Our Future Environment

The readings below will be/have been read in order to understand eco-tourism’s past, present and future.

Jackson, E.L. & Burton, T.L. (Eds.) (1999). Leisure Studies: Prospects for the 21st Century. State College, PA: Venture Publishing, Inc.

A major volume of collected and commissioned articles for a leisure studies textbook covering progress and future questions for leisure studies in North America.

Lundberg, G., Komarovsky, M., & McInerny, M. (1934). Leisure: A Suburban Study. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.

This article examined leisure as an aspect of the social organization of the community.

Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission. (1962). Outdoor recreation for America. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

This publication explained recreation behavior by reference to various sociodemographic data. It was the first to do so.

Veblen, T. (1899). The Theory of the Leisure Class. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing.

This book can be considered the beginning of the modern era in leisure studies because Veblen challenged the notion that leisure is the epitome of daily life. This notion had long been held as the standard since the beginning of Ancient Greek philosophy. He claimed that it should be theoretically and empirically examined like other aspects of social and individual life.

 

The chapters below are from the latest leisure studies collection by Jackson and Burton. They are organized by chapter and not yet alphabetical.

Cooper, W. (1999). Some Philosophical Aspects of Leisure Theory in Leisure Studies: Prospects for the 21st Century. Jackson, E.L. & Burton, T.L. (Eds.). State College, PA: Venture Publishing, Inc.

This chapter provides an excellent rationale for the scholarly study of leisure.

Sylvester, C. The Western Idea of Work and Leisure: Traditions, Transformations, and the Future in Leisure Studies: Prospects for the 21st Century. Jackson, E.L. & Burton, T.L. (Eds.) (1999). State College, PA: Venture Publishing, Inc.

This article provides an overview of Western notions of work and leisure. Sylvester notes the sterility of modern work and the importance of non-material needs of people in modern society. The lack of satisfaction in a great deal of modern work allows leisure to provide fulfillment in the human quest for self-worth and identity.

Iso-Ahola, S.E. Motivational Foundations of Leisure in Leisure Studies: Prospects for the 21st Century. Jackson, E.L. & Burton, T.L. (Eds.) (1999). State College, PA: Venture Publishing, Inc.

Iso-Ahola discusses the issue of meaning from a psychological and sociological perspective, placing emphasis on the importance of self-determination.

Rojek, C. Deviant Leisure: The Dark Side of Free-Time Activity in Leisure Studies: Prospects for the 21st Century. Jackson, E.L. & Burton, T.L. (Eds.) (1999). State College, PA: Venture Publishing, Inc.

Rojek investigates deviant leisure with a critical eye toward past leisure scholars who view leisure as a panacea for social “ills”. He argues that leisure has both positive and negative connotations, that the principal context in which deviance emerges in society is through leisure, and that deviant leisure plays a decisive role in social change.

Butler, R.W. Understanding Tourism in Leisure Studies: Prospects for the 21st Century. Jackson, E.L. & Burton, T.L. (Eds.) (1999). State College, PA: Venture Publishing, Inc.

Butler argues for the justification of studying tourism, specifically showing how tourism has shifted from an excessive emphasis on tourism as panacea to focus upon the many problems and issues associated with tourism development.

Mannell, R.C. & Reid, D.G. Work and Leisure in Leisure Studies: Prospects for the 21st Century. Jackson, E.L. & Burton, T.L. (Eds.) (1999). State College, PA: Venture Publishing, Inc.

This article ties into Sylvester and offers insights into the various ways in which leisure scholars have studied the work-leisure relationship.

Swinnnerton, G.S. Recreation and Conservation: Issues and Prospects in Leisure Studies: Prospects for the 21st Century. Jackson, E.L. & Burton, T.L. (Eds.) (1999). State College, PA: Venture Publishing, Inc.

This article argues for the ability of theoretical and conceptual frameworks in conservation to generate new insight. It also echoes the Leisure Studies book as a whole by saying if concepts are to have meaning they must be related to action.

Mannell, R.C. Leisure Experience and Satisfaction in Leisure Studies: Prospects for the 21st Century. Jackson, E.L. & Burton, T.L. (Eds.) (1999). State College, PA: Venture Publishing, Inc.

Mannell examines the dominant approaches to explaining the nature of the leisure experience for the individual. He identifies and synthesizes the strands that are central to the nature of experience, linking such experiences to mental health, work and quality of life. He concludes that attempts to assess the impact of leisure on quality of life depend greatly on the ability to observe and measure the actual amount and quality of leisure experienced rather than the extent of engagement in externally defined leisure activities.

Jackson, E.L. & Scott, D. Constraints to Leisure in Leisure Studies: Prospects for the 21st Century. Jackson, E.L. & Burton, T.L. (Eds.) (1999). State College, PA: Venture Publishing, Inc.

Leisure Constraints is an area of study that began in the 1970s under the title of barriers to recreation participation but has since developed into the theme of constraints to leisure. This is a shift in focus and conceptualization, not merely semantics, because its central point is now that leisure is constrained and constraining. This means that while leisure experiences are almost invariably limited by constraints such as lack of facilities, resources and partners, they themselves also limit choice.

Driver, B. L.D. & Bruns, D.H. Concepts and Uses of the Benefits Approach to Leisure in Leisure Studies: Prospects for the 21st Century. Jackson, E.L. & Burton, T.L. (Eds.) (1999). State College, PA: Venture Publishing, Inc.

Driver and Buns provide an overview of the benefits approach to leisure. The approach argues that people seek quality opportunities and experiences rather than activities. “There is currently a strong preference for government to employ the enabling authority of the state as a means of ensuring that public leisure services are provided by not-for-profit and commercial organizations rather than directly by government agencies themselves.” (xxi from introduction)

Stankey, G.H., McCool, S.F., Clark, R.N. , & Brown, P.J. in Leisure Studies: Prospects for the 21st Century. Jackson, E.L. & Burton, T.L. (Eds.) (1999). State College, PA: Venture Publishing, Inc.

This article introduces the organizational and institutional challenges for public leisure service delivery in the context of the management of natural resources for recreation. Stankey and colleagues argue that the management frameworks (ROS and LAC) process must be joined with social learning models to enable the development of approaches in which science informs discussion rather than dictates it.

Cooper,W. Leisure Theory in the Information Age in Leisure Studies: Prospects for the 21st Century. Jackson, E.L. & Burton, T.L. (Eds.) (1999). State College, PA: Venture Publishing, Inc.

Hemingway, J.L. Critique and Emancipation: Toward a Critical Theory of Leisure in Leisure Studies: Prospects for the 21st Century. Jackson, E.L. & Burton, T.L. (Eds.) (1999). State College, PA: Venture Publishing, Inc.

Filed under: leisure on June 24th, 2008