Importance of Leisure and Nature
Nature and leisure are integrant parts of individuals' lives, and largely contribute to what sociologists refer to as 'quality of life.' While the importance of nature in human life has been discussed for centuries, the relevance of leisure and recreation is a relatively recent invention of modern society. Of course, this does not mean that in the Middle Ages, for instance, people did not pursue leisure activities. However, these activities were not recognized as leisure, and carried a myriad of names which was subject to several changes throughout the ages. Scholars have often discussed the nature and meaning of leisure. Some (for instance, Kelly 1996, 1999, as cited in Zabriskie, McCormick 284) have suggested that leisure includes a notion of continuity and change which can be accounted for by the two different kinds of activities that individuals engage in throughout their lifetime. In this sense, one style is consistent and relatively accessible with the quality of persisting throughout their entire life whereas the other kind can be defined by variety, and a smaller degree of accessibility, and remains changeable throughout individuals' lifetime. This tendency to alternate change and consistence is reflected, according to mo
The importance of leisure for modern man is illustrated by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states that all cultures and societies recognize to some extent the right to rest and leisure (Article 27). Another indication as to the development of this socio-cultural domain was the rise of a sporting jargon. has decreased allowing the individual to be characterized by leisure in terms of his personal choice. Families are still considered the fundamental units of society. Moreover, individual, class, and gender identities have been connected to the history of leisure and consumption whereas national identities have been credited with less importance as far as this issue is concerned (Kosher 24). However, despite the terminological absence of the word leisure in early modern Europe, this does not mean that people did not have any terms opposed to "work. According to both Elias and Foucault, Western society became more regulated in this period thus we could argue that the concept of leisure was born as a reactionary trend. The amount of free time became more and more institutionalized, and people became more conscious of it as a separate area in their lives, and developed it as such as opposed to previous conceptions which defined it as a mere pause between two bouts of work. Elias approved of civilization whereas Foucault argued against discipline. Findings from this study indicate that there is a strong relationship between family leisure involvement and the degree of family functioning. However, the most important aspect arises when we discuss the importance of leisure to family life. "Otium" was associated with the seasonal withdrawal of the upper-classes from the city to their country estates. This included activities such as hunting, racing, shooting, cricket, boxing and walking. Leisure and recreation were restricted to the dominant social classed in earlier historical periods; in many ways, the way in which someone spent their free time indicated their place in social hierarchies, similarly to clothes or living arrangements. However, the term also incorporated negative connotations such as the ones identified by Tertullian and Jerome who argued that "otium" could be decoded as "idleness.
Common topics in this essay:
Zabriskie McCormick,
English Dictionary,
Human Rights,
Max Horkheimer,
Michel Foucault,
Tertullian Jerome,
Foucault Western,
Middle Ages,
,
Inns Court,
zabriskie mccormick,
cited zabriskie mccormick,
modern society,
family leisure,
leisure activities,
modern europe,
mccormick 282,
idea leisure,
cited zabriskie,
concept leisure,
zabriskie mccormick 282,
exist modern sense,
relationship family leisure,
medieval modern,
mccormick 282 studies,
|
Acceptance Essays
