The Evolution of Leisure Studies in the US (1910 -2010)

Th E l ti f L i The Evolution of Leisure Studies in the USStudies in the US

(E l ió d E di d O i i L (Evolución de Estudios de Ocio in Los Estados Unidos)

1910 -2010

OutlineOutline

Historical changesHistorical changesCultural contextDisciplinary influencesContemporary trendsContemporary trendsSocial psychology of leisureInternational collaboration

Historical changesg

• Professional: from “parks and recreation” • Professional: from parks and recreation to “leisure services”

• Parks and stewardship• Parks and stewardship• Re-creation of people• Political economy and market forcesPolitical economy and market forces• Academic: toward respectability – “leisure

studies”

Cultural and academic contextCultural and academic context• LS a product of public awareness and

liti l ibilit i iti ll b t th political responsibility initially but then rather quickly being driven by

ieconomics.• In colleges of education, health, and

f h h h & l forestry rather than humanities & social science

• Tensions around purposes – undergrad –prof prep; grad – theory & research

Disciplinary influencesDisciplinary influences• Sociological – Chicago school, Stebbinsg g ,• Psychological – freedom, enjoyment and

pleasure (Neulinger & Csikszentmihalyi)p ( g y )▫ Developmental – play (Piaget, Sutton-Smith)

• Anthropological - play, games and festivalAnthropological play, games and festival• Economic/political – public and private –• Geography and Ecology - resource management • Geography and Ecology - resource management

& tourism – contested space

• Educational sessions planned for 2011 Conference of the National Recreation and Park Association in Atlanta

Citizen/Advocacy

the National Recreation and Park Association in Atlanta

Employee/Volunteer ManagementEnvironmental/StewardshipHealthy LifestylesHealthy LifestylesLeadership/ManagementPlanning, Design, and Maintenanceg, g ,Professional DevelopmentPublic Relations/MarketingRecreation ProgrammingRevenue/ Customer ServiceSportsSports

What´s left out?• Sport• Tourism• Tourism• Play

The journals – english languageThe journals – english language

• American – Journal of Leisure Research • American Journal of Leisure Research, Leisure Sciences, Therapeutic Recreation Journal (others related to tourism and outdoor Journal (others related to tourism and outdoor resource management)

• Canadian – Society and Leisure Leisure• Canadian – Society and Leisure, Leisure• British – Leisure Studies

Australia/New Z Annals of Leisure Research • Australia/New Z. – Annals of Leisure Research, World Leisure

JLR and Leisure Sciences JLR and Leisure Sciences

• Isolated• Isolated• Meliorist• Reflect field in “crisis” – no

collective identity; missing impt. y; g psocial issues

• JLR community bias• JLR – community bias• LS – outdoor bias

Contemporary trendsp y• Special issues of Journal of Leisure Research

social capital ci ic engagement social capital – civic engagement, networking

S i l i f L i S i ti li i • Special issues of Leisure Sciences – active living; discrimination; nature based experience.

S l h• Social justice theme• The social psychology of space/place• Sophistication in methods• Voluntourism

Contemporary trends (cont’)Contemporary trends (cont )

• Greater attention to experience• Greater attention to experience▫ E.g study of attention

• Attention to major social issues• Attention to major social issues▫ Climate change▫ Discrimination and injsutice▫ Discrimination and injsutice▫ Illness & obesityEmergence of attention to technology• Emergence of attention to technology▫ negative – displacement (e.g. camping study)

iti t l d l t▫ positive – new ways to learn and relate

New Directions in Social Psychology of Leisure

• General acceptance of SDT• Recognition of multiple experiences of leisureRecognition of multiple experiences of leisure▫ e.g. savoring

• Recognition of negative aspects of leisure• Recognition of negative aspects of leisure▫ e.g compulsive passion

• Recognition of new connections with technology• Recognition of new connections with technology• Post positivist accomodation of contextualism

Social Psychology and LeisureSocial Psychology and Leisure

• What social psychology has to say to leisure • What social psychology has to say to leisure studies

• What leisure studies has to say to social • What leisure studies has to say to social psychology

• How leisure affords the self expression • How leisure affords the self-expression necessary for identity formationHow leisure and personal expressiveness aid in • How leisure and personal expressiveness aid in adjustment to important life events

SP Topics of Relevance to LSSP Topics of Relevance to LS• competition and aggression competition and aggression • cooperation and pro-social behavior• group dynamics and leadership• group dynamics and leadership• motivation and social control

personalit and attitude• personality and attitude

Situations and Traits (Buss)Situations and Traits (Buss)

Issue S > T T > Scontext novel formal familiar incontext novel, formal,

publicfamiliar, in-formal, private

instructions detailed general, none

choice little or none considerable

response narrow broadp

Leisure’s Relevance to Social Psychology

• Understanding personality• Understanding self-awareness• Understanding self-awareness• Understanding intrinsic motivation and

subjective well beingsubjective well being

Intrinsic motivationIntrinsic motivation• basis of playbasis of play• basis of flow• basis of casual leisure• basis of casual leisure• basis of serious leisure

basis of self e pression• basis of self-expression

Self-Determination Continuum

Extrinsic motivation Intrinsic motivation

Nonself-determined Self Determined

external integrated intrinsic regulation

introjected identified

gregulation regulation

introjected regulation

identified regulation

compliance congruencecompliance,external rewards & punishments

congruence,synthesis w/ self

interest,enjoyment,inherent punishments

self control,internal R&P

conscious valuing

satisfaction

Ryan-Deci (2000)

IntrinsicE

Self-Determined

A IntegratedE

X

T

Autonomy

Identified R

ICompetenceIntrojected

E l

N

S

IExternal

A i i

I

C

N S lf

Relatedness

Amotivation Non-Self-Determined

Self-determination Model - Adapted from Ryan & Deci, 2000

Personal ExpressivenessPersonal Expressiveness• “Activities are personally expressive to the

extent that they engage and serve to further the development of one’s particular potentials capacities and talents…[those] that are integral to, or at least consistent with, one’s purposes in living”

(Alan Waterman, 1990)

IV It isn’t all about flowIV. It isn t all about flow

• The dark side of flow• The dark side of flow• Internalized extrinsic motivation

O h “ i l” i• Other “optimal” experiences▫ Experimentation and explorationp p▫ Relaxation and reflection▫ Appreciation ▫ Appreciation ▫ Savoring

Faces of Leisure

“Faces” of LeisureFaces of Leisure

f h f l• fun, mirth, joyfulness• relaxation• intense engagement• excitement• excitement• appreciation• reflection (cf. “savoring”)

Leisure as AppreciationLeisure as Appreciation

• “Leisure is an attitude of non-activity of • Leisure is ...an attitude of non activity, of inward calm, of silence; it means not being ‘busy but letting things happen ” “ Leisure is busy, but letting things happen. … Leisure is not the attitude of mind of those who actively intervene but of those who are open to intervene, but of those who are open to everything …of those who leave the reins loose and who are free and easy themselves ”and who are free and easy themselves.

Josef Pieper

Ideal Actual

Harmonious Passion

Ideal-Actual Discrepancy

Positive Lif D i Life Domain

Outcomes

Obsessive Passion

A l O h Actual-Ought Discrepancy

From: Stensend, F. (2008). The two faces of leisure activity engagement. Leisure Sciences, 30, 465-481.

Summary and Conclusion

• Leisure is a context l i i f ▫ For cultivation of

interest and enjoyable engagementengagement▫ For relaxation and

appreciationappreciation▫ For narrative

reconstruction

International collaborationInternational collaboration

• Where does your work fit in?• Where does your work fit in?• What are the benefits of collaboration?• Is language the only barrier?• Is language the only barrier?▫ If so, how can it be overcome

If not what else and how can it be overcome▫ If not, what else and how can it be overcome