chapter
18
The Nature
of Recreation
and Leisure
As a Profession
Introduction
1. Explore various issues related to
professionalism and whether leisure
services qualifies as a profession.
2. Present 6 major criteria that define a
profession.
3. Measure the field of park, recreation, and
leisure services against 6 major criteria
defining a profession.
Definition of a Professional
“. . . professions are unique in that their
members have special knowledge, perform
a specialized role and have control over
their occupation’s structure, function,
practice and destiny.”
—Sessoms, 1991, p. 249
Evaluating
the Leisure Services Profession
•
•
Several criteria have been identified as defining a
profession (Kraus, 2001; Sessoms, 1991).
The following 6 criteria define whether recreation
and leisure services qualify as a profession:
1. Social value and purpose
2. Public recognition
3. Specialized body of knowledge
4. Specialized professional preparation
5. Quality assurance through accreditation,
certification, and professional associations
6. Professional code of ethics
Social Value and Purpose
• Ask someone what they like to do on the weekend
or how they want to spend their retirement years.
Chances are the response you get will contain
some reference to leisure. True? False?
• Recreation and leisure have social value and serve
a purpose in today’s society.
How?
• What is it about leisure opportunities that make
them so valuable to the people who participate in
them?
Our Professional Mandate
“One of the characteristics of a profession
is that it has a social mandate.
• Mandate is grounded in meeting a fundamental
need of society, whether it be a concern for its
health, system of justice, literacy, or quality of life.
• Without a mandate, there is no soul, no sense of
purpose, no sustaining will, which attracts people to
the cause …”
(Sessoms,1992, p. 47)
Benefits Approach to Leisure
Benefits approach to leisure (BAL) “is not
only a philosophy about the roles of leisure
in society and how leisure service delivery
systems should be managed, but also a
system for directing leisure research,
instruction, policy development, and
management.”
(Driver & Bruns, 1999, p. 349)
Benefits Approach Outcomes
1. Information on outcomes of participation
helps people make informed decisions
about leisure.
2. Helps managers educate policy makers and
the general public about the value of their
services.
3. Consistent with a marketing orientation
centered on identifying the needs of
participants and segmenting them into
groups so that these needs might be
fulfilled most efficiently and effectively.
Positive Outcome Categories
• Personal benefits:
– Psychological
– Physiological
• Social and cultural benefits
• Economic benefits
• Environmental benefits
But the Benefits Are Not Endless:
Cautionary Notes
• Outcomes of our programs and services are not
always positive. Excessive exercising and eating
disorders may be just two of the negative byproducts because some recreation activities
reinforce body image issues, especially among
women (Shaw, 1991).
• Focusing on the benefits reduces leisure to its
instrumental value, thereby implying that leisure in
and of itself is less valuable than the outcomes it
produces (Hemingway & Parr, 2000).
(continued)
But the Benefits Are Not Endless:
Cautionary Notes (continued)
• It is unrealistic to suggest that, in any one
locale, all of the outcomes categories can
be achieved through leisure.
• Need exists for parks and recreation to
adopt a more clearly defined “position” in
each community. General public will better
recognize our specific contributions.
Public Recognition
• “Obviously there is a paradox: While leisure is the
leading economic sector and the most important
social service sector, the scope and magnitude of
the benefits of leisure are not recognized and
appreciated.”
• At the start of the 21st century, neither Canada nor
the United States had federal policies that “broadly
recognize, protect, and promote leisure as a
significant business and social service.” What are
the question and implications of this?
—Driver & Bruns,1999
(continued)
Public Recognition (continued)
• In one U.S. national telephone survey, more than
60% of respondents said that their community
benefited “a great deal” from local parks (Godbey,
Graefe & James, 1993).
• With respect to recreation programs provided by
local governments, it was found that the personal
and social (e.g., getting to know people, community
awareness) benefits accruing from these were
perceived to be quite high.
Four Reasons for Recreation
and Leisure’s Poor Public Profile
• First factor:
– Disregarded as serious area of study or employment.
– General public seldom recognizes the difficulty and complexity
of managing facilities, preserving parkland, and creating quality
leisure experiences.
• Second factor:
– Hard facts on benefits of parks and recreation to society are
difficult to come by.
– Social merits of leisure are often not adequately articulated to
the general public and decision makers.
(continued)
Four Reasons for Recreation and
Leisure’s Poor Public Profile
(continued)
• Third and related factor:
– The diversity of backgrounds and mandates has enabled us to
affect multiple areas of social and economic concern.
– This serves to create a complicated and fuzzy image of the
field among people who do not regularly use our services.
• Final factor (although there are undoubtedly
others):
– Overemphasis placed on work in North American society.
– When people first meet at parties, they usually introduce
themselves according to their area of employment. (This
practice is a remnant of the Protestant work ethic.)
Efforts to Improve the Public’s
Perception of Recreation and Leisure
• Research: Professors and professionals must
research, document, and communicate the
positive contributions our programs and
facilities make to individuals and communities.
• Repositioning: The perceptions of
stakeholders, such as citizens and elected
officials, must change so that parks and
recreation are perceived to be significant
contributors to important community concerns.
Discussion:
Subject: Challenges of Public Perception
What are some of the challenges of improving
the public’s perception of our field?
How can we improve these challenges?
Specialized Professional Preparation
•
•
Recreation and leisure studies are
multidisciplinary in nature. Our parent disciplines
include psychology, sociology, geography, economics,
planning, philosophy, political science, history,
marketing, and management science.
Most of our academic programs can trace their
roots and evolution to one of three basic areas:
1. Recreation and leisure programs came from physical
education.
2. Outdoor recreation evolved from broader forestry and
resource development programs.
3. Tourism and sport management programs reflect the
growing specialization occurring in business-based
education.
Specialized Body of Knowledge
• 150 years of “professional” history in Canada and
the United States exists; however, published
knowledge related to our understanding of leisure
and park and recreation management was, prior to
1960, not extensive.
• Since 1960, the number of academic journals,
professional magazines, and professional books
has expanded greatly.
• Unique education includes a thorough
understanding of recreational activities and
program areas, including, and perhaps most
important, the value and benefits of leisure for
individuals, communities, and the environment.
Quality Assurance
Through Accreditation, Certification,
and Professional Associations
• Accreditation is a process whereby agencies are
evaluated in terms of their ability to provide quality,
standardized services.
• Certification is usually granted by a professional
organization representing the field to individual
practitioners who meet or exceed standards of
performance.
• A professional organization or association represents
practitioners working in a given field and serves the
profession in two ways:
– Professional development of its members
– Communication to the general public (including citizens and
politicians at the national, state, regional, and local levels) of
the value of the services provided by its members
Professional Code of Ethics Defined
• Ethic, in its simplest form, means “the right
thing.” To behave in an ethical manner is to
“do the right thing,” thus conforming to
some moral standard.
• Standards by which actions are judged to
be right or wrong are products of both
individual and cultural morals and values.
Sample Code of Ethics: National Park
and Recreation Association
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Adhere to the highest standards of integrity and honesty in
all public and personal activities to inspire public confidence
and trust.
Strive for personal and professional excellence and
encourage the professional development of associates and
students.
Strive for the highest standards of professional competence,
fairness, impartiality, efficiency, effectiveness, and fiscal
responsibility.
Avoid any interest or activity that is in conflict with the
performance of job responsibilities.
Promote the public interest and avoid personal gain or profit
from the performance of job duties and responsibilities.
Support equal employment opportunities.
Summary
• Informal and formal processes are in place
that will continue to enhance the status of
parks, recreation, and leisure services.
• Leisure services professionals are in a
unique position to facilitate human
development.
• Potential exists to contribute significant
social value, even if unseen by most.
(continued)
Summary (continued)
• Continued research and application of the
benefits of leisure will aid in enhancing the
positive image.
• The professional body of knowledge is
constantly evolving.
• The reach of leisure services extends into
multiple societal domains.
Discussion:
Subject: Driver & Burns
 “Obviously there is a paradox: while leisure
is the leading economic sector and the most
important social service sector, the scope
and magnitude of the benefits of leisure are
not recognized and appreciated” (Driver &
Bruns, 1999).
 Discuss the implications of this statement
in the playground.