C HAPTER 1
L EISURE , R ECREATION , P LAY
FLOW
AND
C ONTENTS IN THIS CHAPTER

What is Leisure?

Problems with Conventional Ideas about Leisure?

Does Leisure Apply to Everyone?

Proposing a Definition of Leisure

Summary
W HY L EISURE ?

What leisure may complete in your life?


To determine your happiness, contribution to the
world, meaning of your life
Common thinking about leisure

Leisure is the thing you do during your
nonworking and non-obligated time
O RIGIN

OF LEISURE
To have leisure is one of the earliest dreams of human
beings

To be free from and endless round of the labor

To be free to pursue what one wants

To be free to spend time in voluntary, pleasurable ways

To be free to find and accept one’s place in the world

To be free from tyranny of nature and of other human
beings

To be free to exist in a state of grace

Living life on your own terms

Being free to do what you choose
L EISURE
MAY BE …

You may find leisure when you are alone, at school,
church, temple, clubs, shopping centers, night market,
in automobiles, tents, caves, bars, in front of TV,
computer monitor, smart phones, apps, in the
formation of drifting clouds, and in many other
circumstances

Consequently, when studying leisure, many different
parts of human condition must be examined.

To understand leisure, we must also try to clarify
values about what role it can and should play in our
lives.
Q UESTIONS RELATED TO
L EISURE

What are leisure, recreation, play and flow, what do
these terms mean?

What roles have they played in other societies?

Is a life of leisure desirable- or possible?

What do people do for leisure

Are some leisure activities better than others?

How does leisure behavior relate to our work,
education, economy, religious belief, and so forth?
W HAT
IS LEISURE

The idea of leisure is complicated and diverse..

The different perspectives reflect historical differences
in the organization of societies as well as differences in
concepts of both freedom and pleasure

The concepts of leisure originated from the ancient
Athens , then the industrialization process began in
Britain, the emergence of commercial enterprises
(which promoted specific forms of nonwork activity).
Recently, the concepts of leisure has been shaped by a
huge of communication technologies, from the cell
phone, iPad, to plasma TV

Leisure has been conceptualized in four basic contexts:
time, activities, state of existence, and state of mind
L EISURE
DEFINED AS TIME

Some portion of our lives in which we have
comparatively greater freedom to do what we want
which do not involve money—leisure defined as
time

Aristotle called it available time

Some call it “free time”
L EISURE DEFINED AS TIME QUESTIONS ?!

Sometimes, it is difficult to define “free time”

As for farmers, artists, students, homeless, professors, it is hard to
draw the line between obligated hours or free time

If we define “free time” as one not involved in activities which we
receive money, the definition has no meaning to many in our society
who do not do such work

Furthermore, sometimes we are compelled to do many thing s that
don’t involve money.

For example we may feel compelled to wash cars, watering, attend a
wedding, exercise to lose weight which do not involve money.

Some may involved in political, religious, voluntary social work which
do not receive money
L EISURE D EFINED

AS TIME
For people who have full control of time, if we
simply define leisure as “free time” to do what we
want, it has no meaning to the following:

The permanent , voluntary leisure of the rich

Temporary, involuntary leisure of the unemployed

Regularly allocated, voluntary leisure of the disabled

The voluntary retirement of the aged
L EISURE D EFINED AS ACTIVITIES

The ancient Greek word for leisure, schole, means
“serious activity without the pressure of necessity”

The Greek term “recreation” means “playful
amusement to pass time”

The conception of leisure as activity has been
broadened to:

A number of occupations in which the individual
may indulge of his own free will—either to rest, to
amuse himself, to add to his knowledge or improve
his skills disinterestedly or to increase his voluntary
participation in the life of the community after
discharging his professional, family, and social duties
L EISURE D EFINED AS
ACTIVITIES - QUESTIONS

When leisure is defined as some sort of activities or
occupations, the problem is at time some activities
may serve as leisure to most people but not to some
take such activities as job, or gain friendship or spend
time with families—to them such activities are not
leisure to them.

For example, playing softball may be leisure to all but
not to the softball players who do this for money.

Some may feel they need to play games to protect
their jobs earn friendship who are important to them.
L EISURE DEFINED AS A STATE
OF EXISTENCE

According to Aristotle, leisure is defined as the absence of
the necessity of being occupied.

The state has also been thought of as “ a mind of
contemplation”.—thus leisure is often used as an adjective
to mean “unhurried, tranquil, or without regard to time.

Leisure defined as a state of existence may also relate to
religious celebration.

Some believe leisure was a sense of celebration which
characterize the lives of some people who accepted the
world and their place in the world with joy

To them, leisure is a state of grace bestowed upon those
who are capable of spiritual celebration
L EISURE DEFINED AS A STATE
OF MIND

Leisure is defined as “perceived freedom or internal
locus of control”


The individuals believe that they are controlling
events rather than being controlled by events.
According to psychologist John Neukinger, Leisure has
one and only one essential criterion, and that is the
condition of perceived freedom.

Any activity carried out freely without constraint or
compulsion may be considered to be leisure.

To leisure implies being engaged in an activity as a
free agent and of one’s own choice
P ROBLEMS WITH
CONVENTIONAL IDEAS ABOUT
LEISURE

According to the previous definitions about
leisure from the four aspects, we may confront
some difficulties in defining leisure
L EISURE
AS FREE TIME ?

Free time is often thought of as “leisure” itself or as
necessary but insufficient condition for “leisure” to
take place

For example, some may at first feel compelled to cook
for his/her family but find it interesting some time
later and consider it pleasurable as leisure

Some may be forced to learn musical instruments but
find it enjoyable when playing even they are confined
during lessons
L EISURE DEFINED AS
ACTIVITIES ?

Leisure is not an activity but a process which involves
some specific act

For example, defining leisure as a cluster of activities
which can identify in advance has the opposite
problem from defining leisure only as a “state of mind”

The “state of mind” definition ignores the external
world, while defining leisure only as a specific cluster
of activities ignores the internal world
D OES L EISURE APPLY TO
EVERYONE ?


Most definitions discussed previously apply mainly to
males.

If leisure is defined in terms of time, it is frequently
thought of in opposition to work, and work frequently
means paid employment. If leisure is what happens after
work, how it applies to unemployment or housewives?

If we define leisure in terms of activities, there is a
tendency to ignore women, for example, camping is an
activity to men but may not be leisure from female’s
perspective—suppose women have to do all the packing
for the camping trip, prepare the children, plan the
meals, wash up after each meal….
Thus, leisure has been a concept that historically has
applied mainly to men but notices that women’s role have
changed remarkable during the past few decades
D EFINITION

OF LEISURE
!!!
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 that are
personally pleasing, intuitively worthwhile, and
provide a basis for faith
R ECREATION

Recreation, play and leisure are sometimes used
interchangeably, but the term recreation is often used
in a more specific and limited sense.

Recreation has traditionally been defined as activity
done in opposition to work which refreshes and
restores the individual.

Margaret Mead has said that recreation represents a
Whole attitude of conditional joy in which the delights
of both work and play are tied together in a tight sequence.
Neither one may be considered by itself, but man must
work, then weary and take some recreation so he may work
again
R ECREATION - CONT.

Recreation is dependent upon work for its meaning
and function. Work come first, then recreation, and
then more work.

If we think of leisure as free time, then it may be
said that recreation is
Any activity pursued during leisure, either individual
or collective, that is free and pleasurable, having its own
immediate appeal, not impelled by a delayed reward
beyond itself
R ECREATION - CONT.

In popular usage, recreation may be defined as
activity which isn’t serious, that is “fun and game”

Sometimes definitions of recreation are limited to
leisure time activities that are “morally sound,
mentally and physically uplifting, respectful of the
rights of others, voluntarily motivated and provide a
sense of pleasure and achievement.
P LAY

“Play” like “fun” is an easy concept to recognize in everyday
life than it is to put into words

The Dutch historian John Huizinga define six characteristics
of play:

Voluntary behavior

A stepping outside of “ordinary of life

Secluded and limited in time and space

Not serious, but absorbs the player intensely

Bounded by rules

Promotes formation of social groups which surround
themselves with secrecy
P LAY - CONT.

Are you a playful person?

According to Caillois, play has four forms:

The pursuit of vertigo in which one tries to momentarily destroy
the stability of perception, escaping reality for the moment


Play may also be games of chance. Games in which there is an
outcome over which the player has no control or a decision take
place which is independent of the player


Playing slot machines, bingo, matching coins, or lotteries
In some play, the player imitates or make-believe that he or she is
something other than himself or herself


Children roll down hill or turn in circles until they become dizzy and
fall down
Playing Elvis Presley
regulated by rules that most people agree to
P LAY - CONT.

Many social scientist believe play serves as a way in
which the child takes on the culture he or she is born
into.

Researchers suggest that through play child may “test
out” his or her curiosities without experiencing
repercussions in the event of failure

So what did you play while you are a child?

Play with a pet? Other kids? Hide and seek?
P LAY - CONT.

Some researchers explain play in terms of a need to
show the ability to control or produce effects upon
the environment

Putting together a puzzle, or tossing a wadded ball of
paper into a trash can from a long distance
IS

PLAYING JUST FOR KIDS ?
Fun and The Importance of Play: Why Adults Need to Play,
Too--Play Time Isn't Just For Kids...

By Elizabeth Scott, M.S., About.com Guide

It’s important to your stress level and your happiness
quotient that you have at least one activity that you do
regularly just for fun. Hobbies and other fun activities
provide a fun way to sharpen skills, express your creativity,
or just blow off steam. Also, when you get really engrossed
in an activity you enjoy, you can experience a state of being
know as flow, in which your brain is in a nearmeditative state, which has benefits for your for your body,
mind and soul.

http://stress.about.com/od/funandgames/qt/play.htm
TOP 10 S TRESS R ELIEVER
H OBBIES

Gardening

Explore Photography

Scrapbooking

Maintain a Saltwater Aquarium

Puzzles

Drawing

Painting

Knitting

Playing The Piano

Writing
FLOW

According to a psychologist Mihayi Cskszentmihalyi, flow is
a kind of optimal experience which can take places as
either work or leisure


Many leisure experiences have little potential for flow.


In work or leisure, flow can occur only when an individual
is capable of concentration and has developed skill
Those that don’t require much skill, such as watching TV,
provide no challenge or the opportunity to use skill, but
there is evidence that such activities are not very
satisfying
Flowing activity is the making of meaning and doing so
requires giving oneself in a focus way, where climbing a
mountain, performing surgery, or playing the trumpet
S TUDY Q UESTIONS

Describe some situations in which you
experience leisure. What makes it leisure?

What is your favorite leisure activities, and why
you like it/them?

What function does leisure serve in your life?