HISTORICAL CONCEPTUALIZATIONS OF LEISURE

Aristotle’s Three Levels of Leisure Amusement – at the base Lowest form of leisure Discouraged by philosophers Recreation – in the middle Lower form of leisure Deemed acceptable Contemplation – at the top Highest form of leisure Encouraged Inquiry into the natural world Contemplate the meaning of life

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Base – Physiological needs Food, drink, etc… Safety Needs Security, Psychological safety Belongingness and Love Needs Affiliation, Acceptance, Affection Esteem Needs Competence, Approval, Recognition Self-Actualization Maslow believed that after fulfilling their basic physiological needs humans will move upward on the hierarchy and ultimately seek the full use and exploration of talents, capacities and potential. Which equals self actualization.

Flow Experience - Csikszentmihalyi Challenge requiring skill Merging of action and awareness Clear goals Concentration on task at hand Sense of control Loss of self-consciousness – mindfulness Total emersion in activity Transformation of time Change in perception of time

CONTEMPORARY CONCEPTUALIZATIONS OF LEISURE

Leisure as Time Time based definitions of leisure appeared because of the transition to the modern organization of work. The motivation to work was assumed to be the desire for wages received in exchange for surrendering control over one’s activities for a specified time at a specified place. Leisure came to be defined as a time when one was not getting paid, away from work and in control of one’s undertakings

Leisure as an Activity Leisure is defined as activity when pursued for its own sake and for enjoyment or fun. One of the problems with the conceptualization of leisure as activity is that not all traditionally identified activities are leisure for every person.

Leisure as Psychological Experiences or State of Mind Psychological definitions of leisure distinguish between leisure and non-leisure in 3 ways: Leisure is freely chosen Leisure is done for its own sake Leisure allows the participant a sense of control over the outcome

Leisure as a Cultural Construct All of the previous definitions of leisure separate leisure from other activities. Today, the separation of leisure and work are not absolute due to changing work schedules and technology.

Acts can be broken down into two different types: Expressive acts Expressive acts are concerned with the process, (the journey not the destination) doing something that you enjoy that the outcome is less important Instrumental Acts or Values Instrumental acts are concerned with the outcomes (they are testable and measureable), these are typically acts that we should or must complete such as attending class, work or doing chores. What kind of act do you think leisure interests are?

Leisure activities are more likely to be expressive acts, less concerned with the outcome than the process. These definitions can also help someone define whether something is a leisure interest or “work”

Play…what is it? Play: Activities in which one engages freely and from which one derives personal satisfaction. Other definitions imply a lack of formal organization that is implicit of play (know this).

Play continued Play is universal across cultures and even across species. Implications are that there is a biological purpose to develop kinesthetic awareness. Studies have even found traces of a “play center” in the brain. Play provides stability and a process of learning.

Factors that motivate play: desire to belong undergo new experiences to achieve recognition to express ones self

Interpretations of Play Biological Interpretations of Play The young play across species because they are impelled to play by certain biological traits.

Karl Groos (a swiss philosopher) theorized that play prepares the young for demands of life. Ex. Long before a kitten captures a mouse, it practices the act by playing with a ball or wads of paper. Humans have a longer play dominated stage.

Psychological Interpretations of Play Erikson and Piaget (theorist) believed that play is essential for the establishment of self and that certain types of play are critical to certain stages of development (especially for children)

Sociological Interpretations of Play Joseph Lee: need to belong can be filled through play through “membership” in a group. George Mead: believed that play is second only to language in the development of the social self

Cultural Interpretations of Play Culture considers the relationship of play to the customs of a given society Forms of play have permeated almost all human activities since the dawn of civilization and that play has helped humankind create society

Three things affect the cultural aspects of play: Quality of time Peer pressure Social norms Cultures define work and leisure differently; in the same way that some people view different activities as work while others view them as leisure, the same is true with different cultures

The structure and value of work will determine how a culture views leisure This varies from country to country