of these concepts illustrating your understanding with examples of your own leisure. Your Response Leisure as a function of time has a different perception for each person and is defined as the time one spends for oneself without an outside factor imposing restrictions. Traditionally leisure constitutes of the time that an individual does not sell for economic gains. However a person might view a normal leisure activity to be an obligation such as attending a social gathering or visiting the church. Leisure can be both voluntary and involuntary. Leisure as a function of activity is considered getting engaged in some form of activity. For example for some while participating in the annual sports day of the office might be fun and considered a leisure, for others it might be an obligation and something that they have to perform (Sweeting & West, 2003). Leisure can also be explained as a state of mind where one is unhurried and at peace with oneself. Accepting the world as it is and being above the controlling events is also considered as leisure. A person can also consider spiritual celebration as a type of leisure when he or she has been bestowed with a state of grace. This is an outdated concept and studies have revealed that it is subject to flaws (Yeh, 1993; Kelly, 2012). However any sort of a free time cannot be considered as leisure since a woman with kids might be obligated to visit the playground. On her own terms she might have preferred to read story books. Hence it is not leisure for the lady in question. Similarly planning a trip with the family cannot be considered leisure by an individual who likes to undertake trips alone and enjoy the nature personally. Hence it might be a family obligation for the person; one that he or she is forced to do (Piko & Vazsonyi, 2004; West, 2001). I am by nature a person who is attracted towards nature. Hence wanderlust is a very dominant feeling for me. I consider it as leisure since I am always on the lookout for newer places. I seek out unknown villages which might not be considered a tourist attraction otherwise. Such visits allow me to connect to nature and free the mind from the daily hassles. I find a sense of tranquil when I visit such unknown places. My travel experiences are something that is utterly personal to me and do not get published in any journal. Hence the experiences are not of any economic gain to me, thereby fulfilling one of the criterions for being a leisure activity. Moreover I have a passion for dance and do not attend the dancing classes out of any obligation or outside pressure. Also I do not aim to make it a career option and do not perform shows. Hence dance is an activity that is utterly a personal source of recreation. 2. Liuet.al.’s (2008) article discusses a Chinese perspective on the meaning of leisure. Compare and contrast the Western meanings of leisure (as discussed in Godbey 2003, Reading 1) with the Chinese meaning of leisure presented by Liu et.al. 2008 (Reading 2). Discuss which meaning of leisure comes closest to how you conceive of leisure? Your Response According to Chinese philosophy leisure is to live life in a natural manner and in an unhurried and unoccupied way. Therefore leisure in Chinese philosophies is more about improving the quality of life than about monetary happiness. Spiritual happiness and upliftment of the being is more important to the Chinese people. Xiu Xian like leisure means “free time” or “idleness”. It can also suggest a spiritual or aesthetic condition, a comfortable social status or sometimes even a state of being. However, not a lot of Chinese people would consider Xiu Xian as an instrument of social control (Iwasaki, et al., 2007; McDonald & McAvoy, 1997). Few forms of Chinese thinking believe that restriction gives one the freedom to do some things. For example a person can lock himself away in a room without any communication lines with the external world and can experience leisure. Expressed differently, the people of China believe that there is no exact and no full freedom and those men are just creatures who have dangle between these two extremes. Taoism emphasizes on the value of a natural unoccupied spirit who believes in living a leisurely lifestyle. Taoism believers feel that man and nature cannot be separated and that the way of life should be according to the way of nature. On the contrary of Taoism which do not take into account the bondage of human beings, the Confucianism on the other hand promote a relatively free and restful mind but not at the cost of people and also the nation (Muller, 2005; Shaw & Henderson, 2005). One has to have the sensitivity as well. The perfect state of mind according to Tien, one of Confucius’s disciples is that everybody can live in a peaceful harmonious society where people can live leisurely without having to worry about governance. Therefore it can be concluded that the basic difference between the Western and Chinese philosophy of leisure is somewhat different (Stodolska, 2000). While in western philosophy there is little reference to spiritual gratification and a perfect social structure, Chinese lay emphasis on the fact that leisure is subject to maximisation of the spiritual happiness and peace. Materialistic happiness does not play a major role in Chinese philosophy. My sense of leisure is somewhere between the two philosophies. While my love for travelling is based on an attraction for the wild and a love for the nature. However there are material gratifications that I experience by way of tasting food at good place. Every place has its unique cuisine and I being an inherent food lover, I try to taste food in every new place that I visit. Hence only connecting with the nature does not fulfil my idea of the perfect leisure. However the passion for dance is more of developing an association with my inner self and does not have any materialistic connection. However sitting “idle” does not fit with my sense of leisure and hence the Chinese philosophy of leisure is more abstract to me than its Western counterpart. 1. Why do managers in event, sport, tourism and hospitality organisations need to be able to address cross-cultural conflict (or misunderstandings) as argued by O’Shannessy&Minett, 2008 (Reading 3: Course Reader)? Describe one positive and one negative experience that you have had, or observed, in an event, tourism, sport or hospitality setting that illustrates sensitive and insensitive cross cultural communication. Your Response Managers in industries such as sport, tourism, hospitality and the likes of such should be acquainted with cross cultural issues and able to resolve the same. In sports the players are often from various countries and there is major clash of cultures as well as egos. The managers need to be able to listen patiently to the problems that are there and solve those. In Tourism and hospitality industry this is a major requirement as the very basic nature of the industry is the convergence of different cultures from all over the world. Culture generally embodies a collection of beliefs, morals, attitudes, rituals and values among a group of people (Ogbonna & Harris, 2002; Kattara, 2005). It can also be defined as a way of life, of how things get done in a particular place. It is a collection of an accepted behavioural pattern, a religion, laws and habits. The definition of culture also includes art, literature and language or dialect. Therefore a manager should be have a knowledge regarding the above-mentioned characteristics. Irrespective of how culture is defined it is important to know the correct response to these cultural differences and subsequently work with them. Learning to value diversity is a part of personal development and hence an important measure of success in the hospitality industry. It helps the manager better meet the individual demands and needs of the guests, gain an understanding of their differences and thus readily accept their behaviours and needs (Devine, 2007). For example people in western country greet by shaking hands and sometimes kissing; however it is considered impolite in mid-eastern and few eastern countries. Therefore it is imperative that the manager of a hotel knows how to greet people from the two different cultures. While western people prefer eye contact while communicating, it is preferable to avoid constant eye contact while welcoming people from the south Asian or the Middle Eastern countries. People from the west are more open and expect a positive body language from other people. However people from the east are more conservative in nature and expect people to maintain the distance while greeting. Hugging and shaking hands between men and women are frowned upon in some cultures. People in India greet by folding their hands below their chin and are generally merry people who like to communicating with others (MacDonald & Jolliffe, 2003; Bradley, Hall & Harrison, 2002). While I was visiting India, I was in a city called Agra to see the famous Taj Mahal. There a group of foreigners were also touring who were not comfortable with the English language. One of the ladies had a kid with her. A hotel staff out of good gesture commented that the kid is very sweet and tried to hug the baby. The lady due to the language barrier got offended and a bit scared because a stranger suddenly came towards the kid. Therefore she reacted as her maternal instinct set in and the manager had to step in to resolve the issue. Another experience that I had at the same hotel was that the hotel staff organised a surprise Halloween party even though it is not the custom in that country. They invited all the guests and the night’s merriment was on the house. This left a good feeling with all the guests and they left the place with a memory. Reference List Yeh, C. K. (1993). Hsiao yao: The Chinese way of leisure. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Kelly, J. R. (2012). Leisure (No. Ed. 4). Urbana: Sagamore Publishing. Sweeting, H., & West, P. (2003). Young peoples leisure and risk-taking behaviours: changes in gender patterning in the West of Scotland during the 1990s. Journal of Youth Studies, 6(4), 391-412. Piko, B. F., & Vazsonyi, A. T. (2004). Leisure activities and problem behaviours among Hungarian youth. Journal of adolescence, 27(6), 717-730. West, L. A. (2001). Negotiating masculinities in American drinking subcultures. The Journal of Mens Studies, 9(3), 371-392. Iwasaki, Y., Nishino, H., Onda, T., & Bowling, C. (2007). Leisure research in a global world: Time to reverse the western domination in leisure research? Leisure Sciences, 29, 113–117. McDonald, D., & McAvoy, L. (1997). Native Americans and leisure: State of the research and future directions. Journal of Leisure Research, 29, 145–166. Muller, C. (2005). The analects of Confucius. Retrieved from http://www.acmuller.net/con-dao/analects.html Shaw, S.M., & Henderson, K. (2005). Gender analysis and leisure constraints: An uneasy alliance. In E. L. Jackson (Ed.), Constraints to Leisure (pp. 23–34). State College, PA: Venture Publishing Inc. Stodolska, M. (2000). Changes in leisure participation patterns after immigration. Leisure Sciences, 22(1), 39-63. Ogbonna, E., & Harris, L. C. (2002). Managing organisational culture: Insights from the hospitality industry. Human Resource Management Journal, 12(1), 33-53. Kattara, H. (2005). Career challenges for female managers in Egyptian hotels. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 17(3), 238-251. Devine, F., Baum, T., Hearns, N., & Devine, A. (2007). Managing cultural diversity: opportunities and challenges for Northern Ireland hoteliers. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 19(2), 120-132. MacDonald, R., & Jolliffe, L. (2003). Cultural rural tourism: Evidence from Canada. Annals of Tourism Research, 30(2), 307-322. Bradley, A., Hall, T., & Harrison, M. (2002). Selling cities: promoting new images for meetings tourism. Cities, 19(1), 61-70. Read More