Term Paper on "Personal and Professional Philosophy of Recreation and Leisure"

Term Paper 5 pages (1333 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Recreation & Leisure

Professional Philosophy on Recreation and Leisure

Recreation and leisure must play an important role in American society, even though it may be difficult for some Americans to come to terms with that concept. Driver writes that the guilt many Americans feel about recreation and leisure activities is a residual affect from the Puritan work ethic, which equates having fun with laziness, that has influenced American societies for centuries (Driver, No Date). However, she points out that many nations, Japan is an excellent example, have incorporated the importance of recreation and leisure into the national culture and identity (Driver).

In fact, recreation and leisure are important to every culture because they contribute many positive things to both the individual and to society at large. Specifically, recreation and leisure confers benefits upon:

The individual: Research shows that positive recreation and leisure activities can improve health, provide psychological benefits and even boost work performance.

The community: Recreation and leisure activities can help provide cultural identity and allow for social interaction within communities.

The environment: The need to provide recreation and leisure activities to a community often leads to public protection of lands for those activities, which directly benefits the environment (Driver).

Individual benefits

The physical aspects of exercise as a recreation and leisure activity are virtually uncontested. A regular exercise routine can extend life by improving cardiovascular health, lowering cholesterol levels and blood pressure, and strengthening the body's bones, muscles and joints (Driver). But the benefits of regular leisure and recreation activities can have a profound psychological impact as well.

Research by Parry found that regular recreation and leisure activities provided a psychological boost to a group of women, allowing them to derive self-esteem and their sense of worth from something other than traditional female roles such as cooking and cleaning (Parry, 2005). Similarly, a study by Shannon tracked the recreation and leisure activities of eight breast cancer survivors and found that, after being diagnosed with the disease, they made recreation and leisure more of a priority and came to depend on the psychological benefits they derived from these activities (Shannon, 2005). Clearly, positive recreation and leisure activities can help people feel good about themselves, which can lead to more self-confidence and overall improved psychological stability.

Recreation and leisure activities also can help people become more effective at work. Busy managers, who perhaps make the least amount of time for recreation and leisure activities, may be among the groups who are in need of leisure most. As was mentioned, physical activities such as exercise can lower blood pressure and even increase energy levels, which would both be welcomed in a hectic work environment.

Research by Iwaski, et. al. demonstrated that male and female managers in stressful positions who choose to make leisure a priority find that it becomes an invaluable coping tool (Iwaski, et.al., 2005). While there do appear to be gender differences in the types of activities selected, both men and women expressed that their recreation and leisure activities were critical to their physical and professional survival (Iwaski, et.al., 2005). And although children have not yet entered the competitive corporate world, a similar study by Caldwell et.al. found that middle school students who regularly participated in positive recreation and leisure activities found that they became more efficient and better focused, more aware of their community, and perhaps less likely to participate in substance use and abuse (Caldwell, et.al., 2004).

Clearly, recreation and leisure activities provide tangible benefits to the individual. Research has shown that people who regularly participate in positive recreation and leisure activities may find that they become physically healthier, feel better about themselves and perhaps become more effective in their professional occupations.

Community building

The link between recreation and leisure activities and cultural identity are well established. Activities such as Native American art, quilting, and even fishing in some societies, are passed down from generation to generation as part of the cultural fabric. Even the sport of lacrosse was passed down from the… READ MORE

How to Reference "Personal and Professional Philosophy of Recreation and Leisure" Term Paper in a Bibliography

Related Term Papers:

Philosophy of Leisure Philosophy Can Be Thought Term Paper

Philosophy of Leisure

Philosophy can be thought of as a systematically-defined set of values, beliefs and preferences." --Edginton, et. al 1997

miles. "I can't believe you chose to do that… read more

Term Paper 5 pages (1712 words) Sources: 3 Style: APA Topic: Recreation / Leisure / Tourism

---

Business Memo and Thank You Letter Reflexive Essay

Business Memo and Thank You Letter

Reflexive Essay and Thank You Letter

To gain greater insights into the hospitality industry at the managerial and leadership level Tobias Ragossnig, Front Office… read more

Essay 3 pages (846 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Recreation / Leisure / Tourism

---

Impact of Paternal Abandonment on Female Adult Obesity Term Paper

Paternal Abandonment and Female Adult Obesity

This work will explore the obesity epidemic, first through a comprehensive analysis of its development, as well as through a literature review pertaining to… read more

Term Paper 29 pages (7963 words) Sources: 20 Style: APA Topic: Nutrition / Diet / Eating

---

Students With Disabilities Who Did Not Complete Dissertation

Students With Disabilities Who Did Not Complete High School

Richard Wieringo

This case study explores the experiences of students with disabilities who have dropped out of high school, so as… read more

Dissertation 60 pages (17241 words) Sources: 0 Topic: Education / Teaching / Learning

---

Planning and Start Up of a New Business Term Paper

Planning and Start-Up of a New Business

Business PLAN for a STARTUP COMPANY

The present plan has been developed to offer the company an overview of the industry in which… read more

Term Paper 12 pages (3480 words) Sources: 4 Style: MLA Topic: Sports / Exercise / Fitness

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>