Definition of Leisure and Its Relationship to Recreation - Essay Example

Student Name: Tutor: Title: Leisure Concepts-Journal Course: Institution: Week 1-Introduction to Leisure This week focused on the definition of leisure and its relationship to recreation and as well as other concepts. Leisure was defined as spare or free time when someone is free do what he deems best (Gross, 1963, p.41). I came to learn that leisure is very different from other activities. I realized that I had attached many misleading interpretations to the term leisure. There are many activities which I erroneously considered to be leisure but they were not. Freedom of choice was emphasized as a critical component of leisure. This component discredited some activities as being graded as leisure activities. Some of the revelations I learnt about leisure were astounding and interesting at the same time. It was fascinating to note that leisure is not always freely chosen. The week covered issues were an eye opener to me since there was so much to learn. Juniu (2000) gives the definition of leisure as being an activity apart from the obligations of society, family, and work. Leisure gives an individual the opportunity of choice in regard the nature or degree of involvement. Other obligations and work do not provide this freedom of choice which is a critical component of leisure. Apart from freedom of choice, Leisure was examined as having two other components that include enjoyable and intrinsically motivating. Leisure is described as intrinsically motivating since one someone chooses to perform an activity without any compelling reason. The satisfaction derived is beyond the activity itself. Satisfaction comes from the inner drive and not any outside motivation. The activity is motivated when there is barely anything else to engage in. I considered the enjoyment component important since you can hardly engage in a leisure activity without enjoying it. Week 2-Historical development of Leisure This week explored historical concepts resulting in the development of leisure and origin of definitions and perceptions of leisure. In the modern society leisure inadvertently linked to the conception of work. Leisure activities have had historical revolution over time. The development of leisure was categorized into four groups as outlined below; The hunter-gatherer society Roles of people in society were defined by their gender. There was no time defined specifically as work time since the daily activities were for survival. Consequently there could be no definite distinction between leisure and work. Nevertheless leisure activities still existed. Cave drawings and oral traditions of indigenous people demonstrate that there were activities that could be associated with leisure. Men were hunters while women were gatherers. Greek origins of leisure Fundamental change in society happened during this time. The military and commercial success of Athens resulted into groups of people who had free time. The group got involved in philosophical introspection and it was of the view that the society has to pursue leisure for its own good. Different classes emerged in society. Leisure and the industrial revolution During this time there was development of distinction of working hours. Farming techniques were tremendously modernized. Demand for labor increased as Cities grew. A clear separation between leisure and work time emerge. The leisure society-(Post World War Two) At this point there was tremendous improvement the standard of living and decrease in the hours of working. Technology advancement led to increased hours of free time as daily chores could be accomplished within a short time (Gershuny, 2003). I understood the development of leisure through reading Juniu (2000) article: ‘Downshifting: Regaining the Essence of Leisure’. The development of leisure over time left me wondering what would be the next phase of leisure since the society was not static and new discovering were being made everyday. It amazes me to note that leisure can be traced from a long time in history. I have clearly understood the historical development of leisure. Week 3- Benefits of Leisure This week we looked at the benefits that are realized from participating in leisure activities. The benefits of leisure are distinct as well as inter-related. The benefits were categorized into five major groups. Physical health-increased leisure participation curb severe life crisis on illness symptoms (Coleman & Iso-Ahola, 1993, p.113). Social health-leisure increase social interaction and improve relationship between people. Economic health-many people spent a lot on leisure activities. Spiritual health-people find a religious connection to leisure. Psychological health- leisure activities improve mental health like solving puzzles or yoga Heintzman & Mannell (2003, p.208-9) elaborated more on the spiritual aspect of leisure and its importance to the well being of a person. I was more interested in knowing how leisure relates to spiritual benefit. Spiritual well being is becoming distinguished as a result of participation in leisure activities. Mental stress and depression can be conquered through leisure activities as well as social interaction (Coleman & Iso-Ahola, 1993, p.118). In many circumstances you cannot get involved in leisure activity in solitude. Many churches hold social events and family days that encourage spiritual growth through leisure activities. Many people engage in economic activities that heavily depend on leisure (Gross, 1963). Sport wears, sporty cars, picnic gadgets, and many other things sell more because of leisure activities. Golf clubs, health clubs, and other social events thrive on leisure. We were left to wonder about the negative impact of leisure. Consumerism is viewed as one of the downside of consumerism leading misplaced priorities. I also think overindulgence in some activities which affect our productivity can be considered as negative impact of leisure. WEEK 4-Stress and self-esteem This week saw as narrow down of the benefits of leisure particularly the psychological benefit. We explored stress reduction and self esteem as components of psychological benefits. Self-esteem is widely accepted as benefit of leisure. Many of us engage in leisure activities to boost our self esteem. It gives a chance to demonstrate our skills and show our potential. Popular reality shows and talk shows revolve around this issue. Dr. Phil and Oprah Winfrey shows have demonstrated the importance of self-esteem. Leisure and sport activities are credited for development of self-esteem. The concept of ‘self’ or personal identity is emphasized more in what we do best (Brown, 1991). You are likely to describe yourself according to what you are best at. We change ourselves according to the reactions we get from other people. We evaluate ourselves basing of four distinct positions that include attainable self, ideal self, ought self, and undesired self. Attainable self involve perceptions of ourselves that are realistic like wanting to be happy or orderly. Ideal self may not be often achievable or realistic. Someone can want to be superstar which may not be realistic. Ought self is what one wishes he/she ought to be. Undesired self is what you are afraid of becoming. You may not want to be an absentee parent. Self-esteem was described as our feeling about ourselves while self concept is the manner which we think about ourselves. Self-esteem portrays the affective nature while self-concept is the cognitive nature (Heintzman, 2002, p. 147-69). Self esteem has components which include feeling of self-worth, self evaluations, and global self esteem. We later looked at stress, its meaning and causes of stress. Stress is inevitable in life and we have to look for means of coping with stress. Stress and self esteem management are closely related. It was very educative to learn different components of self esteem and how to effectively deal with stress. Week 5-Leisure Pattern in contemporary society: The leisure industries This week involved dwelling on historical development of leisure in the contemporary society from two hundred years ago to what we are currently engaged in and what we anticipate of the future. We traced the historical patterns of leisure from 1700 to present. We specifically narrowed on Australia as a contemporary society. From 1788 to 1851 leisure activities included relaxation of sexual mores, gambling, and alcohol consumption. Pubs and taverns came up after the government tried to regulate intoxication in the society through licensing. Leisure was largely dominated by men. Many women engaged in prostitution. From 1851 to 1901, the world became more affluent. Australia was a prosperous destination. There was improved standard of living. Eight hour working day was introduced by Dr. Thomas Embling in 1856. This included apportionment of a day into 8 hours of rest, eight hours of recreation, and eight hour of work. From 1902 to 1945, advancement in technology influenced leisure patterns. Introduction of machines made work easier and crated more free time. Discovery of radio in 1923 meant more families spent time together listening to radio. Cinema and film development led to more varieties of leisure activities. Today many leisure activities are conducted within our homes. Increase in home entertainment and technological savvy society has led to current participation in leisure (Laughlin, 2008). Leisure industries have blossomed. Time is divided into: Necessary time-activities done for survival, personal hygiene, and eating Contracted time-activities including regular education and paid work; there is explicit contracts Committed time-this involves activities committed into owing to previous community or social interaction; such activities may include voluntary work or child care. Free time-this is the remainder of the time after the other types of times have been excluded (Lynch & Veal, 2006). Cases of obesity have been on the rise in Australia prompting increase in physical activity and health clubs. People are increasingly being active in leisure activities as opposed to being passive. Some of the physical activities include walking, fitness/aerobics, swimming, tennis, and cycling (Burns, D.C., 2007). Age factor is important in determining the kind of leisure activity to engage into. I was able to reflect on the various leisure activities to engage in and what should be done to improve the welfare of the society. I saw the essence of parents encouraging their children to take part in leisure activities. Bibliography Heintzman, P., & Mannell, C.R., 2003, Spiritual functions of leisure and spiritual well-being: coping with time pressure. Leisure Sciences, 25: 207-230. Heintzman, P., 2002, A conceptual model of leisure and spiritual well being. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 20 (4):147-169. Juniu, S., 2000, Downshifting: Regaining the Essence of Leisure, Journal of Leisure Research, 32 (1):69-73. Lynch, R & Veal, AJ, 2006, Australian Leisure, 3rd, Longman, Melbourne, Australia. Gross, Edward, 1963, ‘A functional approach to leisure analysis’, in work and leisure (E.O. Smigel ed), New Haven, conn.: College and University Press. Brown, J.D., 1991, Staying fit and staying well: physical fitness as a moderator of life stress. Journal of Personality and social psychology, 60, 555-561. Coleman, D., & Iso-Ahola, S.E., 1993, Leisure and Health: The Role of social support and self determination, Journal of Leisure Research, 25 (2): 111-128. Burns, D.C., 2007, Leisure in the Modern World. Joseph. Press, London. Laughlin, C.A., 2008, The Literature of Leisure and Chinese Modernity, University of Hawaii Press. Honolulu. Gershuny, J., 2003, Changing times: work and leisure in post-industrial society. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Read More