Philosophy Of Leisure Essay

Recreation is the action of recreating (oneself or another), or fact of being recreated, by some pleasant occupation, pastime or amusement as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary. John Kelly finds that recreation is rooted in the Latin â€Å"recreation†, which refers to restoration or recovery. He says that the â€Å"term implies the re-creation of energy or the restoration of ability to function.† This way of looking at recreation points to the many beaches in use for recreation. But he also says that recreation â€Å"generally refers to more organized activity. Recreation is socially organized for social ends Richard Kraus argued that too much stress on the intrinsic and self-justifying nature of recreation ignores the fact that public recreation is in competition for financial support, for space, and for attention. Its purpose and results will be evaluated. Recreation is intended to be good for the people of a society in specific ways and is organized and supported with benefits expected. There are two elements of recreation. The first is that of restoration. Recreation is intended to restore us to wholeness, to health, for whatever purposes we may have. We do not recreate only to work. We recreate to live. Further recreation is itself a part of living and has its own value to us. The second element is that of social organization. Recreation has purposes and is organized for social ends. It is not just â€Å"for its own sake.† It differs from leisure in that recreation is not likely to be â€Å"anything, anytime, anywhere† if only we choose it for some personal satisfactions. John Kelly go on to analyze the rise of recreation in modern society as an institution of the social system required by the loss of time and space in which leisure could be integrated with the ongoing work and family life. Recreation had to be provided for, organized, and even taught. Recreation as a separate institutional component of the social scene is found for the most part in urbanized societies with a high degree of organizational complexity.   Leisure, on the other hand, in some form or forms is universal. Recreation is programmatic; it has organization and goals. It is a social phenomenon just as leisure is a human phenomenon.† Basically Kelly finds that recreation must have a reason, a destination, a purpose. Leisure can be done by anyone at anytime and be done anywhere. Although we have an instinct for play, as Dulles says, and we have a desire for leisure as Aristotle and Rybczynski maintain, only some of us have penchant for recreation and all its social ramifications. Some individuals view recreation as largely non-productive, even trivial. Excessive recreation is not considered healthy, and may be labeled as escapism. However, research has shown that recreation contributes to life satisfaction, quality of life, health and wellness, and that the use of recreation as a diversion may have clinical applications to individuals with chronic pain and other health impairments. In some cultures and religions, recreation is encouraged on certain days and discouraged on others. For example, in Judaism, the Shabbat is a day for recreation and relaxation, which has in turn influenced many Christian sects to use the Sabbath for the same purpose. However, some sects interpret the Sabbath to be a day where worship is done in lieu of recreation. Recreation is essential to the longevity of human beings, especially because it helps counteract stress. According to research cited in Time magazine, stress is a major factor in many of the leading causes of death in the United States. Recreational activities for children who have severe and multiple disabilities that affect both physical and cognitive functioning need training in activities that are age appropriate, satisfying and reinforcing. They should be taught activities that are enjoyable and are easy to perform and are initially associated with specific extrinsic reinforcement and rewards for them. The ultimate goal is that sufficient exposure to related activities would provide students with information to make choices and indicate preferences. These activities can also provide a means to socialize and spend time with peers in the community.   Play is the first and most basic notion of having fun. John Kelly states that â€Å"play is self-expression for its own sake.† and that â€Å"play is used to refer to such activity by children and leisure to adult participation. Kelly finds that â€Å"the term play comes from the Anglo-Saxon â€Å"plega† referring to a game, sport, or even a fight.† Basically, he found that play is non-serious in its nature, and although it may mimic real combat, it is only for the â€Å"satisfaction of the moment.† Further it seems that leisure and play are â€Å"defined by how we do it rather than what we do.† Leisure is the state of having time at one’s own disposal, time which one can spend as one pleases, and free or unoccupied time.Thorsten Veblen defined leisure, in 1899, as â€Å"nonproductive consumption of time.† Veblen said that the intent of leisure was different from work and was symbolic of high status because it did not create wealth. This use of leisure to show off wealth was referred to as â€Å"conspicuous consumption.† Aristotelian view that the goal of life is happiness, and that leisure, as distinguished from amusement and recreation, is the state necessary for its achievement. â€Å"It is commonly believed that happiness depends on leisure,† Aristotle wrote in his Ethics, â€Å"because we occupy ourselves so that we may have leisure, just as we make war in order that we may live at peace.† Social recreation requires a place to see and be seen. For why else would one be recreating, but to be seen by the people that could not afford to socially recreate? This is the basic idea of â€Å"conspicuous consumption.† Because there has to be a place to be seen, the summer vacation to a seaside, amusement park, or outdoor place became a popular venue to have social recreation. Recreation can either be active and passive. Active recreation can includes amusement parks, ballparks, speedways, yacht clubs, canoe parks, golf courses, and more. Passive recreation can include park walking, camping, beach lounging, watching a ball game, or a wide host of other activities. Outdoor recreation will include elements, such as golf courses, parks, and camps. Parks are limited to the most massive parks with some element of recreation included in them. Camp sites were used as daytrips and short vacation sites. Sporting recreation has passive and active elements. Watching an event is certainly an active one for anyone who has watched sports, but would seem like a passive happening compared to those that are competing. As services to treat drug abusers are increasingly being challenged, there is a growing recognition of recreational therapy and therapeutic recreation as substance abuse treatment. This is particularly true in preventing former abusers from relapsing. The substance-abuse problem in our society remains a predominant concern as it affects a greater number of young individuals. Often left with little or no adult supervision because of current lifestyle demands, more and more young people turn to alcohol and drugs as a means of relieving boredom, peer acceptance, and recreation alternatives. Many of those who are substance abusers as teens or children remain dependent throughout their twenties and thirties, some for the rest of their lives.   Therapeutic recreation programs endeavor to structure healthy, beneficial leisure and recreation activities while educating the individual who is substance dependent about alternatives to drugs and alcohol consumption during his or her leisure time. Through appropriate interventions, the therapeutic recreation specialist may help retrain negative thoughts and determined behaviors. Leisure education programs may assist clients in learning new coping strategies as well as gratifying, non-substance-related methods of engaging in leisure activities. The greatest potential for substance abuse among young people and adults is during their leisure time either after school or during non-working hours. The fact that certain leisure activities may present high-risk situations that can trigger a relapse in those persons actively abstaining from substances. High-risk leisure situations include leisure-based situations that pose a threat to an individual’s sense of control in maintaining sobriety. For example, if an alcohol-dependent individual went bowling in a facility where alcohol beverages were served, the bowling facility could then be considered a high-risk leisure situation. If the person is able to implement an effective coping response to high-risk leisure situations, the chance of relapse decreases considerably. Theory-based therapeutic recreation programs, specifically designed to address leisure-related social and psychological needs, can play a pivotal role in helping substance-dependent individuals maintain sobriety and ameliorate the relapse syndrome. In conclusion it is important to learn how to participate in recreation activities at home, in school, and in the community individually or as a group this increases social skills that are necessary to function appropriately and as independently as possible. References Rybczynski Witold, 1991.Waiting for the Weekend. New York: Viking. Kelly, John R, 1982. Leisure. Englewood Cliffs. NJ: Prentice Hall. Beck, A. T. Wright, F.D., Newman, C.F., & Liese, B.S, 1993. Cognitive therapy of substance abuse. New York: Guilford Press. Kunstler, R., 1992. Therapeutic recreation’s role in treating substance abuse. Parks and Recreation. http://maverickphilosopher.powerblogs.com/posts/1203475304.shtml