Description
As was mentioned in Module 1, part of what you will do this term is begin developing a personal definition of leisure. This definition will deepen and evolve over the course of your degree as you read and explore new scholars and theories, but for this assignment we’ll start at the beginning: how you’re understanding leisure now.
To complete this weekly reflection, respond to the following prompt:
Drawing on the course content from Weeks 1 and 2, articulate how you currently define the term leisure for yourself. Your definition should be in your own words, and about 100-150 words in length, including in-text citations.
Assignment Notes:
Please do not draw on any sources from outside of the course. You should be able to complete this assignment using REC 100 modules and preparatory work only.
Since this definition is to be in your own words, you should not be using direct quotations. However, you are expected to provide in-text citations for any ideas that you paraphrase.
Your Reference page does not contribute to your overall word count.
Remember: it is better to cite the original source instead of modules. The modules are a collection of other people’s ideas for the purpose of instruction, but they are not where these ideas originated from. The modules include reference pages to assist you, and you can post to the Ask the Teaching Team discussion board if you have any questions about a source.
If the module provides an example or other idea unique to the module upon which you wish to draw, the best way to cite the course modules is to use the OWL at Purdue guideline for “online lecture notes and presentation slides.” Some notes:
The module author is Zara Rafferty.
For the date, you can use the Monday of the week in which the module is assigned (see the Course Schedule if you’re unsure).
Given that LEARN is password protected, providing a URL wouldn’t be as useful for an audience outside of our course. However, since the teaching team has access to our course LEARN links, please use the URL of the module you’re citing.
In the square brackets you can say [Online module]
Your assignments will all be graded according to the rubric below.
Criteria Excellent: 100% Very Good: 85% Average: 70% Below Average: 55% Poor: 0%
Content (10 marks) Thoughtful and insightful answer. You have articulated your perspective clearly and effectively. You have done an excellent job of synthesizing your opinion with relevant course content. It is evident that you have read and understood the course content, including lectures and assigned readings. Your response is thoughtful. You have raised some key points/good ideas and have connected your response with some relevant course content. You have addressed the minimum assignment requirements, but your response is not particularly thoughtful or insightful. There is minimal effort to link your response to the course content, and there may be some indication that you did not fully read/understand the course materials. You have attempted to address the question or prompt. However, your response is incomplete or poorly composed. You have not made a meaningful effort to embed course content in your response. You have submitted a response, but the question or prompt was not fully or appropriately addressed. It is clear that you have not been keeping up with the module work and are not able to connect it with your weekly assignments.
Instructions Followed, Quality of Writing, and APA (10 marks) In addition to following the instructions carefully and thoroughly, your writing is high quality (thoughtful, insightful reflective, flows well, edited for grammar and spelling, etc.). In addition to meeting the assignment requirements, your writing flows well and contains few errors. However, your writing does not contain the level of depth and insight required to move into the “Excellent” category. You have met all basic assignment requirements. Your writing is serviceable but could be improved for flow, quality, and depth of reflection. You have not followed the assignment instructions closely enough. Your writing is full of errors and the response may be difficult to understand or follow. The instructions for the assignment were not followed. Writing is very unclear or unintelligible.
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Module 1
2024-01-19 下午4:50
Module 1: Defining Recreation, Leisure, and Play
The Big Idea
What is this module about?
In our introductory module, we will examine the terms leisure, recreation, and play to begin developing a shared vocabulary for the term ahead. While there is not a clear
consensus on how all of these terms should be defined (particularly leisure), understanding the language of our field provides a foundation for both future learning and
program/service delivery.
Intended learning outcomes
By the end of this module, you should be able to …
di”erentiate among the terms leisure, recreation, and play.
explain how leisure has been conceptualized as time, activity, and a state of mind.
explain why the notion of freedom of choice might be limiting when defining leisure.
How should I prepare for this module?
Please read this book chapter (located in Course Reserves) and watch this video prior to moving through the module content:
Heintzman, P. (2013). Defining leisure. In R. McCarville & K. MacKay (Eds.), Leisure for Canadians (2nd ed., pp. 3-12). Venture Publishing.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Flow, the secret to happiness
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2004, February). Flow, the secret to happiness [TED Talk]. https://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_flow_the_secret_to_happiness
Introduction
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Brooks Rice via Unsplash
The first thing to know is that there is not a single, agreed upon definition of the term leisure. In part, what you will do this term is begin developing a personal definition
that resonates with you. This definition will deepen and evolve over the course of your degree as you read and explore new scholars and theories. Social sciences are not a
static thing and many of the concepts and definitions we explore this term take on a di”erent meaning depending on the context (e.g., whose perspective we’re hearing, the
period in history, the location in the world, etc.).
Over the course of the term, we will look at the various ways that leisure is “done”—in research, in practice, and in our own lives. Along with understanding what leisure is
and why it is important, this course will introduce you to some of the scholars within our department who are thinking, teaching, and writing about leisure in di”erent ways.
This will be done through short videos, reading about some of their research, and other features embedded within the modules.
Leisure as Time, Activity, and State of Mind
To begin, we will look at three common conceptualizations of leisure and then explore some extensions, alternatives, and critiques. The three conceptualizations are: 1)
leisure as time, 2) leisure as activity, and 3) leisure as state of mind.
Leisure as Time
According to this definition, leisure is the time remaining after we have completed work (both paid and unpaid), obligations (e.g., doing our taxes), and tasks
required for existing (e.g., sleeping). Basically, leisure is what occurs in our residual or leftover time, also known as our “free time.”
At its simplest level, this is an easily quantifiable assessment of leisure:
24-hour day − hours spent on work and subsistence activities = leisure time
Busyness and time stress have become badges of honour in a North American culture that worships work. Complaining that we’re super busy or stressed out is a way of
showing our status; that is, being busy demonstrates that we’re important to society. Conversely, people with a lot of leisure time and/or who are really relaxed might be
perceived as lazy, slackers, or o”ering less value to society. We will think more about these attitudes toward work and productivity in our module on Leisure and Labour.
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Despite our obsession with busyness, data from the American Time Use Survey
Questionnaire
suggests that many adults actually have 20-40 hours of free time per
week. At the higher end of the spectrum is people aged 15-19, who spend nearly six
hours per day on leisure pursuits
according to the 2022 time-use survey results.
However, the challenge with this quantitative conceptualization is that leisure time
and free time mean di”erent things to most people; the terms are not synonymous.
When we think about leisure only as free time, we reduce leisure to a quantity of time
and do not adequately attend to the quality of that time (Heintzman, 2013).
If we instead think of leisure time not just as leftover hours in a day but as time
when we get to do what we want to do, some important questions are raised:
Does everyone have leisure time?
Can someone have a lot of free time but no leisure time?
Who has less free and/or leisure time, and what are the implications of that?
Activity: Life of Pie
Using an online tool
JESHOOTS.COM via Unsplash
, scrap piece of paper, or your imagination, chart out a pie graph representing an average 24 hours in your life. What are all the tasks that
fill your time (don’t forget maintenance activities like sleeping, preparing and eating food, grooming, etc.)? Try to be honest about things like how long you spend
on social media, playing video games, streaming TV/movies (it might be more time than you think!).
After you complete your chart, ask yourself:
What do I spend most of my time on?
What do I spend the least time on?
How many hours of free time do I have in a day?
How many hours of time do I have to engage in pursuits which I feel are meaningful and fulfilling?
How do I feel about my time use overall? Should I spend more or less time on something?
Leisure as Activity
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Vlad Sargu via Unsplash
A second conceptualization of leisure is leisure as activity. According to this view, leisure is understood as activities which are not work-oriented and do not involve life
maintenance tasks such as housecleaning or sleeping.
This can be a straightforward way to measure people’s leisure lifestyles; we simply need to understand which activities people participate in (e.g., knitting, soccer, gaming,
rock climbing, boxing, dining out, watching TV, etc.) and we have a portrait of their leisure life.
The American Time Use Survey Questionnaire
suggests that watching TV was the
leisure activity that occupied the most time (2.8 hours per day), accounting for over
half of all leisure time use, on average, in 2022. The next most common activities were
playing games and computer use (34 minutes) and socializing (34 minutes).
Importantly, defining leisure as activity does not attend to how a person feels while
doing the activity, it simply defines certain activities as leisure because they take place
during time away from work and are not engaged in for existence.
However, problems can occur when the
same activity takes on di”erent meanings,
for example:
How can playing basketball be
leisure and not leisure?
How can attending a party be
leisure and not leisure?
If you’re playing pick-up basketball with
friends on the weekend, you might
Start Digital via Unsplash
consider that to be leisure. However, what
if you’re on the varsity team doing drills at
6:00 a.m. practice? Would that be leisure
to you? What if you were in the NBA and
playing basketball was your job, would it
still be leisure? Can work ever be leisure?
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Attending a party to celebrate your sister’s
John Arano via Unsplash
birthday might be an evening you very
much look forward to. However, what if
you were required to attend a company party to make a good impression on management? Would that still feel leisurely to you? What if you were dragged to a party by a
friend, but you don’t know anyone there, you have social anxiety, and/or you don’t drink alcohol? How would that party feel to you?
These examples suggest that leisure is not just about activity itself, but also the meaning of the experience. Thus, it would be very challenging to generate a list of activities
that are universally considered leisure.
Leisure as a State of Mind
This notion of meaning brings us to the third understanding of leisure: leisure as a state of mind.
While constructs such as time or activity are largely objective, understanding leisure as a state of mind is subjective in that it is concerned with an individual’s perception
of an activity (Hurd & Anderson, 2011).
According to this conceptualization, the activity itself is not the important piece when it comes to defining an experience as leisure. Rather, what is important is how
people view or experience the activity. This is really relevant to leisure practitioners as we want to understand how we can design and deliver programs that meet our
users’ needs and, where possible, facilitate peak experiences.
The implication of this idea is that what constitutes leisure for one person may be perceived in a completely di”erent
way by another. For example, I love to sort and organize. Sitting down on a Sunday afternoon and sorting my recipes or
organizing a closet is rewarding and relaxing for me. Would you find an activity like this leisurely or would it be a
torturously boring waste of time?
Now the question becomes: if defining an experience as leisure cannot rely solely on measures of time or activity, how
is it that we di”erentiate between what is leisure and what is not?
Rather than creating a definition of leisure, some scholars choose to focus on the experience’s defining characteristics
to better understand what constitutes leisure. The psychological experience of leisure can include a range of
characteristics, such as positive emotions, being highly absorbed, experiencing the sense that time is flying by, etc. (as
Sarah Brown via Unsplash
you can see, many of these relate to Csikszentmihalyi’s notion of flow) (Heintzman, 2013). However, the work of
Neulinger (1981) has been particularly influential in conceptualizing leisure, and according to his definition, two key
criteria must be in place for leisure to occur:
Intrinsic motivation suggests that a person is moved from within to participate. They are not influenced by external factors (e.g., people telling them what to do or a
prize) and the experience results in personal feelings of satisfaction, enjoyment, and gratification. Intrinsic motivation occurs when an activity is desired for its own
sake. While motivations can be mixed and can change, to be considered leisure, some intrinsic motivation must be in place.
Perceived freedom refers to an individual’s ability to choose the activity or experience in which they wish to participate. That is, the individual is free from other
obligations and has the freedom to act without control from others (Hurd & Anderson, 2011, p. 10). When perceived freedom is in place, participants have a sense of
autonomy and feel free to choose whether to continue or discontinue without repercussions or external pressure.
So, the idea is that if intrinsic motivation and perceived freedom are present, we can understand any experience as leisure
irrespective of the characteristics of time and activity. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing video games, having a nap, going
dancing, or organizing your closet, if you are intrinsically motivated and perceive yourself as freely choosing to do so, you
would be engaging in leisure according to this definition.
Stebbins (2005) suggests that it might be more useful to define leisure by describing it as uncoerced behaviour rather than
activity that is freely chosen (p. 350) because the notion of “freedom” requires too many caveats. For example, an individual’s
preferences are almost always shaped and/or governed by social expectations from friends, family, and culture, which may
make it di#cult to be truly “free.” Further, individuals’ rights and access to leisure may be constrained for a number of
reasons, including having a marginalized identity or identities (more on Leisure Constraints in a future week).
Thus, Stebbins contends that “behavior is uncoerced when people make their own leisure. Uncoerced, they feel they are
doing something they are not pushed to do, something they are not disagreeably obliged to do…This in no way denies that
there may be things people want to do but cannot do because of numerous limitations on choice…” (p. 350).
Recreation
According to Heintzman (2013), “in ancient Greece, there were clear distinctions between work, recreation, and
leisure. Work was a means to provide for life’s needs, recreation was rest from work, and leisure was the noblest pursuit in
life” (p. 4). Typically, recreation involves restoring the wholeness of the mind, spirit, and body.
Abstral O!cial via Unsplash
The term recreation is generally easier to define than leisure. “Recreation is an activity that people engage in during their
free time, that people enjoy, and that people recognize as having socially redeeming values” (Hurd & Anderson, 2011, p. 10).
Recreation generally involves an activity focus (e.g., sports, games, travel, arts and crafts, etc.) and is viewed as having specific purposes or outcomes. For example:
to assist individual and community development,
to improve quality of life,
to enhance social functioning, and
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to improve physical and mental health.
❝
The organized development of recreation programs to meet a variety of physical,
psychological, and social needs has led to recreation playing a role as a social
instrument for well-being and, in some cases, change. This role has been the impetus
for the development of many recreation providers from municipalities to nonprofits
such as the YMCA, YWCA, Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of the USA, and the Boys
Artem Kniaz via Unsplash
and Girls Clubs of America. There are also for-profit agencies, such as fitness centers
and spas, designed to provide positive outcomes.
— (Hurd & Anderson, 2011, p. 10)
Recreation is intended for the good of people/society and is organized to produce positive results and
social good (e.g., positive use of free time, youth development, promoting physical well-being).
According to Hurd and Anderson (2011), “recreation has a connotation of being morally acceptable
not just to the individual but also to society as a whole” (p. 10). Leisure, on the other hand, does not
have this same value orientation. That is, it is possible for individuals to engage in leisure that is not
necessarily beneficial to or accepted by society.
We will use the term marginalized leisure to describe leisure that challenges social norms, laws, or
belief systems. Previously, this type of leisure was referred to as purple leisure; a reference to the “o”colour” nature of the activities (Sullivan and LeDrew, 2013). It has also been called “taboo”, “deviant”,
“problematic”, and “leisure on the edge”, among other terms. However, certain words (such as
“deviant”) can further stigmatize individuals, groups, and pursuits. Not all people who engage in
marginalized leisure are doing something illegal or harmful, although it may be outside of the norm.
It is important to note that what is considered taboo
changes from society to society. For example, in many
Ross Sneddon via Unsplash
European countries, it is socially and legally acceptable to
be topless or nude at many beaches. However, in Canada, it is unlawful to be nude in public places, or even in private places
within public view. As such, nudity is reserved for a few clothing-optional beaches which have been designated by local
authorities, such as Wreck Beach
in Vancouver, or private spaces for nudists/naturalists.
Additionally, what is considered taboo changes within societies over time. For example, in the 1980s, many ski hills had bans or
restrictions on snowboarding. Now, snowboarding is a mainstream sport that people of all ages and ability levels participate in
worldwide.
Today, some examples of marginalized leisure might include substance use (both legal and illegal), gambling, sexual activity,
pornography or erotica consumption, attending a strip club, street racing, and criminal activity such as vandalism, computer
hacking, shoplifting, or even murder
(Williams & Walker, 2006).
Colin Davis via Unsplash
Play
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Fabian Centeno via Unsplash
According to Henle (2013), “researchers agree on the value of play, but cannot agree on a definition of play, which has resulted in multiple definitions of play” (p. 17).
However, Henle suggests that there are eight characteristics commonly associated with various definitions of play:
1. Intrinsic motivation: like our definition of leisure, play is engaged in for its own sake, for the purpose of pleasure for the player.
2. Free choice: again, like the notion of perceived freedom, free choice means that engagement is voluntary and not in response to external demands. Freedom to
participate (or not) enhances the sense of playfulness for those who wish to engage.
3. Suspension of reality: allows the player to temporarily step outside of reality and accept an imaginary self. Play is transformational, allowing the player to change
roles.
4. Positive a#ect: play provides the player with a positive experience and enjoyment. It is pleasurable, regardless of whether play is serious or frivolous.
5. Process over product: the goal of play is engaging in the activity itself. The end result or the outcome are secondary concerns.
6. Play is active: players are actively engaged in play. Play is not passive, like entertainment. Rather, players are engaged in active behaviours such as exploration,
experimentation, manipulation, make believe, and interaction with the environment, etc.
7. Play is bound by rules: players accept that rules are part of play. The rules are self-imposed, regulated, and changed according to the players. Externally imposed
rules (such as those in organized sports or board games) are not a part of play in the way that we define it here.
8. Internal locus of control: the degree to which players feel in control of their behaviour and the outcomes they experience. A high internal locus of control means
that an individual perceives themselves as having control of their own behaviour and destiny.
Free play (i.e., unstructured and child-directed) can yield numerous benefits for children, including:
helping children interpret and understand the world around them,
assisting children in developing social skills,
allowing children to express their feelings, and
encouraging a variety of skills, including: critical thinking, verbal and nonverbal communication, memory skills, planning, organization of ideas, and physical
development.
When you think of the word play, what images come to mind? Maybe you think of children digging in a sandbox or playing a make-believe game of superheroes. While most
people believe that play is the domain of children, adults play as well, although it might look a little di”erent (e.g., snowball fight, impromptu dance party, LARPing, costume
party, building a fort, etc.).
If you’re interested in exploring the concept of play more deeply, consider taking the course REC 200: Creativity, Play, and Child Development.
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Check Your Understanding
Can you match the correct definition with its corresponding concept? Drag
and drop the options below. This is an ungraded, optional comprehension
check.
MI PHAM via Unsplash
Concept
Definition
A period free from obligations, work (paid and unpaid), and tasks required for existing
(sleeping, eating).
Pursuits which are not work-oriented and/or that do not involve life maintenance tasks
such as housecleaning or sleeping.
In this conceptualization, perceived freedom, intrinsic motivation, perceived
competence, and positive affect are critical to the subjective determination of an
experience as leisure or not leisure.
The individual is engaged in something they do not feel pushed or disagreeably
obliged to do, even while there may be other things they would like to do but cannot
do because of limitations on choice.
An activity that people engage in during their free time which is recognized as having
socially redeeming values.
An activity which is imaginative, intrinsically motivated, freely chosen, and actively
engaging. In particular, it is typified by suspension of reality.
Play
Leisure as time
Leisure as uncoerced
behaviour
Leisure as state of mind
Leisure as activity
Recreation
Check
Reuse Embed
Activities and Assessments
All assessments must be submitted by the deadlines listed in the Course Schedule (/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?
ou=976262&type=content&rcode=uWaterloo-461258).
Introduce Yourself (/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?ou=976262&type=content&rcode=uWaterloo-461267) (Optional}
Complete the Course Expectations Quiz (/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?ou=976262&type=quiz&rcode=uWaterloo-393426). Remember: you must
earn 100% on the quiz to open the rest of the assessments. You will not receive an extension if you do not earn 100% on this quiz in time for the Week 2 Reflection
submission.
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References
Content
Heintzman, P. (2013). Defining leisure. In R. McCarville & K. MacKay (Eds.), Leisure for Canadians (2nd ed., pp. 3-12). Venture Publishing.
Henle, S. (2013). Introduction to play. In R. McCarville & K. MacKay (Eds.), Leisure for Canadians (2nd ed., pp. 15-22). State College, PA: Venture Publishing.
Hurd, A.R., & Anderson, D.M. (2011). The park and recreation professional’s handbook. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Neulinger, J. (1981). The psychology of leisure. Charles C. Thomas.
Stebbins, R.A. (2005). Choice and experiential definitions of leisure. Leisure Sciences, 27(4), 349-352. DOI: 10.1080/01490400590962470
Sullivan, A-M. & LeDrew, D. (2013). Exploring leisure’s boundaries. In R. McCarville & K. MacKay (Eds.), Leisure for Canadians (2nd ed., pp. 167-174). Venture Publishing.
Williams, D.J. & Walker, G.J. (2006). Leisure, deviant leisure, and crime: “Caution: Objects may be closer than they appear.” Leisure/Loisir, 30(1), 193-218. DOI: 10.1080/14927713.2006.9651348
Images
People camping in front of lake by Brooks Rice
Woman biting pencil by JESHOOTS.COM
Two men playing chess by Vlad Sargu
on Unsplash
on Unsplash
on Unsplash
Young woman reading a magazine by Start Digital
People having drinks at the bar by John Arano
Person sorting laundry by Sarah Brown
on Unsplash
on Unsplash
on Unsplash
Woman dancing in the club by Abstral O”cial
on Unsplash
Kids playing parachute games by Artem Kniaz
on Unsplash
Person doing a puzzle by Ross Sneddon
on Unsplash
Lines of cocaine with paraphernalia by Colin Davis
Kids playing in the sand by Fabian Centeno
on Unsplash
on Unsplash
Child running through the sprinkler by MI PHAM
on Unsplash
Credits and Copyright (/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?ou=976262&type=content&rcode=uWaterloo-460859)
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Module 2: Casual and Serious Leisure
The Big Idea
What is this module about?
In this module, we will explore the role of socialization in our leisure lives and examine the di!erences between casual and serious leisure.
Intended learning outcomes
By the end of this module, you should be able to …
define socialization and explain its significance in relation to leisure.
identify the key characteristics of casual leisure and serious leisure.
identify some of the benefits and challenges associated with serious leisure.
describe the significance of The Serious Leisure Perspective.
How should I prepare for this module?
Please read the following articles (located in Course Reserves) prior to moving through the module content:
Beck, J. (2022, January 4). How hobbies infiltrated American life. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2022/01/history-hobbies-america-productivityleisure/621150/
Sawhney, A. (2022, August 19). Why don’t Millennials have hobbies? The Walrus. https://thewalrus.ca/why-dont-millennials-have-hobbies/
Introduction
When most people hear the word “leisure,” they tend to think of casual leisure participants, that is, those who
participate in activities because they bring them pleasure in the form of self-gratification (Best, 2010, p. 8).
The notion of serious leisure came to the forefront in 1982 through the work of sociologist Robert Stebbins. Stebbins
suggested that people’s relationships with leisure could be more complex than casual, wherein participants pursue
activities with an almost career-like focus.
In this module, we will explore the di!erences between serious and casual leisure. In particular, we will look at the
benefits and challenges associated with pursuing a serious leisure interest.
Leisure Socialization
Socialization is a term used in a range of disciplines, including sociology, political science, education, anthropology, and
psychology. Socialization is “an active process of learning and social development, which occurs as we interact with one
another and become acquainted with the social world in which we live” (Ruddell and Shinew, 2006, p. 421). Through
socialization, we learn the norms, values, behavior, and social skills appropriate to our social context(s).
Socialization is based on the foundational assumption that members of a social group possess shared understandings
of the expectations and behaviours which allow them to operate e!ectively as a group (Asakitikpi et al, 2018). For
example, we learn how we’re expected to act within our neighbourhood, our family unit, our classroom, our workplace,
our religious community, our friendship groups, and so on.
The process(es) of socialization have been explained by drawing upon and frequently combining theories of human
nature (e.g., psychoanalysis, behaviourism, motivation theory, personality theories, ethology, and culture theory)
(Morawski, 2014). As with other life domains, the process through which an individual acquires skills, attitudes, and
knowledge related to leisure is influenced by social learning (Ruddell & Shinew, 2006). This process is called leisure
Briana Tozour via Unsplash
socialization. Leisure socialization is a lifelong process whereby we develop our leisure lifestyle through imitating,
modeling, and identifying with the behaviours of others. These “others” are sometimes referred to as social agents and are key to the socialization process.
The role of social agents is to convey what is acceptable and unacceptable leisure behaviour, both knowingly and unknowingly. Research by Trussell (2018) found that
“through purposive leisure, family activities may build and strengthen family relationships through encouraged togetherness and memory-making, and may also provide
important moments of child socialization, including the inculcation of life lessons and moral values” (Trussell, 2018, p. 3).
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Think About This
Who are some key “social agents” in your life
Who are the people whose ideas and actions you have found to be influential?
What life lessons and moral values have you learned, and from whom?
When it comes to the social agents who guide our leisure
socialization, each person determines who they are for themselves.
You may have thought of siblings, parents, or other family
members, all of whom are particularly influential when we are
young. According to Haycock and Smith, “since the1970s, research
in leisure studies has consistently pointed to the home and family
as a crucial site for leisure and childhood socialisation into
activities” (2014, p. 287).
At least initially, family tends to have the strongest impact on our
leisure behaviour. However, these adopted values are not always
Sebastián León Prado via Unsplash
permanent. In fact, it is common for parents and children to clash—
perhaps you have been told “we don’t do that in this house” in
response to a particular leisure interest? It is also important to note
that the influence of social agents can fluctuate over a short period
of time. Can you think of an example of a social agent in your life
who had a profound e!ect on you for a short amount of time, and
then not again? (E.g., a camp counsellor, a teacher, or a coach).
Now that you are university students, you have entered a new
phase of your life where social agents beyond your family may take
on greater importance, people such as partners, coaches, teachers,
clergy, or friends. According to Sylvia-Bobiak and Caldwell (2006),
“as youth mature, they face important transitional points in life
Joseph Pearson via Unsplash
(e.g., becoming of age to drive, entering high school, moving out of
parents’ home) that naturally lead to a time of self-reflection,
openness to change, and making important life decisions” (p. 74).
Socialization doesn’t end when we’re young, and we continue to receive messages and clues about the norms and expectations governing our social worlds.
Casual Leisure
The term serious leisure was put forward over 40 years ago (Stebbins, 1982). Interestingly, despite its ubiquitousness
in our day-to-day lives, casual leisure was not conceptually elaborated until 15 years later (Stebbins, 1997). Initially,
casual leisure “served mostly as a foil for sharpening understanding of [the serious leisure] framework” (Stebbins, 1997,
p. 17), however, it would be a mistake to perceive casual leisure as less important or meaningful form of leisure. In fact,
casual leisure is significant for a range of reasons: many more people participate in casual leisure than in serious
leisure, serious leisure participants also enjoy and value casual leisure, and there is far more research on forms of
casual leisure.
Casual leisure can be understood as “immediately, intrinsically rewarding, relatively short-lived pleasurable activity
requiring little or no special training to enjoy it. In broad, colloquial terms, it could serve as the scientific term for the
practice of doing what comes naturally” (Stebbins, 1997, p. 18). Casual leisure is fundamentally hedonic and engaged in
for the significant level of pure enjoyment, or pleasure, found there.
In his initial conceptual statement, Stebbins (1997) defined six types of casual leisure which can be combined:
1. Play: as we discussed in the previous module, play generally refers to the activity of children, but can also be
undertaken by adults. Play can be defined according to eight characteristics: intrinsic motivation, free choice,
suspension of reality, positive a!ect, process over product, active engagement, bound by self-imposed rules, and
guided by a high internal locus of control (Henle, 2013, p. 17).
2. Relaxation: refers to release from mental or physical tension. Some examples of casual leisure for relaxation
might include sitting, strolling, napping, or going for a drive.
3. Passive entertainment: refers to diversion or amusement delivered to its consumers where the principal action
required of them is to arrange for its delivery (e.g., by turning on the television). In truly passive leisure, there is
charlesdeluvio via Unsplash
only a minimal need to concentrate on the contents of whatever is being consumed (e.g., music or film) and the
diversion can be enjoyed as an end in itself.
4. Active entertainment: refers to activities in which participants must act to ensure their own diversion. This type of casual leisure refers to simple activities such as
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puzzles, board games, or reading a book. When participation requires significant levels of
