Characterizing Constraints of Leisure - Essay Example

LEISURE AND RECREATION Student’s Name Course Professor’s Name University City Date Leisure and Recreation Leisure describes the state of mind that is typically characterized by enthusiastic optimism and unobligated time. During relaxation, an individual can engage themselves in extensive activities. Likewise, a person may choose to do nothing and only pass time which is still considered a good use of free time. The fundamental principle of leisure is an attitude that nurtures a peaceful and prolific co-existence with the components in one’s environs (Tsaur, & Liang 2008, p. 325). Recreation, on the other hand, is any quest engaged upon during free time. The primary basis of the notion is to use the activities carried out in leisure to refresh and enable individuals to resume their daily obligations. The paper will analyze the significant conditions that affect leisure and recreation choice. Additionally, the principles of the theory of planned behavior and the constraint theory will be evaluated. Several factors determine the selection of the relaxation activity to engage in during leisure time. Notably, the freedom of choice is greatly encouraged when deciding the action to undertake during one’s free time (Tsaur, & Liang 2008, p. 325). The conditions affecting our choice of leisure attitudes and recreational options include motivation, opportunity, availability, and acceptability. Motivation describes the internal and external components that ignite the desire and energy of individuals to participate recurrently and remain committed to a role or job. The internal factors of motivation are decisive in the determination of the leisure activity to take part. Markedly, the interaction of the conscious and unconscious modules within the mind of a person is fundamental in the choice of a recreational activity. The intensity of the desire or need to take part in an event is the most significant element that increases a person’s motivation. For instance, the desire to play a football game may be a decisive factor in determining the leisure activity one takes part in, which in this case is the playing of the game during free time. The incentive for a particular activity is also a significant factor that boosts motivation. If a particular activity is likely to have a reward, the stimulus to acquire the prize may significantly influence the participation of an individual in the event. The anticipations of a person, as well as his or her peers, is also a factor that builds motivation within a person. Markedly, people are more likely to engage in activities that are done by a significant number of individuals (Tsaur, & Liang 2008, p. 327). For instance, in a majority of the learning institutions, a high number of students are found to take part in activities that a majority of their classmates or peers are interested. Motivation, therefore, is a significant factor that affects the leisure attitudes and the choice of recreational activities. An opportunity is defined as an auspicious juncture, moment, or set of circumstances that make it possible to perform an action. Regarding leisure, the module is a primary contributing factor to the choice of recreational activities. For instance, one may be interested in playing the guitar. The opportunities that make it a favorable free time activity include the presence of the guitar, a pleasant environment, and the ability to use the equipment. All these are opportunities whose availability is likely to influence the choice of the leisure activity for the individual significantly. The availability of a recreational activity is also a key component that influences the choice of relaxation activities. Some sports, for instance, are available in some parts whereas they are not even played in some other regions. A good example would be the event that a student shifts from one learning institution that has a swimming pool to another that does not provide the facility. If the learner used their free time in the former school swimming, then it may be a challenge to find another suitable activity to take part in while in the new institution. The availability of an action is, therefore, a decisive factor in leisure and recreational choice. The appropriateness of an activity substantially determines the way an individual chooses to spend his or her free time. Acceptability is defined as the condition in which some action is considered to be socially okay. As such, it is within the jurisdiction of what is deemed appropriate or tolerable. One may, therefore, decide to engage themselves in a particular activity after making substantial considerations about the appropriateness of the actions. Little or no acceptability means that the person is most likely to avoid the activity while high levels of tolerability may lead to the participation of the individual in the activity during their free time. Fishbein and Icek Ajzen established the theory of planned behavior. The notion links behavior and beliefs. The purpose of developing the concept was to improve on the previous theory of reasoned action. According to the original principle, behavior is always under the control of the individual. Nonetheless, the theory of planned behavior suggests that though attitudes can be used to predict unplanned or spontaneous behavior, they are not always reliable. According to the concept, a combination of attitudes, norms, and perceived control is what can be used to predict planned and deliberate behavior (Bamberg, Ajzen, & Schmidt 2003, p. 177). Additionally, humans are regarded as rational being with the ability to make logical use of the information availed to them. Notably, before people engage in certain behaviors, they weigh the implications or consequences of their actions. These are termed as the beliefs linked to the planned behavior. Behavioral theories explore the effects of one’s actions. For instance, during leisure time, an employee may decide to take part in a series of activities such as enjoying a couple of alcoholic drinks. However, the behavioral beliefs will lead the worker to think about the consequences of the action. The after-effects may include getting late for work which may have dire consequences at the workplace. Thanks to the theory of planned behavior, the individual may decide not to take the drinks and opt for a better idea. Normative beliefs, on the other hand, describe the expectations of others from our actions. Finally, control beliefs describe the factors that may constrain or facilitate the behavior of an individual. The theory of planned behavior is associated with five essential components. Attitudes define the assessment of people, objects, ideas, or events. They are classified as either positive or negative. For instance, going to a dance club would be fun or annoying. The choice of a person towards this action is referred to as their attitude towards the subject. Subjective norms evaluate how other individuals who are relevant to a person view a particular behavior. From the above example, the person’s friends or partners would exert their opinion on the intention to go to a dance club. Perceived behavioral control is used to evaluate how much control one has over a particular behavior. From the example above, questions such as the affordability and availability of the person would be considered as the individual’s perceived behavioral control. Intention determines whether a person anticipates performing a particular action. Finally, the end behavior determines if a person takes part in an action. According to the theory of planned behavior, behavioral and attitude control is the most prominent forecaster of intention. Additionally, the principle suggests that our past actions are likely to influence our future behaviors (Bamberg, Ajzen, & Schmidt 2003, p. 181). From the dance club example, a person who is used to attending such clubs is likely to continue doing so if they enjoy the club but are less expected to participate if they do not enjoy their experience at the dance club. When examining the variables that influence the decisions concerned with a person’s leisure path, it is vital to investigate the factors that constrain the creation and expansion of relaxation dimensions. The concept is referred to as the constraint theory and was developed by Crawford and Godbey. The notion highlights three types of restraints namely structural, interpersonal, and intrapersonal constraints (Godbey, Crawford, & Shen 2010, p. 111). Structural constraints are the restrictions that interfere with the participation in a leisure activity after a preference for the action has been established. These types of restrictions include insufficient transport, inadequate infrastructure, lack of time, and monetary constraints. Interpersonal restraints, on the other hand, describe the variables that restrict leisure due to personal relationships. These types of limitations may be direct or indirect. Direct limitations are as a result of negative consequences that affect an individual due to their engagement in a particular activity (Shogan 2002, p. 29). Indirect interpersonal constraints, on the other hand, may include parental or peer pressure that inhibits one from carrying out some activities simply because some other person does not like them. Intrapersonal constraints define the individualities of a person that influences their participation in leisure activities (Godbey, Crawford, & Shen 2010, p. 112). Examples of intrapersonal limitations include low self-esteem, appropriateness of recreational activity, and the evaluation of the skills set of the potential recreation participant. Undeniably, societal, economic, and cultural factors influence the decision to take part in a particular leisure activity. In conclusion, the above review has documented a personal critique about relaxation and recreation. The study has explained the major conditions that affect leisure attitude and recreational choice. Motivation, opportunity, availability, and acceptability have been highlighted as the major determinants of the selection of a leisure activity during free time. The concept of planned behavior has also been analyzed. Attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, intentions, and end actions have been discussed as the fundamental components of the theory of planned behavior. Finally, the paper has addressed the constraint theory which describes the limitations to the undertaking of an individual in leisure activity. The restrictions include structural, interpersonal, and intrapersonal restraints as discussed. References Bamberg, S., Ajzen, I. and Schmidt, P., 2003. Choice of travel mode in the theory of planned behavior: The roles of past behavior, habit, and reasoned action. Basic and applied social psychology, 25(3), pp.175-187. Godbey, G., Crawford, D.W. and Shen, X.S., 2010. Assessing hierarchical leisure constraints theory after two decades. Journal of Leisure Research, 42(1), pp.111-115. Shogan, D., 2002. Characterizing constraints of leisure: A Foucaultian analysis of leisure constraints. Leisure Studies, 21(1), pp.27-38. Tsaur, S.H. and Liang, Y.W., 2008. Serious leisure and recreation specialization. Leisure Sciences, 30(4), pp.325-341. Read More