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This book extends positive psychology by embedding leisure into the positive science field, following a new paradigm and aggregating various domains and fields. Positive science can be applied to the field of leisure and, in turn, leisure can serve as an arena to study some of the most important optimal functioning variables. The book presents knowledge on a diverse range of topics about optimizing socio-cognitive processes and behaviors, places and contexts, societies and cultures through leisure. These topics are unified by an underlying continuum that extends from individuals and subjective experiences to social worlds. The contributions highlight components of everyday life, showing that subjective experience and life trajectories are structured and social goals and life purposes are defined and achieved within interactions between individuals and their lived contexts and environments in daily life. .
This book explores, from a leisure studies perspective, the central role that leisure has to play in positive psychology, exploring themes such as flow, fulfilment, altruism, well-being, and interpersonal relationships.
A range of thinkers in philosophy, religion, and the social sciences have argued that thanks to science, technology, and the organization of society, the human condition has improved and will continue to do so. People are becoming progressively happier and enjoying an ever-improving quality of life, they say, mostly because they are putting their skills and reason to work. The Idea of Leisure is based on the assumption that leisure also fits into the social order, and it provides a singular vector by which to measure progress, even though it is rarely mentioned in writings about the idea of progress. Robert A. Stebbins believes that leisure fosters positive development in both the individual and community. Progress through free-time activity may sometimes be hard to grasp because of the all-too-common manifestations of deviant behavior from schoolyard bullying to date rape. Despite these examples, the vast majority of leisure activities often have profound, positive consequences for participants and society. Stebbins makes a solid case for linking leisure with progress. Although leisure has huge importance for humanity, observations about the idea of leisure as part of the idea of progress have been sporadic. It is no accident that the World Leisure Organization promotes the motto: “Leisure: integral to social, cultural, and economic development.” Nor is it an accident that Article 24 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares that: “Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.” For whole nations to find satisfaction and self-fulfillment based on leisure would be a true sign of progress. Stebbins’ book offers original insight into this basic human requirement.
"Leisure is everywhere, but its impact on people's lives is often overlooked. Leisure is more than “doing nothing” or “hanging out.” It has implications for society, affecting economics, politics, business, health, and the environment. On an individual level, it offers multiple opportunities for personal growth and development. And it contributes to a better quality of life for individuals and communities as a whole. With Dimensions of Leisure for Life: Individuals and Society, students will learn to understand and appreciate leisure and explore the ways that their leisure choices can help them lead happier, more balanced lives both now and in the future. ... With contributions from 22 leading professors, the book examines the following: the concept of leisure, including the various ways in which it has been defined and described, the benefits associated with it, the scope of the leisure industry field, and the basis for studying leisure as a social science; the impact of leisure on quality of life, health, physical activity and stress levels, and overall happiness and well-being; the social significance of leisure, including the interaction of leisure with history, contemporary society, technology, the environment, economics, and politics and public policy; the factors that influence each individual's leisure choices and level of involvement in leisure activities, such as awareness of local options, barriers of age, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, or socioeconomic status, geographic distribution of leisure spaces; and maturity level and stage of development."--Publisher.
Serious Leisure offers a comprehensive view and analysis of the current state of the sociology of leisure. Defining and differentiating the way people use their free time, Stebbins divides such activity into categories of serious, casual, and project-based leisure that he further separates into a variety of types and subtypes. Together they comprise what he calls "serious leisure." In this perspective, serious leisure constitutes systematic pursuit of an amateur, hobbyist, or volunteer activity sufficiently substantial and interesting in nature and requiring special skills, knowledge, and experience. Casual leisure, though immediately, intrinsically rewarding, is by contrast a relatively short-lived pleasurable activity, requiring little or no special training to enjoy it. Project-based leisure is a short-term, reasonably complicated, occasional creative undertaking carried out in free time. Stebbins sets out the basic concepts and propositions that make up the three forms, focusing on their essential elements. He takes stock of the serious leisure literature as well as that for casual and project-based leisure. Stebbins sees "serious leisure" realized by way of a set of foundational concepts--organization, community, history, lifestyle, and culture--and several of their component areas. He reviews the history and background of the concept of serious leisure and then adds historical commentary on, first, casual leisure and, then, project-based leisure. Finally, he examines the future and the importance of the serious leisure perspective in a globalizing world, and some of its critical links with other fields of knowledge and practice, notably the nonprofit sector and preventive medicine. Together with its original insights, Serious Leisure offers a single, handy, coherent, comprehensive resource. It will be of interest to sociologists, labor studies specialists, and economists.
Introduction to Recreation and Leisure, Third Edition, presents perspectives from 52 leading experts from around the world. It delves into foundational concepts, delivery systems, and programming services; offers an array of ancillaries; and helps students make informed career choices.
This book responds to the need to investigate the complex links between sex and leisure and their implications for research and practice. Understanding sex as leisure aligns with sex-positive culture that focuses on affirming pleasure in the contemporary sexual discourse and advocating for sexual diversity, freedom, empowerment, and fulfilling sex lives. The focus of this book is on analyzing the complexity of sex as leisure in various socio-cultural and geographical contexts, with particular reference to vulnerable populations and pressing sexual issues, including sexual pleasure and expression, biomedicalization of sexuality, and social justice and sexuality. Specific chapters offer diverse international coverage and address the links between a positive sexuality framework and leisure research. The chapters cover sexual play and sex toys based on consumer experience perspectives; using the leisure lens to analyze sex and pornography addiction; quadriplegic sexuality and leisure; rejection and resilience on a gay cruise; relational dynamics of aging, exploitation, and deceit in sex tourism; sexual harassment of solo female travelers; and the complexity of consent in the sexualized leisure space of a pornography expo. This book will be of great value to those interested in transdisciplinary scholarship as it critically broadens the bio-psycho-socio-cultural perspective of sex as leisure. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the journal, Leisure Sciences.
First Published in 2006. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
This bookgenerates discussions that enable leisure scholars to learn and to engage with wider debates about the crucial role of leisure in people's lives.
We are entering a new era of leisure. Quality rather than quantity is now the focus of researchers, policymakers and managers. Technological change, an ageing population and a harsh economic climate are changing the values and practices of leisure, as well as the relationship between leisure, society and the individual. Contemporary Perspectives in Leisure uses a variety of disciplinary approaches to introduce the most important trends in contemporary leisure in the Twenty-First Century. With contributions from some of the leading international figures in modern leisure studies, the book examines key philosophical and theoretical debates around leisure, with reference to concepts such as happiness, enjoyment and quality of life, as well as the most interesting contemporary themes in leisure studies, from youth leisure and ‘dark’ leisure to technology and adventure. Understanding changes in leisure helps us to better understand changes in wider society. Contemporary Perspectives in Leisure is a perfect companion to any course in leisure studies, and useful reading for any student or scholar working in sociology, cultural studies, recreation, tourism, sport, or social psychology.