Determining Whether or Not Something Is a Leisure Activity - Assignment Example

TOUR 100-Introduction to Tourism TAKE HOME MIDTERM ESAM – MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, Section Short Answer According to Sager , what is the primary consideration in determining whether or not something is a “leisure activity”? Do you agree? Explain. In the words of Sager (2013), the primary consideration in determining whether or not something is a ‘leisure activity’ is the rationale of why such activity is chosen or performed. In other words, the reason for doing a certain activity may define such activity as a leisure one or not. Apart from other living organisms, human beings are different in terms of the reasoning that we have. Thus, I agree with the account of Sager (2013) since people differ in their reasons for engaging in a certain type of activity. As subjective as the people are, the categorization of an activity as leisure, labor, or whatever it emanates from those who do the activity. For example, planting flowers and vegetables may be considered by some people as their leisure activity (for they do it out of their love for plants and flowers), but not a leisure for others who do it for the sake of earning money by selling those flowers vegetables. 2. Using appropriate illustrations, briefly elaborate on five legacies reflected in contemporary leisure concepts and practices that are rooted in history. The five legacies reflected in contemporary concepts of ‘leisure’ are idleness, rest, free time, play, and work. As cited in Sager (2013), these rooted back in the history. ‘Idleness’ was associated with leisure as what Paul LaFargue (1883) and Bertrand Russell (2004) contended. The ancient Greeks also considered leisure activity as those that have value in it. Relaxation (‘Rest’) is among those activities that have a value in itself, as it relieves people from stress. For an activity to be deemed leisure one, ‘Free time’ is needed, but it does not solely define a leisure activity. ‘Play’ is also tied-up with the concept of contemporary leisure activity, yet the definition of play is insufficient to satisfy the concept of leisure. Likewise, ‘Work’ is associated with leisure but is also insufficient in defining the wholeness of a ‘leisure activity.’ These demonstrate that an activity is a ‘leisure activity’ based on the purpose of the person for doing it. 3. Analyze and describe five benefits and five problems associated with conceptualizing leisure as ‘free time.’ In conceptualizing leisure as ‘free time,’ benefits and problems may arise. The following are the benefits: (i) authentic enjoyment (the ‘free time’ provides people with the luxury of enjoying their activity to the fullest), (ii) free from worries (people may free themselves from the worries of catching up with their schedule and other appointments), (iii) have more focus (people can focus their leisure activity), (iv) become more productive (people become more productive in doing their leisure activity since they own that time), and (v) reap the benefit (leisure activities are beneficial to the health and well-being of people and through the free time, they can reap all those benefits). The following are the problems: (i) free time does not ensure that the activity the person does is a leisure in itself; (ii) the definition of leisure is contingent of the person’s reason for doing an activity; (iii) free time is subjective; (iv) free time is also limited; and (v) leisure does not necessarily require free time. 4. Explain in your own words what Watson & Kopachevsky (1994) mean by the ‘tyranny of the commodity’ in relation to tourism. The ‘tyranny of commodity,’ according to Watson and Kopachevsky (1994), refers to the seemingly authoritative action that the producers of commodities in the tourism industry show by corrupting the local culture, estranging the travelers and tourists alike, and tearing apart the relationship between the guests and the tourism servants. This so called ‘tyranny of commodity’ is caused by the standardization of the tourism experiences of the guests and customers with the goal of the tourism industry to gain more profit. This scenario bespeaks of the sad reality that the genuine experiences one may acquire in travelling, sightseeing, and cultural immersion are compromised (and are commodified) to give way to the capitalist ideals. 5. Provide your own definition of leisure and explain why it should be recognized as a credible alternative to previously published perspectives. I define leisure as something that provides an individual a genuine happiness and something that comes from within that person’s personal desire (it must be noted that personal desire varies from one person to another; thus, the leisure must be considered a relative experience). With human beings’ pursuit of happiness since time immemorial, I consider leisure as one of the agents that has the potential of giving bliss, which is the very desire humans want to achieve. Thus, a leisure activity must be a eustressor, a fun-filled experience, a relaxing exercise, and most importantly an engagement that is, in one way or another, beneficial (and not detrimental) to one’s physical, mental, spiritual, and moral well-being. This can be a credible alternative to the published perspectives since most of those old accounts did not consider holistic benefits of leisure to individual’s well-being. Section II – Long Answer 1. Is leisure (inclusive of recreation, sport and tourism) an ‘academic discipline’ or an ‘applied field of interdisciplinary study’? Explain. In their study exploring the viability of ‘statistics’ as an academic discipline, Agresti and Meng (2013) defined ‘academic discipline’ as a body of knowledge that is taught to students as part of the advanced and higher education. This body of knowledge, as part of the academic discipline, is constantly explored through the administration of scientific researches. Hence, academic disciplines are constantly moving forward with their newly discovered ideas, principles, concepts, and theories. On the other hand, the complexity of some of the academic discipline has paved the way or for the concept of interdisciplinary studies to emerge. The complexity of the academic disciplines led to the integration of the different disciplines to explain complicated and interrelated factors. Interdisciplinary studies are made up of two groups, such as the “generalist interdisciplinarians” (i.e. with the goal of conducting dialogues and discussions to tackle complex disciplines) and the “integrationist disciplinarians” (i.e. with the goal of coming up with harmonious concepts about complex disciplines for more comprehensive scholastic discussions) (“Defining Interdisciplinary,” n.d., p. 3-4). Leisure is a subject matter that still holds a degree of complexity in terms of its definition. Aside from that, the concept of leisure is still under an ongoing debate. With the complexity of the leisure as a subject matter, it must be considered as an ‘applied field of interdisciplinary study.’ This is to allow the scholars, who deal with this certain topic, to conduct constant research and empirical studies to address the grey areas that are still vague regarding this matter. The literature concerning the leisure is an important field that must be integrated to the other academic discipline to build a more comprehensive concepts and principles. As an applied field of interdisciplinary study, ‘leisure’ (as a subject matter) will be enriched in terms of the concepts and theories that surround it. Although lay people may hear the word ‘leisure’ wherever they go, its concepts are still hard to understand. One of the concrete evidences for this account is the varied definition of ‘leisure’ from the different scholars. Meanwhile, the applicability of the ‘leisure’ to people’s day-to-day lives makes it an ideal subject matter to be part of the applied field of interdisciplinary studies. Leisure is everywhere and is applicable to the other field of knowledge, such as in tourism, teaching and education, courses under the scope of the arts and humanities. In the fields of philosophy and psychology, leisure is also a well-discussed topic, which makes it one of the researched concepts. Even in the field of human resource management and industrial psychology, leisure is a constantly debated topic whether or not it contributes positive outcome to the business organisation or a team. In addition, almost all the ideas and concepts in the subject matter ‘leisure’ are applicable in mundane matters. Given these criteria, it is ideal for ‘leisure’ to put on the applied field. The richness of such body of knowledge to the practical ideas makes it a subject matter that must extend beyond the mere discussions of theoretical concepts. Students on his subject must be given the opportunity to experience a leisure activity and come-up with their definition and operationalisation of it. 2. Analyze Godbey’s (1985) definition of leisure and compare and contrast to Russell’s (2009) summary of contemporary themes in leisure meanings. “Leisure is living in relative freedom from the external compulsive forces of one’s culture and physical environment so as to be able to act from internally compelling love in ways which are personally pleasing, intuitively worthwhile, and provide a basis for faith” (Geoffrey Godbey, 1985, p. 9). Based on this definition of leisure, it can be deduced that Godbey (1985) construed leisure as something that provides happiness and satisfaction to the people. These and happiness and satisfaction are attained through the beauty and the physical, mental and spiritual well-being that the leisure activity provides. Meanwhile, Russell (2009) defines leisure as something that is for personal satisfaction and ideals. Specifically, Russell (2009, p. 24-28) came up with three contemporary themes in leisure meaning, such as: (i) “leisure as free time” (since leisure is defined as a free time, leisure activities are performed to have fun and to relax), (ii) “leisure as recreational activity” (this refers to how people utilise their free time after work and school; this also refers to the participatory form of leisure, in which the primary goal is to socialize and have fun), and (iii) “leisure as special attitude” (this definition contends that leisure is a mental state and that whatever individual loves to do, and then that is leisure for him or her). Similarities. The definition of Godbey and Russell on leisure agreed that it must be something that involves free time. While Godbey stated that leisure is living life with freedom, free from any hassles and external demands, Russell likewise cited that leisure is associated with free time. Leisure activities, therefore, are those that are not related to the people’s work and school life. These are activities that are performed by individuals, in order to relieve themselves from the stressors that constantly face them in the workplace or the school. In addition, the two definitions agreed that leisure activities are something that provides a positive outcome to people. Leisure is something that is personally pleasing and something that is recreational. Recreational activities and other forms of activity that are worthwhile and relaxing bring pleasant impacts to human beings’ outlook in life, as well as to their body and mind. Leisure is something that people love to do due to the happiness they gain in doing such activity, or the satisfaction they feel after performing it. Differences. While both agreed at some point, the two definitions differ in terms of the will to perform the act. While Godbey considered leisure as the basis for faith, Russell construed leisure as something that arises out of the person’s personal interest (which is a product of individual personality). Godbey’s definition of leisure is more general and is mentioned in a deeper sense. The phrase “basis for faith” can be understood that leisure for him is something that is done out of obligation, although not concrete. Conversely, Russell’s contemporary definition of leisure implied that it is something from within the person’s personal interest. If one loves to play piano, for instance, playing the piano during free time is considered a leisure activity. The person is not compelled to do such act, but the person voluntarily performs it due to his or her special attitude (i.e. personality). In general, the two definitions differ in terms of their construal of the people’s reason of doing a certain activity. References Agresti, A., & Meng, X-L. (2013). Statistics as an academic discipline. Strength in Numbers: The Rising of Academic Statistics Department in the U. S., 1-17. Defining interdisciplinary studies. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/43242_1.pdf Godbey, G. (1985). Leisure in your life. State College, PA: Venture, p. 9. Russell, R. V. (2009). Pastimes: The context of contemporary leisure (4th ed.). Champaign, Ill: Sagamore Pub. L.L.C. Sager, A. (2013). Philosophy of leisure. In T. Blackshaw (Ed.). Routledge handbook of leisure studies. New York: Routledge. Watson, G. L., & Kopachevsky, J. P. (1994). Interpretation of tourism as commodity. Annals of Tourism Research, 21(3), 643-660. Read More