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11Power, Promise, Potential, and Possibilities of Parks, Recreation, & Leisure

Depth and Breadth of Depth and Breadth of the Parks and Recreation Fieldthe Parks and Recreation Field

Activities and pursuits are everywhere, touching the lives of everyone

• 24 hours a day• 7 days a week• 52 weeks a year• Inclusive of all people• In all points of the globe• An ever growing economic force • Aspect of life that is central to human existence

Benefits DerivedBenefits Derived

• Adequate clean air and water to sustain life

• Opportunities to live purposeful and pleasurable lives

• Memories of happy times with friends and family

• Options and opportunities for health and well-being over the life span

Parks, Recreation, and Leisure: Parks, Recreation, and Leisure: Everywhere, Everyone, All the TimeEverywhere, Everyone, All the Time

• Leisure takes place in cities and towns, small villages, the countryside, and mega-urban centers.

• Leisure experiences occur both inside buildings and outdoors or sometimes both.

• Leisure can be found in all the places and spaces in which people gather to play, enjoy, and relax.

It’s for Everyone It’s for Everyone

• Leisure touches the lives of everyone: all ages, life stages, cultures, social classes, and genders.

• Recall personal experiences or observations of others and identify the people participating. What is your memory of those involved?

Examples of ALL the Time Examples of ALL the Time • Ski areas open at first light. • Health clubs open at 4:30 a.m. • Heavily industrialized communities offer adult

leagues and activities to accommodate the traditional 3 shifts of factory work.

• City of Las Vegas offers unusual times for programs and activities because many residents work shifts in the casinos, which operate 24/7.

• YMCAs and community centers offer sleepovers for children while providing respite for parents.

• Midnight basketball puts recreation on the 24-hour timetable.

Parks and Recreation: Parks and Recreation: It Makes Up Most of Our Time It Makes Up Most of Our Time

Consider this . . .• Approximately 8 hours of every day is spent

sleeping. • Work, school, and related activities such as chores

and errands or homework might consume 8 hours per day.

Taking into account individual variations, leisure time could amount to more than one-third of a person’s life.

Values and Benefits Values and Benefits of Parks, Recreation, and Leisureof Parks, Recreation, and Leisure

General category—3 types of benefits

• Improved condition

• Prevention of a worse condition

• Realization of a psychological experience

(Bev Driver, 1998)

Benefits DescribedBenefits Described• Improved condition. In the case that a human,

natural, or economic factor is not functioning at full capacity or is functioning in a deleterious manner, the benefit of recreation is to the benefit of recreation is to ameliorate this conditionameliorate this condition.

• Prevention of a worse condition. Not every instance of poor performance or threatening conditions can be improved. The value of parks value of parks and recreation is to stem further erosion or and recreation is to stem further erosion or deterioration of a human, natural, or economic deterioration of a human, natural, or economic condition.condition.

(continued)

Benefits Described Benefits Described (continued)(continued)

• Realization of a psychological experience. Leisure pursuits that people select for the intrinsic values afforded through the experience. Benefits such as stress reduction, Benefits such as stress reduction, sense of control, and spirituality are examplessense of control, and spirituality are examples.

Segmentation of BenefitsSegmentation of Benefits

Benefits segmented into 4 categories:

1. Individual. Opportunities for living, learning, and leading full and productive lives as well as avenues for people to experience purpose, pleasure, health, and well-being

2. Social. Opportunities to live and interact

with friends, families, work or school groups,

neighbors, communities, and the world

(continued)

Segmentation of Benefits Segmentation of Benefits (continued)(continued)

3. Environmental. Sustaining human life and protecting the ecosystem through the preservation and protection of open space.

4. Economic. Enhancing the viability of people and places by serving as an investment in the future, rather than a mere expenditure in the present

Group Discussion :Group Discussion :Subject: “Unobligated Time”

• People sleep between 6 and 8 hours every day and work or go to school for another 8 hours a day during the week. Although the number of hours consumed by sleep as well as the exact requirements of daily living vary from person to person, one thing is certain: Human beings spend well over one-third of Human beings spend well over one-third of their lives experiencing unobligated timetheir lives experiencing unobligated time.

– Consider the following:• How much unobligated time do people have? (Hint: Think in terms of

have-tos and want-tos; be objective.)

• What do people normally do with the remaining time?

• How can you reprioritize to have more time available for leisure?

Why Parks and Recreation Why Parks and Recreation As a Professional Career Choice?As a Professional Career Choice?

A variety of career opportunities are associated with an essential aspect of human behavior and are a major component of the economy. They create opportunities for the following:• Personal growth• Empowerment• Sense of purpose• Resourcefulness on the part of the professionals in

that field!

Qualities and Characteristics Qualities and Characteristics of the Parks, Recreation, of the Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Professionand Leisure Profession

Variety of settings

Avoidance of burnout

Less formal settings

Creativity in approaches

Continual changes

Early career responsibilities

Resourcefulness

Can We Make a Difference . . .Can We Make a Difference . . .

• In the life of one person or even a group of people

• By contributing to the vitality and viability of a community

• By protecting nature and preserving cultural and historic sites

Playground Discussion:Playground Discussion:Subject: “Can we make a difference?”

• On a piece of paper answer the following questions:– What are the possible differences parks and

recreation make in people’s lives?

– Does the parks and recreation profession have unique qualities that other professions do not offer, if so what are they?

Unique Qualities Unique Qualities of Parks and Recreationof Parks and Recreation

• People are empowered to voluntarily choose how they will use their own un-obligated time.

• Fun is fundamental to attracting people to activities and options that are intrinsically valuable to individuals, friends, families, neighborhoods, communities, and society.

Playground Discussion:Playground Discussion:Subject: ‘What if’

– What if it were was an aspect of life so central to human existence that people spent more time engaged in this critical life pursuit than working or attending school combined?

– What if there were a category of the economy that accounted for substantial expenditures and appeared to be an ever-growing economic force?

– What industry would that be? What is its focus?

– What might be the variety of career opportunities associated with this field?

Any Questions?Any Questions?

Be sure to •Look over the course website:

www.mtsu.edu/~hjgray/3010

•Read the course syllabus (also on the website)

•Read chapters 1 & 2