WL-06-Presentation1

Introduction&FoundationPapersValeriaJ.Freysinger,MiamiUniversityEdgarL.Jackson,UnivesityofAlbertaKarlaA.Henderson,NorthCarolinaStateUniversityYoshiIwasaki,TempleUniversitySusanM.Shaw,UniversityofWaterlooIntroductionTheintroductoryandfoundationpapersprovideinsightsintohowweshouldthinkabouttherelationshipsbetweenleisureandthequalityoflifeinaglobalsense.OverallSynthesisoFive“themes”canbeseenacrosstheintroductoryandfoundationpapers:o1.Globalization,andtherecognitionofsocialandculturaldiversityandchange,requireleisureresearchersandpractitionerstoconstantlycritique,expand,andupdateconceptualizationsofleisureandqualityoflife.o2.Thereisevidencethatleisureandqualityoflife,andtherelationshipsbetweenleisureandqualityoflifearecomplex.OverallSynthesis(cont’d)oFive“themes”canbeseen…o3.Thereisevidencethatleisurecancontributetoqualityoflife.o4.Thereisevidencethatthesignificanceofleisuregoeslargelyunrecognized.o5.Educationandadvocacyareneeded.1.Globalization,andtherecognitionofsocialandculturaldiversityandchange…oLeisurehastypicallybeenapproachedfromoneofthreeperspectivesinEuro-NorthAmericansocietiesandEuro-NorthAmericanleisurestudies:asameasureoftime,asacontainerofactivity,andintermsofmeaning.oSimilarly,qualityoflifehasbeenconceptualizedashavingbothobjective(i.e.,materialconditionsoflife)andsubjective(i.e.,experiencesoflife)aspects.Ingeneralqualityoflifeseemstobeprimarilyconcernedwithwhetherpeoplehaveagoodlifeandwhatconstitutesagoodlife.1.Globalization,andtherecognitionofsocialandculturaldiversityandchange…oWhilethesebroadapproachesarehelpful,theymaybehighlyproblematicindiversecontexts.oIndeed,researchexistsdocumentingdiversenotions,andtheglobalandinternationalsignificance,ofleisure,qualityoflife,andtheirinter-relationships.Perhapsbecausethisknowledgetendstobemoreholistic,cultural/subculture-based,andlocal/community-orienteditistoooftenoverlooked.2.Evidencethatleisureandqualityoflife,andtheirinter-relationshipsarecomplex…oCultureplaysacentralroleinconceptualizingleisureandqualityoflifefromglobalandinternationalperspectives.Whileleisureisanimportantelementoflifeacrosscultures,leisureisuniquewithinparticularculturalorsub-culturalcontexts.oLeisureisasignificantaspectofculturallife,affecting,affectedby,andcloselylinkedtoothersocietalsystems(e.g.,political-economic,socio-cultural,andsystemsrelatedtohumanrightsandjustice).2.Evidencethatleisureandqualityoflife,andtheirinter-relationshipsarecomplex…oThediscreteaspectsofleisurecommonlyinvestigatedinleisureresearchareinterconnected(e.g.,themicro-andmacro-,theindividualandcollective).oRelationsofpowerwithinandacrosssocietiesaroundtheglobeshapenotionsofandopportunitiesforleisureandqualityoflife.oLeisureandqualityoflife,andtherelationshipsbetweenleisureandqualityoflifechangeacrosstime(bothhistoricalandlife).3.Thereisevidencethatleisurecancontributetoqualityoflife…oLeisuremaybeviewedasbothameansandasanend,bothinpeople’slivesandasafocusforpolicyandplanning.oLeisuretimeandactivitiesmaybethemostimportantpartoflifeforrealizingrelaxation,harmony,happiness,andself-fulfillment.Leisuremayalsobeavehicleforachievingothergoals(e.g.,physicalandmentalhealth,economicsurvival,socialandculturalconnections,learningandhumandevelopment)attheindividualandcollectivelevels.3.Thereisevidencethatleisurecancontributetoqualityoflife…oLeisure’scontributionstothequalityoflifehavebeendocumentedinvariousculturalandsub-culturalcontextsworld-wide.oLeisurecanprovidepeoplearoundtheworldwithanopportunitytogainvaluedmeaningsoflifethatcanhelpthempromotetheirqualityoflife.3.Thereisevidencethatleisurecancontributetoqualityoflife…oHowever,ithasbeenshownthosecontributionscanbepositive,negative,oracomplexmixofpositiveandnegativeforindividuals,communities,andsocieties.Forexample,leisureisapracticeofconstructingandreproducingdifferencesthatdisadvantagesomeandadvantage/privilegeothers.Yet,leisureisalsoacontextforresistingandchallenginginequalities:reconstructingnotionsofdifferenceandaffirmingvaluedidentitiesandcommunities.4.Thereisevidencethatthesignificanceofleisuregoeslargelyunrecognized…oLeisureasbothameansandanend,anditsbroadersocietalandpoliticalsignificance,goeslargelyunrecognizedbyacademicsinotherdisciplines,bygovernmentalandpolicymakers,andbythepublicatlarge.oThewidespreademphasisoneconomicdevelopmentandgrowth,theproductionandconsumptionofgoodsandservices,andtherelativelyhighifnotexclusivevalueplacedonmaterialmeasuresof“success,”contributestotheundervaluingofleisureasbothasmeansandasanend.oWhenthesignificanceofleisureisrecognizeditistypically“essentialized”asanexperienceorbehavioroftheindividual.5.Educationandadvocacyareneeded…oThebasisofleisureeducationisthebeliefthatleisurehasthepotentialtobeacreativeandconstructiveforceinthelivesofindividuals,socialgroups,communities,andtheglobalsociety.Thisbeliefisthebasisforadvocacy.oEducationandadvocacyareneededatalllevelstocommunicateboththesignificanceofleisureforqualityoflifeandthenecessityofcriticalthinking-andre-framingthequestionsasked-aboutleisureandthequalityoflife.5.Educati