Course Syllabus
REC 5340
Social Psychology (Social Science) of Recreation and Leisure
Division of Recreation Administration
Texas State University-San Marcos
Spring 2009
Instructor:
Dr. Mark Kanning
Phone:
512.245.1313
E-Mail:
Mk27@txstate.edu
Office Hours:
Monday and Wednesday:
9am-10:30am
Thursday
4:30pm-5:30pm
Friday
9am-10am
or by appointment
I will be unavailable for office hours from March 16-30th due to
Spring Break and attendance at conference out of state. I will be
available to answer questions, via email, from March 23-29th.
Office Number:
Jowers A157
Class Period:
Monday 6:30p.m.-9:20p.m.
Credits:
3
Course Description:
The course is designed to provide an introduction to and overview of the personal, social,
and social-psychological contexts of leisure. Utilizing the literature and assignments, the
course will provide opportunities for exploring concepts that offer insight into our
understanding of leisure and recreation behavior.
Rationale:
The course provides individuals with knowledge and awareness of leisure contexts and
behavior in the arenas of human action, professional practice, and theory. It “instigates”
a system of viewpoints, values and skills that the professional or scholar may use in
delivering or investigating recreation/leisure. It also provides an opportunity to extend
interdisciplinary learning.
Course Objectives:
1.
Understanding of the conceptual foundations of the sociology and psychology of
the leisure phenomenon.
2.
Ability to articulate objective and subjective needs of leisure in order to enhance
programming.
3.
Ability to record and analyze leisure behaviors in order to facilitate programming
and management.
4.
Utilize various information sources in accumulating and critically analyzing
5.
Demonstrate knowledge of issues related to parks and recreation and their place in
society
6.
Understand the relationships between macro and micro level issues and their
relevance to parks and recreation.
7.
Understand the position of parks and recreation in relation to communities, local
and global.
Required Text:
Mannell, R.C. and Kleiber, D. A. (1997). A Social Psychology of Leisure. State College,
Pennsylvania: Venture.
TBA- In relation to book reviews
Recommended Text:
Godbey, G. (2006). Leisure and Leisure Services in the 21st Century. State College,
Pennsylvania: Venture.
Class Structure- Theory
Week 1 (Jan.26)
Introduction
Week 2 (Feb. 2)
Understanding Leisure with Social Psychology
Week 3 (Feb.9)
The Social Psychology of Leisure : Getting To Know It
Week 4 (Feb.16)
Leisure as Behavior, Setting and Time
Week 5 (Feb.23)
Leisure as a Psychological State and Experience
Week 6 (Mar. 2)
Perceived Freedom and Intrinsic Motivation
Week 7 (Mar.9)
Personality and Leisure
Week 8 (Mar.16)
Spring Break – No Class
Week 9 (Mar.23)
Leisure Motivation and Satisfaction
Week 10 (Mar.30)
Socialization and the Development of Leisure Orientations
Week 11 (Apr.6)
Leisure Behavior Over the Life Span
Week 12 (Apr.13)
Psychological Benefits of Leisure: Concepts, Theories, and
Evidence
Week 13 (Apr.20)
The Benefits of Leisure in Other Domains of Life
Week 14 (Apr.27)
Negotiating Leisure Constraint and Creating Leisure Affordance
Week 15 (May 4)
Presentations; Take Home Final Exam Due
***Class will also be utilizing current and previous literature including research articles
and books.
Course Evaluation and Grade Assignment
Assignments:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Group Book Review
Individual Book Review
Literature Review
Final Exam- Take Home
Notebooks
Grading Scale:
30%
20%
20%
20%
10%
A=
B=
C=
D=
F=
90-100%
80-89%
70-79%
60-69%
59% and lower
1.
Group Book Review
This assignment is based on reading current day literature and bringing into the
fold of classic recreational and leisure theory. Book assignments will be
determined in class. Full criteria will be placed on TRACS and reviewed in class
on February 2.
2.
Individual Book Review
One of the classic books in the leisure canon is The Theory of the Leisure Class
by Thorstein Veblen. Originally published in 1899, Veblen brought to the fore an
expose on the relevance of conspicuous consumption in society. Building on The
Theory of the Leisure Class was The Tourist: A New Theory of the Leisure Class.
MacCannell (1976) drew upon Veblen by bringing the thesis into the world of
travel and tourism, a primary social milieu in which leisure and recreation occur.
In this class you will be required to read one or the other, not both. There are two
assignments to this. The first is that you produce a two-page review of the book.
The review should critique, challenge, and/or support the theory and the content
found within. The second part of the assignment is that you produce an outline of
the book you chose. Both of these assignments will further engage you in
understanding the content while also providing concise notes that you can refer to
when preparing for comprehensive exams. Full criteria will be placed on TRACS
and reviewed in class on February 2.
3.
Literature Review
Working in pairs, you will create a literature review of a minimum of 10 articles
that have been published since 1997 on the topic for the week you are responsible
for. The literature review will be a maximum of two pages synthesizing the past
literature with the current literature. Furthermore, you need to list at least 5
sources reviewed in the book pertaining to that area of research. Due the week
you are assigned. Bring the review to class and during break I will photocopy the
review for class. Make sure it includes a full bibliography in APA format.
4.
Final Exam
This will be a take home exam. You will be able to use any resources at your
disposal except for each other. Requirements will be discussed further into the
course.
5.
Notebook
All of you must keep a three-ring notebook for handouts. This will be reviewed
the last week of the semester to verify that all items handed out, assignments, and
other course materials are accounted for.
Academic Integrity
Department Policy: Students guilty of knowingly using, or attempting to use, another
person’s work as though that work were their own, and students guilty of knowingly
permitting, or attempting to permit, another student to use their work, will receive a grade
of “F” for the course. Such conduct may also constitute grounds for dismissal from the
University. Students who are unfamiliar with the University’s policy on plagiarism
should consult the most recent edition of SW Texas. Students who are uncertain
regarding what actions constitute plagiarism should consult the instructor
Special Needs/Disability Services
Students having special needs/disabilities which require accommodations for the
successful completion of this course must notify the Office of Disability Services no later
than the end of the first week of class. Failure to do so in a timely manner may result in
accommodation not being available when needed. The Office of Disability Services will
verify the special needs of the student and determine accommodations as needed. In
addition to the above, the student should make an appointment with the faculty member
to discuss their needs and accommodations.
Class Expectations
1.
Out of respect for everyone in the class, please be ready to start class by 6:30pm.
Class will start on time but if I am not there by 6:45pm you are excused for the
evening.
2.
I do not have an attendance policy; you are responsible for your own attendance
and learning. Due to the nature of the course the majority of material will not be
available via TRACS. Instead, the learning is going to come from reading and
class discourse. The extent and type of learning relies on everyone’s participation.
At this level there is an expectation that you critically think about issues at both
the micro and macro levels that will exert an influence on you both personally and
professionally.
3.
Cell phones, computers, and PDA’s. No.
4.
Homework. All homework is due on the dates specified. If it is not turned in by
the specified dates there will be a 10% deduction per day.
All assignments must be computer generated and turned-in during class. I do not
accept e-mailed assignments unless specified. It is expected that you will use spell
and grammar checks and that the work is presentable and professional. Points will
be deducted if this requirement is not met. As a backup, it is suggested that all
students place their assignments in the TRACS drop box prior to the class the
assignment is due.
6.
E-Mail. If email is sent M-R, I will usually reply within 48 hours. If sent F-SU, I
will reply by Tuesday evening. During Spring Break (March 13-22, 2009) I will
not be accessible via email thus any emails sent after Wednesday, March 11th will
likely not be replied to until following Spring Break. I will be available during
normal office hours through Friday, March 13th.
**Syllabus subject to change