What Does it Mean to “BE” Leisure Literate?

by Susan Hutchinson (Dalhousie University)

Essentially, leisure literacy is the knowledge and skills necessary to understand and experience leisure (Brimacombe, 2011). I am interested in the potential of leisure literacy as a tool for people to enhance the quality of their leisure and life and in extending how we (leisure educators) facilitate learning to be leisure literate. There is a reason I have put “be” in quotations in this title, which I will come back to later in this post. Beyond developing activity skills, in her recent blogpost (see: Leisure Literacy: A Call for Action), Dr. Brenda Robertson described additional content areas needed for people to become fully literate regarding leisure, including “developing an age appropriate awareness of, and appreciation for, the role that leisure plays in the quality of life of an individual. It is through such an understanding that individuals learn to value their free time and become motivated to take responsibility for how they spend it” (emphasis added). It is this last sentence that I take as my jumping off point.

There are two conversations I’ve been part of recently that are the catalysts for this focus. First, I was struck by a point made by Dr. Jackie Oncescu (University of Manitoba) at a recent meeting of leisure practitioners/researchers. She reminded us that we are “human beings” not “human doings.” That was such a simple but important insight for me. This point was reinforced for me in a second conversation, this time with Nova Scotia ‘municipal physical activity leader’ Gord Tate. We were discussing how to help people with chronic conditions be more fully engaged in self-managing their health outside the health system. As an example of how Gord approached this challenge, he described a recent workshop with a group of adults attending a chronic condition self-management program. He didn’t begin the session with “what do you like to do?” (a typical starting place for leisure education interventions) or “what are your health goals?” (a typical starting place for chronic condition self-management interventions). Instead he began by asking participants to think of a special place in their neighbourhood or community. He then asked them to reflect on what made it special for them, and to remember (in fact, re-imagine) what it smelled, looked and felt like to be in this special place. By helping people to connect to the meanings of a place or activity—in other words to experiencing being in leisure–Gord’s idea is that this may help people have the motivation to overcome barriers to participation.

If we are to fully embrace the being versus the doing side of our humanity, what are the implications of this for what it means to be leisure literate… and for leisure education? Although learning a range of activity skills and knowledge (e.g., about leisure resources) is important, they are not sufficient to be leisure literate; instead being leisure literate requires the capacities to connect with or value what a leisure pursuit or place means in our lives. As Iwasaki and colleagues (2010) suggested, “the forms that leisure expressions take (e.g. sport, exercise, art, crafts, visits with friends) are secondary to the meanings derived from and associated with the leisure experiences” (p. 485). These meanings may be related to, for example, people’s beliefs about their culture, their values about being connected to others, their passions reflected through music or sport. Each of these are reflections of how people see themselves; in other words, their identity.  Being fully who we are in our leisure implies living (and leisure-ing) in accordance with our deeply held values, beliefs and passions.

“… being leisure literate requires the capacities to connect with or value what a leisure pursuit or place means in our lives.”

As a leisure educator, then, to help people be leisure literate is to help them (re)connect to the meanings of leisure for them. Sometimes this may mean helping people learn how to be fully ‘present’ in their leisure (e.g., learning to minimize external distractions). Other times it may mean helping people to recognize what ‘really matters,’ and then take action on this.  People can experience being in an activity when they have opportunity to experience and express who they are (or want to be). From my own research on leisure-based stress coping, people feel more able to deal with changes in their health when they have a chance to affirm and express core aspects of who they are in their leisure. This ‘identity affirmation’ enables people to still feel they can be themselves even though much in their lives may be changing. This identity affirmation, as a type of leisure literacy, can be facilitated by reflection or remembering and (re)experiencing. It is in and through experiential forms of leisure education—the learning that comes not just from doing an activity but from experiencing (feeling, thinking) being in leisure—that learning about leisure’s potential (or value) in life can be cultivated.

As Brimacombe (2011) noted, to experience the benefits of leisure people must be engaged, and engagement (which is both doing and being) occurs when individuals are leisure literate, motivated and confident. Confidence comes from having necessary skills and knowledge but motivation comes from being aware of the value or meanings of leisure that have the potential to be accessed through engagement. Helping people identify leisure pursuits that will be personally meaningful and then to learn ways to be intentional about engagement so that its meanings and benefits can be amplified seems to be important foci of leisure education that will enable people to more fully be leisure literate.

Additional References:

Brimacombe, D. (2011). Fulfilling the promise: Canada’s municipal recreation and parks sector. Prepared for the National Recreation Summit, Lake Louise, AB.

Iwasaki, Y., Coyle, C., & Shank, J. (2010). Leisure as a context for active living, recovery, health and life quality for persons with mental illness in a global context. Health Promotion International, 25(4), 483-493.

See also:

Hutchinson, S. & Kleiber, D. (2005). Gifts of the “ordinary”: Considering the contribution of casual leisure to health and well-being. World Leisure Journal, 47(3), 2-16.

Iwasaki, Y. (2008). Pathways to meaning-making through leisure in global contexts. Journal of Leisure Research, 40, 231–249.

Leisure Literacy: A Call for Action

by Brenda Robertson (retired; Acadia University)

In 2011, I was invited to present at the Canadian National Recreation Summit, as one of 16 individuals asked to talk on a key aspect of the field today. My assigned topic was entitled Leisure Education and Physical Literacy: Fostering Vital Skills for Healthy Lifestyles. This was the only time in my 40 year career that I have I been assigned such a specific a topic upon which I was requested to speak. I had not previously considered in any depth the relationship between physical literacy and leisure education. Upon reflection, it occurred to me that the field has perhaps not engaged in meaningful discussion about the desired outcomes of leisure education, other than perhaps within a specific therapeutic context.

In recent years, physical literacy has developed as a tangible outcome of physical education. Physical literacy involves the mastering of fundamental movement skills such as running, balance, kicking, throwing, and catching and is considered to be the primary goal of physical education within schools. Becoming competent in such skills enables individuals to move confidently in a wide range of sport and recreation programs. Physically literate individuals are much more likely to participate in a wide variety of physical activities throughout their entire lives than those who are not.

Traditionally, literacy referred to acquisition of the skills associated with reading and writing. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization recognizes literacy as a basic requirement for a person to be able to fully participate in society. Their Education for All goal states that “literacy is crucial to the acquisition, by every child, youth and adult, of essential life skills that enable them to address the challenges they can face in life…” (UNESCO, Education for All). Based upon this definition, literacy is not restricted merely to reading and writing. According to the Literacy is concerned with how we communicate in society. It is about social practices and relationships, about knowledge, language and culture. “Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society”.

In addition to the acquisition of skill in reading, writing, and numeracy, functional literacy includes a myriad of knowledge and skill in a variety of other domains other which include the following:

• cultural literacy: the ability to understand and appreciate the similarities and differences in the customs, values, and beliefs of one’s own culture and the cultures of others;
• information literacy: the ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use that information for the issue or problem at hand;
• technology literacy: the ability to use new media such as the Internet to access and communicate information effectively; and
• health literacy: the ability to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.

Once considered as acquisition of a set of essential skills independent of context, during the 1960s, the concept of functional literacy gained momentum which focused on one’s ability to apply such skills in relevant ways to gain desired ends. According to UNESCO, literacy encompasses a complex set of abilities to understand and use the dominant systems of a culture for personal and community development. A literate community is a dynamic community, one that exchanges ideas and engages in debate. Illiteracy, however, is an obstacle to a better quality of life, and can breed exclusion and violence. Literacy is a fundamental human right and the foundation for lifelong learning. It is fully essential to social and human development. For individuals, families, and societies alike, it is an instrument of empowerment to improve one’s health, quality of life, and relationship with the world.

So what about the concept of leisure literacy? If leisure education is the process of equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills to engage in a variety of satisfying leisure activities, then fostering leisure literacy is in fact the desired outcome. Broader than the concept of physical literacy, leisure literacy involves the acquisition of knowledge and skills in a broad range of interests, one of which is sport and physical activity, but others could include such domains as music, the arts, and outdoor pursuits. In order for an individual to be truly leisure literate, she or he would be equipped to engage in a myriad of diverse recreation pursuits.

Literacy involves a continuum of learning that enables individuals to develop their potential and achieve their goals. In the case of leisure literacy, this would involve continually developing ones’ repertoire of interests and skills throughout the lifespan, in response to a variety of factors such as health, personal resources, and geographic availability. In additional to specific knowledge and skills, leisure literacy involves developing an age appropriate awareness of, and appreciation for, the role that leisure plays in the quality of life of an individual. It is through such an understanding that individuals learn to value their free time and become motivated to take responsibility for how they spend it.

Leisure literacy must surely become part of the public discourse in an era where lifestyle issues such as excessive screen time, physical inactivity, bullying, stress, social isolation, obesity, and suicide dominate the media as well as the agendas in many sectors including education, social services, health, and justice. The recreation profession can build a multitude of pools, parks, and playgrounds and facilitate wonderfully engaging recreation experiences, but if the people who could benefit the most lack leisure literacy, it is unlikely that they will take advantage of the opportunities that do exist.

Despite the importance of individuals engaging in meaningful leisure pursuits during free time, to both the individuals and their communities, society today is lacking leadership in fostering leisure literacy. Schools are focused on the development of other aspects of literacy development including physical literacy, while components of leisure literacy development such as music, drama, and outdoor pursuits are not being addressed. Recreation departments generally tend to focus their energies on the provision of opportunities in which those who are already leisure literate can engage. Currently in many communities, a wide array of public and private recreation opportunities exist. But to even participate at the introductory level, requires the individual to value the activity enough to invest time, energy, and resources into developing the skills and acquiring certain knowledge. From where do such values emanate in society today? Any society lacking in collective leisure literacy that does not support individuals, throughout the entire lifecycle, from engaging in the active satisfying leisure lifestyles will continue to be fraught with a myriad of social challenges.

In Canada, the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association along with the provincial and territorial governments are currently working to wrap up a three year process of developing a National Recreation Framework (NRF). A summary of the work to date concludes the following… “Recreation is at a crossroads. It has the potential to address challenges and troubling issues such as increasing obesity, sedentary living and social isolation, decreased contact with nature, and threats to the environment”. If the NRF is to truly achieve its potential in addressing such issues and to “provide a new vision for recreation and suggest some common ways of thinking about the renewal of recreation based on clear goals and underlying values and principles” as the organizers suggest, then it is vital that the role of leisure education in fostering the leisure literacy of the nation be given the highest consideration. This holds true of any organization with an interest in, and commitment to, ensuring that the potential of recreation is more fully realized, be that at the individual, community, or societal level.

Advocacy and Recent Resources

The Inaugural Post on the Leisure Education Blog

by Charlene Shannon-McCallum (University of New Brunswick)

Welcome to the inaugural post on what will hopefully become an active blog which fosters discussion and information shared about leisure education. The Steering Committee for the World Leisure Commission on Leisure Education (WLCLE) has discussed a variety of initiatives over the past couple of years. One was an online resource hub. The Commission Chair, Alison Link, has worked with the Leisure Information Network to make that happen. You can access the hub here.  Another initiative was to begin a blog that would see those who teach, research, and/or deliver leisure education offer to develop blog posts. After  the initial call for bloggers did not yield any response, I decided to try a different approach – inviting specific individuals to develop blog posts.

Following the 14th Canadian Congress on Leisure Research, a small but inspired collection of Canadians gathered in Gaspereau, Nova Scotia for a “leisure education retreat”. We were privileged to have the retreat facilitated by retired Acadia University faculty member and 2012 Hillel Ruskin Memorial Scholar Lecture Award Recipient, Dr. Brenda Robertson. The rest of the “Gaspereau Gang” included Hélène Carbonneau (l’Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières), Shannon Hebblethwaite (Concordia University), Susan Hutchinson (Dalhousie University), Cheryl Jeffers-Johnson (Capital Health Addictions and Mental Health Program), Jackie Oncescu (University of Manitoba), Carol Peterson (BPR Consulting), myself, and two of Hélène’s graduate students -Marie-Michèle Duquette and Marie-Pierre Nadeau. Many exciting initiatives were discussed with the goal of advancing and enhancing the work being done in the area of leisure education. I proposed that members of the Gaspereau Gang contribute to the WLCLE blog. After a couple of days of passionate discussion, it was clear that each of us certainly had something we could share that would help get the blog rolling.

Since most of the members of the Gaspereau Gang have never blogged before, I have encouraged participation by offering this as a place for sharing: 1) ideas and perspectives on or about leisure education, 2) experiences with delivering leisure education, 3) initiatives related to leisure education, and/or  4) research about leisure education. I have not identified specific topics for discussion at this point. My hope is that as bloggers develop and share their posts, others who may not have considered submitting a post when the blog was initially announced will be inspired to contribute. The work of the initial group of bloggers will also serve as examples. As the information sharing process evolves, there will be something to evaluate and perhaps, at a later date, subscribers and bloggers can identify gaps in the discussion and/or specific topics that are of interest or specific voices they would like to appear on the blog (e.g., particular academics or practitioners whose work or perspective they would like to hear about).

I thought that perhaps I might kick off the first blog post with a couple of items.

Advocacy Work: Leisure Education and the Canadian National Recreation Framework

First, I wanted to provide the link to the response that the Gaspereau Gang developed during the consultation process on the Canadian National Recreation Framework. Work on developing what is expected to ultimately be a policy document has been ongoing for three years. Consultations at various points in the process of the document’s development have been organized and various stakeholders across the country have participated. In April 2014, the latest draft of the National Recreation Framework in Canada document was circulated. I had the opportunity to participate in the New Brunswick roundtable discussion on the Framework in May 2014. Others in the Gaspereau Gang also participated in the consultation in other ways at various phases in the Framework development process. We felt that leisure education was overlooked and understated in this latest draft, and our response was an effort to draw more attention to the potential role of leisure education in supporting the visions, goals, and priorities laid out in the National Recreation Framework.

Collaborating to advocate for leisure education is one of the aspirations of the WLCLE. I would certainly welcome others who have experiences advocating for leisure education to share their experiences and offer examples (and outcomes) of their advocacy work.

Resources: Recent Leisure Education Publications

Also, I have read, with great interest, two articles recently published that have focused on leisure education.

Dupuis, S.L., & Gillies, J. (2014). Learning as a vehicle for individual and social transformation: Re-thinking leisure education. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 48(2), 113-134. Link to abstract.

Kleiber, D. A., & Linde, B. D. (2014). The Case for Leisure Education in Preparation for the Retirement Transition. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 32(1). Link to abstract.

The Kleiber and Linde (2014) article provides good discussion of the need for leisure education to be incorporated into retirement preparation programs and offers leisure education content suggestions. Dupis and Gillies (2014) describe how A Changing Melody program engaged individuals with dementia in leisure education in a collaborative manner and suggest that this “radical education approach can be a powerful vehicle for personal and social change, transformation and liberation of marginalised groups and the individuals who work with them” (p. 129).

What have you read lately related to leisure education that has informed your work or your thinking about leisure education? How does leisure education research or conceptual papers influence your work?