Serious Leisure Flashcards
What are the 3 forms of leisure?
Serious
Casual
Project-based
What is the serious leisure theory?
A system of classing leisure by the level of specialization, absorption, skill, talent, and/or commitment we put into it.
And the sense of identity or benefits we get from it.
What is serious leisure defined?
Defined: is the systematic pursuit of an amateur, hobbyist, or volunteer activity that participants find so substantial, interesting and fulfilling that they typically launch themselves on a leisure career centred on acquiring and expressing its special skills, knowledge and experience
Serious –sincerity, embodies such qualities as earnest, importance and carefulness
What are examples of amateur leisure?
Found in art, science, sport and entertainment
Are linked with professional counterparts
The art, science, sport, and entertainment are pursued on a part-time basis; professionals work full-time
There is a three way relationship between amateurs, professionals and the public
What are hobbyists?
Lack professional counter-ego and are classified into 5 categories
Amateurs and hobbyists draw to their leisure pursuit more by self-interest
Collectors
Tinkerers and makers – quilt makers, furniture makers, fixing old clocks, restoring old cars
Activity participants – such as fishing or barbershop singing – rule based, non-competitive
Players of sports and games rule based activities with no professional counterparts – swimming, long distance running
Liberal art are primarily reading pursuits in specific genre of literature or period of history
What is volunteering?
Volunteering
is uncoerced help offered either formally or informally
Token or no pay
Done for the benefit of others
Must figure out motivation behind the volunteering
Enjoyable casual leisure– handing out leaflets
Fulfilling serious leisure – guiding at the zoo, mentoring adolescents, working in hospitals
Enjoyable project based leisure- ushering for a barbershop choir competition
What are the 6 distinctive qualities of serious leisure?
- Occasional need to persevere
- Opportunity to pursue a leisure career in the endeavor
- There is significant personal effort
- Durable benefits
- Unique ethos
- Develop strong identity with chosen pursuit
Occasional need to persevere – meet challenges from time to time – need to persevere in order to experience the same level of fulfillment out of the activity
The career is shaped by its own special contingencies, turning points and stages of achievement and involvement – ie in sports there is evitable a stage of decline
The effort requires specially acquired skill, knowledge, training, skill and at times all three
Durable benefits – they can be defined as outcomes that are delivered to the activity participants and they include: self-actualization, self-enrichment, self-expression, regeneration or renewal of self, feelings of accomplishments, enhancement of self-image, social interaction, sense of belonging and lasting physical products of the activity – a painting, a scientific paper, a piece of furniture, a quilt
Also self- gratification
Ethos – sense of community that is developed – shared attitudes, practices, values, beliefs, goals, - there is a social world that is developed – there is a spirit developed within the social world
What is casual leisure?
Is an immediately and intrinsically rewarding relatively short-lived and pleasurable activity requiring little or no special training to enjoy it
What are the 8 types of casual leisure?
1 Play 2 Relaxation 3 Passive entertainment 4 Active entertainment 5 Sociable conversations 6 Sensory stimulation 7 Casual volunteering 8 Pleasurable aerobic activity
Passive entertainment – watching tv, recording music, reading a book
Active entertainment – playing a game
Sociable conversation – gossip or idle chatter
Sensory stimulation – drinking, sex, eating
Casual volunteering –
Pleasurable aerobic activity – those activities pursued on an individual basis – workout video at home, require minimal skill
There are some clear costs in pursuing some of the activities
Will not produce a distinctive leisure identity
What is project based leisure?
Requires considerable planning and effort
Requires skill and knowledge
Brings together family, friends, neighbours or relatives or draws an individual into an organisational milieu
Examples include planning a special birthday party
Making elaborate preparations for a major holiday
Volunteering for sporting events or a convention
What are one shot projects?
One-shot projects
Use talents and knowledge you have at hand
May seek certain instruction beforehand
Goal is to undertake the one-shot project and nothing more
Making and tinkering – assembly projects in kits, do-it-yourself kits
Liberal arts – genealogy, tourism (special trip)
Activity participants – canoe trip, one shot mountain ascent (Kilimanjaro)
Volunteering – at a convention, Olympics, art festival
Entertainment Theatre – produce a skit or play
What are occasional projects?
Are motivated by an agreeable obligation Decorating at home Work for someone’s birthday Have potential to become routinized Can become unpleasant
What are the benefits of Rec & Leisure
Benefits of recreation and leisure are vast.
Specific to the activity
Happen at many levels
Personal level – immediate, short-term and long-term
Community and societal level
Economic, environmental and global
Personal –increase quality of life, increase health – decrease obesity, health, decrease stress, provide spiritual meaning, provide a sense of self-identity and self esteem provide life satisfaction
Community and Social reduce illness and disability reduce social service cost attract business, generate employment generate tourism decrease crime and social dysfunction
Economic and environmental protect the land and biodiversity, environmental health education, spirituality and stewardship with the land, health benefits related to greenspace
The benefits messages
Are essential to personal health and well-being
Provide the key to balance human development
Provide the foundation for quality of life
Reduce destructive and anti-social behaviour
Build strong families and healthy communities
Reduce health care, social service and police and justice costs
Are an economic generator
Green spaces are essential to environmental and ecological well-being even survival
Individual Level of Benefits of R & L
Social Physical Emotional Cognitive Spiritual
Why is it so important to identify evidence based benefits?
main reasons:
Evidence based benefits help us to educate ourselves in order to provide a higher quality of TR service to clients, families, communities, etc.
Knowledge of benefits also helps us to educate others
To advance the field
Accountability
Improved patient outcomes
