Recreation and Leisure Studies

This text focuses on the issues and trends in outdoor, nature-based recreation, leisure and tourism and explores the implications for public policy, planning, management and marketing. It is intented as supplementary reading for advanced students and is a useful reference tool.

When this book was first published the study of sport had been largely neglected by sociologists. The contributions to this volume bring the sports field, the leisure centre and everyday leisure activities to a more central position within the sociological enterprise. Whether amateur or professional, sport contributes to wider relations of power, privilege and domination and this debate represents an important phase in the sociology of sport and leisure.

Certainly, a book of this type should not be limited to classroom use. It is hoped that its concepts and ideas can also be effectively used in staff development programs and in-service training, as well as by park and recreation boards, military installations, hospitals, conservation agencies, penal institutions, commercial recreation enterprises, colleges and university administrations, state departments, and other agencies concerned with recreation and park problems. What is important is that the problems a person is likely to encounter, and these are for the most part predictable, are those for which students and practitioners have been prepared. I attempt to combine practical with academic approaches to problem solving, offering both the theoretical and pragmatic viewpoints, combining these wherever possible. For these reasons, this book should be useful not only for teaching park and recreation students how to handle hypothetical problems systematically, but as an update and refresher for those involved with actual problems in agencies and organisations.

From both an individual and a societal perspective, Dimensions of Leisure for Life guides students through a study of leisure as a multidisciplinary field. The book uses social sciences methods and current research, with examples from psychology, geography, anthropology, and sociology, to study leisure behavior. With contributions from 23 leading professors, the book examines the following: The concept of leisure, including the various ways in which it has been defined and described, the benefits associated with it, the scope of the leisure industry field, and the basis for studying leisure as a social science The impact of leisure on quality of life, health, physical activity and stress levels, and overall happiness and well-being The social significance of leisure, including the interaction of leisure with history, contemporary society, technology, the environment, economics, and politics and public policy The factors that influence each individual's leisure choices and level of involvement in leisure activities, such as awareness of local options; barriers of age, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, or socioeconomic status; geographic distribution of leisure spaces; and maturity level and stage of development   Students will also consider the part that recreation and leisure play in their own lives. Dimensions of Leisure for Life will guide them on a search for new leisure experiences, starting with their campus and moving on to the wider community and beyond.

Meeting the needs of customers through effective recreation programs is imperative for leisure service organizations to survive and prosper in the 21st century. This new edition of Programming for Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Services retains its user-friendly approach and servant leadership foundation. It includes updated material in all chapters, and additional material about social entrepreneurship and strategic planning. In addition, programmer profiles have also been added to each chapter to introduce students to recreation programmers in a variety of positions.