Leisure Holds a Different Meaning for Different People - Essay Example

Running head: Personal Critique on Leisure 1 Leisure Concept – Personal Critique Order ID – 467785 Introduction Leisure holds a different meaning for different people and what may seems work for some, would actually appeal as leisure to others. There are many factors that come into play, where leisure is concerned, but the basic factor that is most evident is that, all types of leisure are activities that take the individual from a place of work, to a place of rest and relaxation. The reason behind this attitude is because one has the freedom of choice to choose their own kind of leisure activities, as well as the freedom to exercise it. Leisure is highly motivating and enjoyable, but not all leisure is enjoyed in a happy and carefree manner, because leisure also has a dark side to it. There are many conditions affecting leisure activities and recreation and though both leisure and recreation go hand in hand, yet they may be impacted in many different ways. From a personal perspective, I feel that not all people are in a position to enjoy leisure, the way it should be enjoyed. The primary factors that come into play where leisure is concerned are time, money and the motivation to do so and if any one of these factors is missing, it is not possible to enjoy leisure. In this essay, we shall discuss some of the main points that impact upon leisure and how these factors change our perspective of leisure as society changes. Running head: Personal Critique on Leisure 2 Gender One of the salient factors that come as a hindrance to leisure is Gender roles. In my opinion, Gender plays a major role in leisure activities, because both male and females are attracted to different kinds of leisure activities. In gendered patterns involving leisure, differences between male and female leisure activities are quite apparent. The males tended to work more and therefore earned their right to leisure, while the women did not enjoy such rights. In a study on Women’s leisure (Demsey, 989, p 27); 1990) states that while men have domination over recreation, the women have to help in facilitating the leisure of men. This was quite true in days gone by, where the males were the breadwinners, while females looked after the household matters and the family. However, times have changed and in these contemporary times, where males and females are almost at par where occupations are concerned, leisure activities have taken on a whole new perspective. Personally I feel that now- a- days, both men and women enjoy their fair share of leisure, irrespective of whether the male is the only earning member or not. Religion From the ancient days, one of the major historical influences on leisure was The Reformation Movement of 1517, that served to change people’s way of thinking about leisure. For the Protestant working classes, leisure was viewed as a religious initiative, that paved the path to Godliness, because according to religion, work was considered as a Running head: Personal Critique on Leisure 3 service to God, and they believed that those who worked hard, found religious favor with Him, and if they pursued the religious path, he would finally redeem them, e.g. Calvinism. However, for the more affluent Elitists, wealth was accepted on a religious basis and leisure defined their status as they had more time and money for leisure. But idleness was not accepted because they connected it to the ‘devil’. However, this is not so in these contemporary times, as people’s thinking and attitudes have changed a great deal. According to me, now they have a much wider perspective of God and though religion is given a lot of prominence in their lives, they also give equal importance to family, recreation and leisure. Ethical Impact While leisure is mostly considered to be ‘good’ there is no doubt that there is also a dark side to it. Leisure can be impacted by societal structures that are influenced by status and wealth. Most leisure activities have a positive influence on individuals, but there are some negative factors that impact a section of individuals, especially those who are affluent and those who have a high status and wealth in society. Most of the time, leisure activities fall within the boundaries of normal behavior patterns, while there are some activities that are not acceptable in society and gradually become socially dysfunctional. Such leisure activities are somewhat deviant and also referred to as the ‘dark side of leisure’; some deviant leisure activities are drug abuse, Alcoholism, Pornography, Hooliganism and vandalism, gambling and many others. From a personal perspective, Running head: Personal Critique on Leisure 4 deviant behavior existed in the early days as it is now, only thing, the activities engaged in have a wider variety to choose from. The main reasons that motivate people to such deviant behavior are money and availability of nefarious activities. From my point of view, there is both good and bad in our society, but we have the freedom to choose between the two. Any activity apart from work can be considered as leisure and the good thing is that we have the freedom to choose and enjoy them in our spare time. However, our choices are based on our likes and inclinations which get influenced gradually by the society in which we live. Our tastes are natural and instinctive and it is almost impossible for others to influence some of the choices we make. However, our choices may be influenced by Opportunity, Availability and Acceptability. The Theory of Planned Behavior helps us understand how our choices are influenced and how we make those choices that are well within our control. The choices we make are rational because they are based on the implications of our actions and their outcomes. Some of the components that serve to influence our choices are – our Attitude, Intention, and Control, the Subjective norm and our Behavior. In addition, even our past can influence our behavior in the future. (Ajzen, 2002) Another theory that impacts our choices of leisure is the ‘Theory of Reasoned Action’ which serves to motivate us to make certain choices by helping us understand cognitively about the social nature of Running head: Personal Critique on Leisure 5 leisure. However, the Theory of Reasoned Action is not much applicable because our actions are mostly voluntary and well within our control. In most cases as we find in our own day to day life, we want to do something only if we are completely convinced of it. However, there are some social psychological underpinnings of leisure that come into play in contemporary society Contemporary society has come a long way, regarding the manner in which the trends and tastes of leisure activities are concerned. The changes in society have served to influence these activities to a great extent. Initially, the range of leisure activities was simple and limited. However, in our present contemporary society, the range of leisure activities are so varied that it makes it difficult to choose between them because the choices that are available are so many, while time and resources are limited. From a psychological point of view three components have to be present if leisure is to be enjoyed and these include time, money and motivation. Personally, from experience I feel, that even if one of these components is missing, it is not possible to enjoy leisure. My personal point of view is that leisure is very important because it helps to relieve stress by drawing us out from our routine or mundane jobs such as work, business or domestic chores and education. Leisure helps us relax well so we are much healthier and happier to go back to work and attend to our duties in a more enthusiastic manner. Since Running head: Personal Critique on Leisure 6 we enjoy engaging in leisure activities, it gives us a sense of satisfaction and completeness while boosting our self- confidence and self esteem. Leisure is a rare commodity that is not always readily available and caution should be used when choosing our recreational or leisure activities. Besides being a good thing, leisure can also have a negative aspect if the activities chosen are deviant such as drinking, smoking, drugs and other activities. While most people enjoy their leisure time, there are others who are contrary to the rule. Such people are called ‘workaholics’ and all they love to do is work instead of spending time on recreational activities. For such people, working is a sort of release from their stressful situations. I strongly believe that if leisure should take place, there should be time, money and the motivation, otherwise it is not possible. In my opinion, spending quality time with family and friends helps to cement better interpersonal relationships and creates a more favorable and closer bond with those we share it with. Leisure can also be enjoyed in isolation and this depends on the individual themselves. For some people, just going fishing or even reading a book is leisure, while for others, it means joining with others and enjoying themselves. Whichever way it is, leisure helps to not only make us happy and satisfied, but also prepares us for the future pressures of life. The dichotomy of work and leisure has to be well balanced in order to enjoy them. If one is given more priority over the other, then the other suffers in comparison. In these Running head: Personal Critique on Leisure 7 contemporary times, there has definitely been a keen shift in awareness, especially in the case of youngsters and the youth of today, as they have recognized the importance of sport, recreation and leisure time in the growth and development of their children. Now- a- days, people in general are giving priority to such activities because they realize that keeping happy and healthy is of great importance to keep their lives well balanced and in order. Indulging in leisure, not only keeps individuals in a good frame of mind for their work but it also encourages social inclusion and provides access to other opportunities. Educational institutions work in tandem with Governments to include ‘informal education’ with a lot of activities such as volunteer work and vocational activities to prepare the youth to face a brighter tomorrow. References Aizen, (2002) Theory of Planned Behavior, Perceived Behavioral Control, Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 32, 665 – 683. Demsey, (1989) Women’s Leisure, Men’s Leisure: A Study in Subordination and Exploitation. Journal of Sociology, 25: 27-45 Leisure – time activities. Youth. Social Policy and Development Division. Department of Economic and social Affairs (DESA) Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) www.undesadspd.org Read More