Ch#3: Explaining Leisure

Explain the Anti-Structure theory.

idea: there are formal rituals that govern pple's behaviors both inside and outside everyday life. -(removed from everyday routine. antagonistic to everyday experiences.) (ex: vacations and media-based forms of entertainment) -important concepts: liminality and communitas

What are the Specific Conditions to Enable Flow?

1) Having a clear set of goals. -rules of action and success are clear, & feedback is immediate. 2) Autotelic -engage in the activity for its own reward; intrinsically motivating. 3) Balance brt. Perceived Challenges and Perceived Skills -balance brt. what we can accomplish and what the activity requires we accomplish -clear goals and feedback + intrinsically rewarding -balance of challenge and skill *(high in challenge and skill => flow!)

Explain the characteristics of Demography.

Age- indication of maturation & privileges. Gender- social expectations & roles. Race -ethnicity: pple who share cultural characteristics. -shared history, sense of identity, geography, and cultural roots -leisure choices according to race are also, in large part, socially defined. Income-relation brt. $ and leisure. -(more affordability for pple with higher income, depending on the leisure choice.) -can provide direct financial benefits to participants. Residence-where we live greatly affects the nature and accessibility of pastime opportunities. (due to climate, topography, and other characteristics of residence.)

What is John Neulinger's paradigm (1981)?

Explains intrinsic reward and freedom of choice were a matter of degree. *Inc. Six "States of Mind": (of leisure & work) 1) Pure leisure 2) Leisure-work 3) Leisure-job 4) Pure work 5) Work-job 6) Pure job (1-3 are Perceived Freedom. And 4-6 are Perceived Constraint & Non-leisure behavior).

Explain the Flow Theory by Csikszentmihalyi.

Flow-"becoming so involved in some activity that nothing else seems to matter." ["in the zone", "ecstasy", "aesthetic rapture"] -Flow is a subjective state- reached through different activities but similar experience of flow. *Optimal experience characterized: 1) Loss of self-consciousness 2) Merging of action and awareness 3) Sense of self-control 4) Altered sense of time

Explain the optimal experience of Merging of Action and Awareness (from the Flow Theory)

Our attention is completely devoted to the activity -requires total immersion. -ex: "you don't feel like you're doing something as a conscious being; you're adapting to the rock and becoming part of it."-rock climber

Explain the Compensatory theory.

Pple participate in activities that satisfy their needs that cannot be satisfied from work. (ex: a person who works indoors (like in the office) would prefer outdoor pursuits for leisure.)

Explain Self-As-Entertainment theory (S-A-E). [(Roger Mannell (1984)]

Pple with S-A-E personality type are never bored in leisure. -leisure choices are based on personality. -personally satisfying and involving. *-High S-A-E personality trait are able to fill free time satisfactorily. *Achieved in Three Possible Ways: 1) by sheer perception that they are in control of how and what they do in their free time. (self) 2) by being able to use their mind through their own imagination and escape to fantasy to fill free time. (mind play) 3) or by going to places and seeking out other pple to share experiences. (environment) [Those who seek out their environment for entertainment (such as calling up a friend or watching tv) are not relying on themselves, and are thus, low on the S-A-E construct.]

Explain Spillover theory.

When pple are satisfied and fulfilled in their work, leisure activities are chosen to mimic it. -(work spills over into leisure.) -leisure becomes the extension of the skills and attitudes used at work. -participate in pastimes similar to job task. (ex: Fitness skills gained at work may be used to benefits workouts at home.) *Flaws to this theory: -not helpful in explaining how pple organize leisure and work in their daily lives, or the impact of work-leisure relationships on life satisfaction. -does not explain the leisure behaviors of those who are children, retired, or do not work.

Define Communitas.

a temporary sense of social camaraderie. (ex: during a football game-yelling and booing at the top of your lungs is fine because it's part of the ritual that takes place in that kind of environment.)

Define Liminality.

a transitional stage.

Define Demographics.

characteristics of the population. -inc. age, gender, race, income, etc.

Explain the State of Mind Six: Pure job.

complete opposite of pure leisure; it is an activity engaged by necessity and under constraints. -(with no reward in and of itself, but only through a payoff resulting from it.) (ex: having to work at a job in its most negative connotation, in order to earn a living.)

Explain the optimal experience of Loss of Self-Consciousness (from the Flow Theory).

feeling as though the boundaries of our being have been pushed forward without self-scrutiny. -"When not preoccupied with ourselves, we actually have a chance to expand the concept of who we are."

Explain the optimal experience of Self of Self-Control (from the Flow Theory).

feeling in charge of what you're doing.

Explain the State of Mind Four: Pure work.

not considered to be leisure even though it is done for intrinsic reasons; it is under perceived constraints.

Explain the State of Mind Two: Leisure-work.

represents a wide range of experiences which are freely chosen, yet are both extrinsically and intrinsically rewarding. -(Perceived freedom + both intrinsic & extrinsic rewards.)

Explain the State of Mind Five: Work-job.

represents activities engaged in under constraints, and having both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. (ex: park and recreation jobs as highly meaningful, and usually personally satisfying, but complain about low salary.)

Explain the State of Mind Three: Leisure-job.

represents leisure you are engaged in without coercion (persuasion), but the satisfaction comes from external pay offs. -(Perceived freedom, but only extrinsic reward.) (ex: playing cards for $ when you don't need $.)

Explain the State of Mind One: Pure Leisure.

represents the pureset form of leisure. -an expression freely chosen for its own sake. -requires freedom from external control, and => intrinsic reward. -(same as unconditional leisure from John Kelly's idea) -(Perceived freedom and intrinsic reward.)

Explain the optimal experience of Altered Sense of Time (from the Flow Theory).

time passes much more quickly or we lose track of the passing time.