01/21/2024
Have the fundamental principles of leisure and recreation been swallowed up in the commercial global wellness trend? Karl Spracklen, researcher and professor of Leisure Studies, states, “our leisure spaces and leisure choices are increasingly controlled, commodified and privatised.” Spracklen insists that we need to fight this trend.
With the many challenges we face in the world today, one might consider the topic of leisure to be less worthy of our attention. However, when we consider the role of leisure in its ability to serve as a coping mechanism for life’s adversities, as well as it being, according to Aristotle, “a necessity, both for growth in goodness and for the pursuit of political activities,” perhaps we should reconsider its importance in our lives, decommodify it and study how to ensure its universal access.
I've just started the Winter 2024 university term teaching “Concepts of Recreation and Leisure” and I’d like to take you along the three-month journey as we define terms, question social constructs, highlight accessibility issues, reflect on influencing factors, and contemplate philosophical viewpoints.
I hope you’ll join in the discussion.
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