Poverty and Recreation: The Reason for Leisure Education

by Jacquelyn Oncescu (University of Manitoba)

The early establishment of the recreation profession in Canada was to meet the needs of those who struggled most in Canadian society. For example, the National Council of Women of Canada were considered the early pioneers of our profession, specifically advocating for the development of supervised playgrounds (known as the Playground Movement) to help the poor, immigrant, and homeless children and youth get off unsafe streets. Advocates believed that, “supervised play could improve the mental, moral, and physical well-being of children”[1]. Through the National Council of Women, supervised playground programs developed across Canada. They partnered with local government councils, schools, and religious organizations to utilize funding, human resources, land and buildings to advance the provisions of the playgrounds and local playground associations across the country. Over time, Local Councils were able to hire staff, develop curriculum, and utilize school grounds to offer recreation programming that focused on games, arts and crafts[2]. In short, our profession’s beginnings were working in partnership with allied professions to help those in need and advocate for social reform.

Today, in the context of Manitoba, where I’m currently working and doing research, we have one of the highest rates of childhood poverty in the country—which is hugely problematic. Children living in poverty are less likely to succeed in school, are at higher risk of health issues, developmental delays and behavioural disorders[3]. Poverty also makes it more difficult for families to access essential resources needed to support healthy childhood development—including leisure and recreation activities. We know that low-income households are less likely to participate in recreation and sport activities than individuals from higher-income homes [4]. Constraints to recreation participation can include: expensive program fees, equipment needs, program locations, limited transportation, uninviting program structures and schedules, limited awareness about programs, limited knowledge on subsidy policies, and exposure to racism and stereotyping[5]. As I reflect on these constraints, I’m left to question how we (leisure practice and research) are doing in meeting the leisure needs of those less fortunate.

Inclusive Strategies

The field of recreation has been working really hard at being more inclusive. In fact, there are a number of programs, policies and procedures that have been developed specifically for low-income cohorts. These initiatives have largely focused on addressing financial constraints. Popular approaches are fee assistance programs, which subsidize participation in leisure programming. The premise is that the costs associated with structured and unstructured recreation activities and programs can be problematic for low-income families, so the profession has put in place funding programs to alleviate the financial burden. In terms of programs and resources, the field of recreation has provided a number of free and low-cost recreation programs to meet the needs of low-income children and youth. Often these programs take place in community recreation centres or after school programs. The private sector has also developed grant programs to support the costs associated with child and youth sport participation.

Researchers, however, have noted that a number of the strategies the recreation profession has put in place to break down the barriers to recreation participation for low-income families are ineffective. Take the fee assistance programs, for example. To receive such financial assistance, participants need to be aware that the funding is available to apply for, which they often are not, and in some cases, subsidized fee programs aren’t promoted by the recreation centre because the centre doesn’t want to financially commit to the costs of subsidized programs. Second, getting the fee assistance information is often a convoluted process that takes a lot of time, which deters parents from engaging in the process. Third, the process often involves the notion of “proving you’re poor”, as tax assessment forms and unemployment papers are required to assess the families’ level of “need” (poverty)—which only further stigmatizes the families.

In the context of programs, researchers have argued that, in the case of community sport clubs, an emphasis on middle-class preferences and less on the needs of desires of underprivileged children and youth have contributed to high dropout rates among low-income populations[6]. In addition, the location and distribution of these programs are often out of reach for children and youth living in low-income contexts. Often low income neighbourhoods lack access to recreation facilities and services, and have limited access to transportation to get to programs outside their neighbourhoods.

Though public and private sector funding has been invested in recreation and sport policy to reduce exclusion, low-income children and youth are less likely to benefit from these sport and recreation programs. Government cutbacks have forced public and non-profit recreation agencies to reduce supports for low-income populations[7]. In addition, a number of corporate grants for recreation participation are specific to sport, which limits funding for other activities that are related to arts, drama, culture and other non-sport activities. Finally, some research has indicated that public recreation spaces are not a welcoming environment. For example, some women living in low-income contexts reported being discriminated against by recreation centre employees because of their low socioeconomic statuses[8]. The processes for fee assistance programs also makes individuals feel judged and vulnerable, leading to a lack of participation from low-income families [9].

Standing on Islands: The Recreation Profession & Low-Income Families

Despite the extensive efforts of the profession, a divide between our profession and those individuals living in low-income contexts has emerged. It is as if we have two islands. On one island is the recreation profession with all of its recreation and leisure programs and their related services it makes available to the public. On this island, the profession is meeting the needs of those individuals and families that have the skills, knowledge, confidence, and awareness and appreciation of leisure that is needed to participate in such activities. On the other island, we have a group of individuals living in stressful social and economic conditions that have limited their ability to acquire the leisure skills, knowledge, confidence, respect, time, and resources needed to participate in recreation and leisure activities.

The Bridge: Leisure Education

We have the opportunity to change this dire situation and bridge the two islands, and I think, leisure education can part of the process. As defined in previous posts, leisure education is a process that creates intentionally designed programs that focus on helping individuals create sustainable recreation and leisure opportunities, but it also builds a broad repertoire of skills to address the challenges they encounter in their day-to-day lives, and to be engaged in their homes, families, and communities.

Leisure education can help enhance an individuals’ leisure functioning in a number of ways. For example, leisure education outreach programs can help educate individuals on accessing recreation programs and services in the community. These types of programs could include teaching parents how to fill out grant application forms, and where and from whom they can access financial resources and supports in the community. In addition, these programs could help families develop the skills needed to negotiate barriers and plan for leisure and recreation both in their homes and their communities. Leisure education can help parents and children identify their strengths and assets, which can help build confidence in themselves and the activities they engage in.

To better meet the needs of those living in poverty, the profession could reach out in a different way. To give an example of how leisure education can work in the community, I want to introduce you to Recreation Opportunities for Children Inc. (ROC). ROC is a charitable organization based out of Steinbach, Manitoba and is an outreach-based organization providing recreation services and resources to low-income families. ROC works in partnership with public, private and voluntary agencies to support low-income families with registration fess, equipment and supplies, transportation, and knowledge on community recreation resources to help create a healthy lifestyle. A key component of ROC’s service delivery model is their leisure education program. Knowing that families living in low-income contexts have a wide range of constraints to participating in and/or creating recreation and leisure experiences that go beyond lack of money, ROC developed a comprehensive leisure education program targeted at families living in poverty. The program has been developed with “fun” in mind, with each session being delivered in the form of a game followed by discussion with the family. The program is delivered in a 1-on-1 format and has roughly 8 sessions. Each session has a goal and specific learning outcomes that were developed based on the staff experiences working with the families but also the participants’ feedback. As much as possible, ROC involves the families in developing and refining the program content and topics. To date, ROC’s leisure education program involves the following topic areas:

1. Leisure/recreation awareness
2. Self-awareness (personal values, attitudes, past experiences)
3. Benefits of leisure
4. Interests
5. Personal skills & strengths
6. Home & community leisure resources
7. Planning for leisure
8. Goal setting for leisure

ROC knew that by only providing families with equipment, registration fees, and money that they were creating a situation in which the families’ leisure experiences were dependent on them. They wanted to know that when they were done working with a family that they were leaving them with a greater appreciation for leisure and recreation, but also the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to create their own leisure experiences as best they could. ROC has a dedicated staff, board of directors and community partners that are working hard at supporting low-income families differently. Going out into unchartered territory isn’t easy, but doing things differently just might be what is needed to bridge our islands.

[1]Bachrach, Julia Sniderman. “Playground Movement.” Encyclopedia of Chicago.

http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/976.html > 6 April 2012.

[2]E.M. McFarland, “Editorial – Recreation Pioneers Honored at Conference,” Recreation Canada 28 (October 1970): 5.

[3] Dominique, F. (May, 2008). Perspectives on Labour and Income: Low-Income Children (No. 75-001). Retrieved from Statistics Canada Industry Division: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75-001x/2008105/article/10578-eng.htm

[4] Clark, W. (2008). Kid’s sports. Canadian social trends. Component of Statistics Canada catalogue no. 11-008-X.

[5] Frisby, W., Alexander, T., Taylor, J., Tirone, S., Watson, C., Harvey, J., & Laplante, D. (2005). Bridging the Recreation Divide: Listening To Youth and Parents From Low Income Families Across Canada, Ottawa: Developed for The Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA).

[6] Edwards, M. B., Bocarro, J. N., & Kanters, M. A. (2011). Place disparities in supportive environments for extracurricular physical activity in north carolina middle schools. Youth & Society, 45(2), 265-285.

[7] Tirone, S. (2003). “Evening the playing field”: Recreation in a low-income Canadian community. Leisure/Loisir, 28(1-2), 155-174. doi:10.1080/14927713.2003.9649944

[8] Frisby, W., & Millar, S. (2002). The actualities of doing community development to promote the inclusion of low income populations in local sport and recreation. European Sport Management Quarterly, 2, 209-233.

[9] Trussell, D., & Mair, H. (2010). Seeking judgement free spaces: Poverty, leisure and social inclusion. Journal Of Leisure Research, 42(4), 513-533.

 

Leisure Education: From Passion to Intention

by Carol Petersen (BPR Consulting)

I am passionate (almost obsessive) about educating others about the importance of leisure.
To be honest, I haven’t always consciously thought about how that came to be. Recent reflection, however, has made me realize this passion likely has its roots in family values and childhood experiences.

As one of four girls of two active and community-minded parents, I always had access to a variety of recreation opportunities. While there were some organized sports, most were informal, unstructured, low cost activities that reflected our family values.

I clearly remember playing hide and seek and creating elaborate go-carts and second homes in the garden and fields on my grandma’s farm, going tobogganing, baking, creating art, and extensive camping and exploring as a family.

In addition to introducing us to many activities, my parents encouraged and role modelled civic responsibility and leadership — my father through his rural development work in agriculture, and my mother as a Brownie leader and school volunteer. When my older sister chose recreation for university, I saw the unique opportunity to do work that I could relate to and saw the value of.

When I graduated from university, most of my friends were attracted to jobs that were tangible (and often better paid) in programming and facility management. As a nurturer, I felt it was important for people to understand more about leisure as a part of their life and how it could be used to develop skills, connect with other people, get fit, discover, and build community.

It helps that I am a curious person and have always asked “why”. I seek to understand, have a desire to help, and as a big picture thinker I enjoy the challenge of making meaning of situations and finding solutions. I also have a constant drive to connect things…. connecting people to information, people to places, programs to people, etc. This plays out in the form of leisure education, doing what I do best; bridging, connecting, promoting and enabling – enabling others to access and enjoy leisure. All of my jobs ultimately have been about the use of recreation as a vehicle to make things better.

I guess the revelation for me has been that leisure IS definitely a learned competency/capacity and not something innate to everyone. This must become a priority in the delivery of recreation and leisure services to build capacity and help people make conscious, informed choices regarding their leisure. The process of educating for leisure can be an individual journey, a group process, an organizational strategy AND should be a cornerstone of the field of Recreation and Parks.

The first step in this process is increasing awareness of the potential VALUE of recreation and leisure so people will be encouraged, motivated, and moved to do something about it. This can happen in many different ways and is an excellent place to start with both individual and organization level leisure education. The onus is on each and every practitioner to ensure an awareness of the benefits of leisure and the core elements of choice, experience, and outcomes.

To help facilitate this fundamental role of leisure practitioners, my colleagues are researching, studying, and defining the competencies required to for leisure literacy so we can systematically develop curriculum for leisure education and ensure comprehensive learning opportunities.

I am excited to see what comes out of this – weaving the best of both research and practice so we practice what we preach and preach what we practice in order to bring the very best of leisure education!

What am I good at? A Leisure Education Activity to Help Parents in their Roles as Leisure Facilitators

by Charlene Shannon-McCallum (University of New Brunswick)

My most extensive work in the area of leisure education has involved working with parents of children who were overweight or obese and who had been referred to a pediatric lifestyle management program (LMP). There is considerable research that supports the notion the parents influence their children’s leisure. Parents are leisure role models and key socialization agents who pass on their leisure interests and skills to their children. However, parents are also important facilitators of their children’s leisure. They facilitate leisure experiences by creating opportunities; offering their children choices about how to spend their leisure time; supporting participation through spectating, financing, or transporting children to activities; and understanding their child’s needs and interest and how they can be met through leisure.  However, facilitating leisure can be difficult without knowledge of children’s interest or leisure barriers or knowledge of community resources. My work with parents focused on helping them develop greater leisure awareness in general (e.g., value of leisure for children, their role as parents in facilitating leisure, leisure resources in the community, barriers to leisure participation and strategies for overcoming these barriers)

There was one simple exercise I used with parents that seemed to consistently open up parents eyes about their children’s leisure and generate conversations between parents and children about leisure. It was called What Am I Good At?  It prompted parents to engage in discussion with their child about the activities their child felt he/she was good at, the activities he/she wanted to improve at, and activities he/she felt he/she would be good at if given a chance to try it. Parents would complete the exercise with their child and then during a one-on-one session with me (or another leisure educator), discuss what they had discovered and how to act on these discoveries.

Some parents were surprised to learn that things they thought their child was good at, were not things that their child perceived being skilled at. Parents also discovered that there were activities their child felt he/she was good at that they (parents) were not encouraging participation in (e.g., child expressed being good at soccer, but the parent did not know and so was not explicitly supporting this activity by offering to play soccer with him/her or registering child for soccer). Considering this question also provided parents with insight into why their child was more drawn to sedentary activities (greater perceived competence) than physical activities (perceived need to improve).

Discussion about the activities children wanted to improve in revealed some of the motivations for improving at certain activities – to be able to keep up with friends, so the activity would be more fun to participate in, to be included in activities that their friends were doing. Again, in some cases parents were surprised to learn that although their child did not enjoy skating, for example, and declined invitations to skate with friends, he/she was interested in developing skill in this activity so  participation would be more comfortable.

Finally, having an understanding of activities their child believed he/she would be good at if an opportunity to try it came along, helped parents to understand new activities that might capture their child’s interest and/or build his/her confidence. In some cases, parents were not aware that their child even knew, for example, what taekwondo was – prompting conversations about where they had seen or heard about the activity and expanding parents understanding of where and from whom their child was learning about leisure activities. One father explained that after he found out his daughter thought she would be good at hoola hooping, he purchased one and they both worked on increasing the time they could keep the hoola hoop going.

Parent leisure education can support parents in their roles as facilitators

This simple activity, perhaps a conversation starter really, generated incredible awareness for parents. Many parents expressed feeling that the information from this activity put them in a better position to facilitate and support changes to leisure behaviour that would see their children engaging in more physically active pursuits (one of the goals of the LMP). Others felt that it was a good starting point for understanding their children’s experiences in various leisure activities.

I’m interested in what other tools leisure educators (practitioners or researchers) have used outside of therapeutic recreation settings that have helped generate awareness about leisure or could prompt conversations among family members about leisure. I’m also interested in considering how practitioners and researchers can make these types of tools accessible to members of the general public (e.g., parents) so that opportunities for increasing leisure awareness can be more readily available. Are there ways of disseminating useful tools and producing instructions for interpretation that would guide individuals to think about and assess their personal and family leisure? Are there avenues for helping parents develop knowledge that supports them in their roles as leisure facilitators for their children? Or, must leisure education happen within a program context?

Leisure education and the general population: Do leisure scholars need to have a greater presence?

by Charlene Shannon-McCallum (University of New Brunswick)

For a few years now I’ve been curious about the role that social networking sites play in what individuals learn about leisure and how they understand leisure. This curiosity came initial from having some negative reactions to things I would read as on blogs or Social Networking Sites (SNS). For example, I read a blog post four years ago that was offering “Tips for Killing Time at Soccer Practice”.  A couple of the recommendations encouraged parents to bring their electronic devices and use the time to catch up on emails and browse the Internet or read e-books. As someone who sees parents as key influencers of their children’s leisure and physical activity and views them, as the literature does, as being an important source of instrumental support (Beets, Cardinal, & Alderman, 2010), I was bothered by this. Is it really effective support to have a parent in attendance, but not really watching? As I read through parents’ comments (mostly mothers) on the blog post, I realized that these suggestions were appreciated and followed (a few comments were about the experiences mothers had in trying out the suggestions). The blog post – created by a “social media agency offering content marketing and native advertising at scale” – was not the voice of a parenting expert or a youth development expert nor did the post present any research. However, a message was sent for others to interpret. For me, it was that soccer practice is something parents need to kill time at. This is not the message I, as a leisure researcher, would have opted to send to parents.

As people spend more time engaged with the Internet and technology, we need to consider what this means for the acquisition of knowledge, values, and attitudes about leisure and, more generally, leisure education. Individuals now use a range of digital platforms to meet information needs including those related to leisure. Through SNS (such as the popular Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter or more specific sites for communities of interest such as Cafe Mom), through blogs, and even through the Google, people can access a plethora of information from others in similar life circumstances, with similar interests, and/or with similar goals; from friends; from organizations; and even from strangers with whom they may share nothing in common. This means there are a number of “agents” providing information about leisure – most of whom have no understanding of leisure research, little understanding of the influence of needs, values, attitudes, knowledge, or satisfaction on leisure behaviour. They do not understand the benefits or potential outcomes of leisure participation, constraints individuals experience, or how one might negotiate constraints. And yet, messages are being communicated.

For the purposes of this post, I consider two specific formats in which information or messages about leisure are communicated: 1. Leisure to-do lists and checklists and 2. Self-help books.

Leisure To-Do Lists and Checklists

Social networking sites are used more by women and in more ways by women than men (Pew Research Center, 2013) and blogs targeted at women certainly support existing scholarly work… and communicate that they are responsible for the leisure of the family and creating experiences for their children. There are no shortages of “to do” lists for creating great holiday experiences (e.g., Christmas, Easter), suggestions for fun family activities and frugal family activities, and tips on how to make the most of each season throughout the year. In the example below, a “checklist” of things to do during the fall season in North America has been developed. Certainly, we can see how this kind of list would help generate awareness of the various leisure experiences one can have during one season. However, the list on its own does not contribute significantly to one’s understanding of leisure in one’s life. These activities are not linked with one’s needs or values. The list is not situated within the context of one’s life. There is not a focus on the meaning or quality of the experience. In fact, the subtitle prompts readers to “see how many you can check off this month”. When I see such lists posted (e.g., on blogs, on Pinterest), I wonder if these are lost opportunities to offer leisure education. I’m drawn to the lists because of their potential to educate about and for leisure, but instead, those opportunities are lost because the individuals who are creating and sharing the lists have little understanding of leisure concepts or theories.

 

Could some instruction for how to use this type of checklist to understand one’s leisure or to help family members identity interests be helpful? Could these lists be used a a tool to teach about planning for leisure? Could some “debriefing” questions for parents to following engagement in some of the checklist activities generate conversations about leisure and family leisure? If so, are leisure educators and recreation professionals missing the boat on educating the public about personal and family leisure? Is there a role of the recreation and leisure studies field to play in educating members of the general public who are (quite clearly) seeking and accessing information about leisure?

Self-Help Books

The popularity of the “self help” or “self-improvement” genre of books suggests that individuals are searching for life-management strategies. “Self-help literature also mirrors society since these books reflect contemporary norms and values and give an insight to the problems people are struggling with” (Larsson & Sanne, 2005, p. 218). For example, people appear to be interested in using self-help books to explore ways to increase their life satisfaction and happiness. The popular The Happiness Project  (2009) sold 1.5 million copies and is now printed in 30 languages. Each chapter of the book represents a project the author, Gretchen Rubin, invested herself in to help increase her happiness. There are chapters that focus on leisure or leisure-related topics. For example, the month of May (“Be Serious About Play”) focuses on leisure. June was focused on friendship (“Make Time for Friends”).

The popularity of this book as well as Rubin’s subsequent book, Happier at Home, suggest that individuals who want to make a change to their lives – increase their degree of happiness – view popular press, self-help books as sources of  knowledge and guides to behaviour change. When people do access these sources, they find information about leisure offered by individuals who do not necessarily have expertise in leisure. In The Happiness Project, Rubin talks about starting a collection in her “Be Serious About Play” chapter, but there is no discussion of some of the additional benefits that a serious leisure pursuit such as collecting could offer to these hobbyists. Her book, like others on happiness, lack  empirical evidence and Schueller and Parks (2014) argue that research-based materials must be more accessible to the public in the way that self-help books and websites are. Is there a similar need for evidenced-based materials on leisure, recreation, and sport to be more accessible to the general public?

Another recent release, Overwhelmed: Work, Love, and Play When No One Has Time (2014), is written by Washington Post journalist, Brigid Shulte and addresses a variety of issues related to time . I would not classify this as a traditional self-help book but, as reviewers have argued, it does have elements of this. It offers instruction or at the very least a perspective for integrating work, family, community, and personal leisure  Overwhelmed, unlike other self-help books, is heavily referenced and uses considerable empirical evidence. I recognized some of our leisure scholars having a presence in this book. In the notes on the chapter “Let Us Play,”  Shulte indicates conducting interviews with Dr. Heather Gibson and Dr. Karla Henderson. For the chapter titled, “Really Plan a Vacation”, she interviewed Dr. Roger Mannell. I even found a reference to my own work on mothers’ influence as leisure educators (which I never realized when I read the chapter – I didn’t pay attention to the chapter notes until writing this blog post).

Is this enough of an influence to have in terms of sharing leisure-related research and knowledge with the general public? Is it enough to have our voices and expertise sought out when others are writing about leisure-related topics for the general public or segments of the general public (I believe Overwhelmed is targeted mainly at women)? Do we need or have a responsibility to be more proactive in designing and distributing accessible messages that educate about and for leisure? Is it even possible to educate for leisure on a broad scale? Or, is leisure education best delivered when it can be tailored to specific groups and through the help/work of a trained facilitator?

More questions than answers, but hopefully good food for thought.

References and Further Reading

Beets, M. W., Cardinal, B. J., & Alderman, B. L. (2010). Parental social support and the physical activity–related behaviors of youth: A review. Health Education & Behavior, 37, 621-644.

Larsson, J., & Sanne, C. (2005). Self-help books on avoiding time shortage. Time & Society, 14(2-3), 213-230.

Savolainen, R., & Kari, J. (2004). Placing the Internet in information source horizons. A study of information seeking by Internet users in the context of self-development. Library & Information Science Research, 26(4), 415-433.

 

Schueller, S. M., & Parks, A. C. (2014). The Science of Self-Help. European Psychologist, 19(2), 145-155.

 

 

The Case for Community-Based Leisure Education

by Jacquelyn Oncescu (University of Manitoba)

Today, more than ever, it appears to be getting harder to stay healthy and well. You can’t turn on the TV, radio or open a webpage without some news story telling us how unhealthy our society is: increasing sedentary and unhealthy lifestyles; more depression and mental health issues; and, increasing stress levels. The ability to maintain health and wellbeing is challenged, putting individuals’ and communities’ quality of life at risk.

Recently, the field of recreation has been called upon to be part of the solution to mitigate a number of Canada’s societal issues (see National Recreation Framework in Canada). Recreation professionals from across the country have been contributing to the development of a National Recreation Framework to help position recreation as service to help solve some of our nation’s biggest challenges related to our aging population, environmental degradation, increasing inequities, unhealthy and sedentary lifestyles, and decline in civic engagement and community cohesion. Calling upon this profession is not unheard of—considering the roots of the recreation profession go back as far as the industrial revolution, where early pioneers of recreation advocated for the development of parks and playgrounds to help adult residents rest and recover from their adverse working environments, and provide children a safe and supervised place to play and develop.

Since the industrial revolution, the recreation profession has grown, and with that, more services, resources and amenities to support individual and community wellbeing. The municipal sector is the key agent in delivering and supporting community recreation, leisure and sport services. The emphasis of this field has been in providing recreation activities, areas, and facilities. Government support for recreation services is often given because of the social, physical and economic benefits that come from recreation participation. The field of recreation should be well positioned to help address the social issues individuals and communities are facing today. Is it?

 The Gap in Recreation Delivery Systems

Traditionally, the field of recreation has focused its energy on developing and implementing recreation, leisure and sport services, amenities, programs, facilities and infrastructure for individuals and the community. Recreation professionals have assumed that individuals have obtained the knowledge and skills necessary to participate in the recreation programs, services and opportunities that will lead to enriching and enhancing leisure lifestyles (Mundy, 1998). The delivery of recreation services, however, hasn’t aligned well with enhancing an individual’s leisure experience. According to Mundy (1998), the recreation delivery system is focused on programs that are activity-oriented, structured and organized, and leader-initiated, planned, and provided. Whereas, leisure is experience-oriented, dependent on choices within the context of free or unobligated time, and involves some level of self-direction. What Mundy points out is a significant gap between what and how the recreation profession delivers and what is needed to create meaningful leisure experiences. For individuals to create meaningful leisure experiences, a certain level of awareness, skills, and knowledge is needed—which hasn’t been cultivated to the degree it could be in community recreation services.

The misalignment between leisure experiences and leisure delivery systems is a problem. For example, children can participation in recreation programs and learn skills to participate, but never learn how to apply those skills when they are home. As a result children can experience periods of boredom because they haven’t been taught how to plan, organize and self-direct their own play experiences. In the context of physical activity and health, adults can be told how many minutes a day they should engage in physical activity for health benefits, but are never taught how to find meaning in their physical activities that can create wellbeing beyond the physical realm.

The ability to create meaningful leisure experiences involves more than just participation in leisure, it is involves personal awareness, skills, knowledge, and decision-making and problem solving proficiencies. Leisure education is a process that creates intentionally designed programs that focus on helping individuals create meaningful recreation and leisure opportunities for themselves. Leisure education also supports the development of a broad repertoire of skills to address the challenges they encounter in their day-to-day lives, and to be engaged in their homes, families, and communities (Robertson, 2007). Leisure education helps individuals develop the attitudes, knowledge and skills needed to make positive leisure choices (Robertson, 2007). More specifically, leisure education is a process that focuses on enhancing individuals’ leisure functioning by assisting individuals to: a) identify needs, b) problem solve to overcome barriers to taking action, and c) develop the confidence and competence in their abilities to take action.

Historically, leisure education has been delivered within the area of Therapeutic Recreation (TR). TR uses leisure education to help individuals who experience barriers to recreation participation as a result of a disease, illness or disability. Most leisure education programs have been isolated to clinical healthcare settings to meet the needs of the populations they serve. Typically delivered through a person-centred approach, leisure education focuses on developing the self rather than the group or environment in which the individual interacts (Dieser, 2013).

 Bridging the Gap: Community-Based Leisure Education

For the field of recreation to be part of the solution to a vast array of societal ills, leisure education needs to be repositioned as a core component of service delivery in communities. Becoming leisure educators means creating opportunities beyond just participation in leisure, towards educating for and through leisure. The gap between participation in leisure and benefits of recreation and leisure for individuals’ wellbeing is widening. To close this gap, the recreation profession has to rethink how it is serving its community. This is not to take away from all the wonderful existing leisure opportunities, services and resources the profession has created in our communities, but to think about how the profession can incorporate leisure education into their service delivery.

Participation in recreation and leisure activities is influenced by a number of factors that can include age, gender, physical abilities and skills, but also family and friends, work environments, community institutions and social structures, outdoor infrastructure, geographic location, and policies and laws (see —McLeroy, Bibeau, Steckler, & Glanz, 1988). For instance, an individual’s leisure behaviour can be influenced by their knowledge on community recreation opportunities (individual), parents’ involvement in their leisure activities (interpersonal), schools physical education curriculum, community’s geographic location, e.g., rural vs urban (community), and the policies that govern access to outdoor recreation amenities and infrastructure (public policy). Because leisure and recreation participation is influenced by so many factors, recreation professionals have a number of opportunities to educate for and about leisure.

Typically, leisure education is focused on changing individual attitudes, awareness, skills, and knowledge related to leisure; however, a broader application of leisure education can include family units, co-workers and work environments, other recreation organizations and agencies (voluntary, commercial and public sectors), the workplace, allied professions, government agencies and officials, and policy decision makers. Below are a series of examples to highlight a broader application of leisure education in the community.

Community-Based Leisure Education

As Mundy (1998) mentioned, recreation programs and services in traditional leisure delivery systems have often focused on skills related to recreation participation. To reverse this trend and to create a broader awareness of leisure and to enhance the skills needed to create meaningful leisure experiences, recreation professionals can deliver leisure education programs targeted at specific populations (individual level). For example, recreation professionals could offer leisure education programs for individuals going through major life transitions (e.g. widowhood, parenthood, retirement, etc.). The focus of the programming can be how to maintain leisure during major change.

Leisure education programs and workshops can also be developed and delivered to parents (interpersonal level). For example, recreation practitioners could work in partnerships with non-profit agencies and organizations (organizational) that support new Canadians to delivery leisure education programs to parents. These programs could focus on educating parents on leisure and recreation activities, community leisure resources, financial support for leisure activities, and the process and procedures for registering in organized sport and recreation. Program content could also help new Canadians connect to culture and ethnic organizations and agencies in the community. Programs like this can help families integrate into community life through leisure and recreation, but also provide the knowledge needed to support children and youth leisure opportunities.

Leisure education can also be utilized to create stronger synergies between allied professions such as education, health, and justice to support the delivery of leisure to better meet the needs of the community (community level). For example, recreation practitioners and agencies could develop and deliver leisure education workshops and forums to healthcare providers, social services, and justice departments on the benefits of recreation. These workshops can highlight the role of recreation in addressing social problems, but also inform allied professions of the resources, amenities and services that their organizations could leverage to meet their own goals and objectives.

Recreation practitioners, agencies and organizations can also provide leisure education workshops and forums to local government officials to increase awareness of the role of recreation in the community. For example, some recreation funding policies require multiple partnerships between school divisions, town and municipal governments. Often these stakeholders do not understand the varied benefits and potential of leisure, or the role of the practitioner in the community, but yet they hold a significant amount of power related to financial resources and decisions that community recreation delivery systems rely on. Leisure education could be a strategic approach to advocating for policy changes related to funding and delivering community leisure services, programs and amenities.

Community-based leisure education is about enhancing leisure awareness, skills and knowledge at the individual, community and societal level. It is recreating our programs and services to go beyond participation in activities. It is educating and working in partnership with community organizations, leaders, politicians and governments to create a level of awareness and appreciation towards leisure that is missing. Partnerships and inter-organizational linkages with allied professions are becoming a common practice to support the delivery of recreation services. The increasing demands of developing partnerships with allied professions in the community is forcing recreation professionals to develop new skill sets to communicate and work with allied professions that don’t understand the field of community leisure and recreation (Thibault, Frisby & Kikulis, 1999). To continue to forge collaborative partnerships with non-leisure agencies, recreation professionals might have to start thinking and acting as leisure educators.

The points above are not extensive, but are provided to start the conversation on how community-based leisure education can be part of the field’s core services. The benefits of recreation have been recorded for over 40 years. Researchers, leisure advocates and recreation professionals are well aware of the benefits recreation can bring individuals and communities, yet we continue to see individuals and communities struggle to create meaningful leisure experience and maintain quality of life. To bridge the gap, the profession needs to think and act differently. This might mean the profession will have to get out of its comfort zone, try something that has never been done before, and step into the unknown. “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading”—Lao Tzu. Perhaps it is time for a change.

References

Dieser, R. (2013). Leisure education: A person-centred, system-directed, social policy perspective. Urbana, IL: Sagamore Publishing.

McLeroy, K. R., Bibeau, D., Steckler, A., & Glanz, K. (1988). An ecological perspective on health promotion programs. Health Education Quarterly, 15, 351–377.

Mundy, J. (1998). Leisure education: Theory and practice. (2^nd ed). Champaign, IL: Sagamore Publishing.

Robertson, B. J. (2007). The leisure education manual. Wolfville, NS: Leisure Experience Associates of Canada.

Thibault L., Frisby, W., & Kikulis, L. (1999). Interorganizational linkages in the delivery of local leisure services in Canada: Responding to economic, political and social pressires. Managing Leisure, 4(3), 125-141.

 

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?