Understanding Contemporary Leisure Essay - 649 Words

Cultural, societal and technological movements in America defined leisure as we know it today. All facets of life including religion, education and government played a part in shaping modern leisure. Several events in particular played a major role: the philosophical views of ancient Greece, the shifts in religious beliefs during the Protestant Reformation, the major technological advancements of the Industrial Revolution, and the overall rapid growth of society during the early 1900s. Through these events, leisure played drastically different roles but its significance was apparent and we can still feel its influences today. To gain a better understanding of contemporary leisure, it helps to take a look at its origins during the†¦show more content†¦In order to achieve this freedom, Aristotle believed man should be a balance of many facets of Greek life. The ideal man was a balanced artist, musician, soldier and philosopher. Education and time spent in these areas created a better citizen in Aristotle’s eyes. Although leisure was described as a state of contentment, Aristotle did classify music and contemplation as leisure activities. Music was a focal point of Greek culture and defined its citizens. Plato is noted as explaining that, whomever cannot hold his place in the chorus, is not really an educated man (De Grazia, 1962, p. 15). Similar to music, contemplation was a highly regarded activity in an educated man. Aristotle believed that happiness extended only so far as contemplation did (p. 18). Contemplation, happiness, and leisure were intertwined and created the holistic individua l and society the Greeks strived for. Based on this idea of balance, Aristotle’s teachings seem to relate to a more affluent audience. He tends to focus on the elite of society and the men that had the money and time to focus themselves on the different areas Aristotle claimed would profit their lives. His teachings may not have been applicable to the Greek working class. In contemporary society, individuals of all classes strive to reach the similar goals of freedom and happiness that Aristotle defined. Modern society strives to engage in activities that give them the most pleasure. However, theShow MoreRelated Margit Stange’s Literary Criticism of Chopin’s The Awakening808 Words   |  4 Pagesseries of meaningful connections between Kate Chopin’s dramatization of Edna Pontellier’s â€Å"awakening† and the historical context of feminist thought which Stange believes influenced the novel. Part of understanding Edna’s motives and Chopin’s thinking are Stangeâ€⠄¢s well-chosen references to the contemporary ideology that shapes Edna’s thinking and her choices. Stange argues that Edna is seeking the late-nineteenth-century conception of self-ownership, which pivots on â€Å"voluntary motherhood.† Edna’s awakeningRead MoreThe Contemporary Hospitality Industry : Business And Hospitality Essay962 Words   |  4 PagesUnit 1: The Contemporary Hospitality Industry Student: O’Neil James Cohort: 2016 Program: Business and Hospitality Lecturer: Dane R. Dennis AC 1.3 Briefly identifies four international: Hospitality related Organization AND Professional Bodies. 1. Caribbean Hotel Tourism Association (CHTA) 2. United Nation World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) 3. World Travel Tourism Council (WTTC) 4. American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Some of the Professional Bodies in the UK †¢ British HospitalityRead MoreRelation Between Work And Leisure1176 Words   |  5 Pages What Author Does?†¯ The author discusses different direct and indirect issues and perspectives associated with work and leisure balance. 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Be aware ofRead MoreLeisure : The Context Of Contemporary Leisure1370 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is exactly is leisure? My one and only question when I decided to enroll in a class dedicated to leisure, recreation, parks, and tourism. According to Chapter one in the book Pastimes: The Context of Contemporary Leisure, leisure is an intricate and dynamic concept with different meanings depending on the context. My initial reaction to reading the books definition of leisure was one of confusion. Looking deeper into the course reading, I saw the author dive deeper into the very broad and unexplainedRead MoreSports As An Element Of Culture1498 Words   |  6 Pagesplace of sports, it will be impossible to fully understand contemporary society (Jarvie 2006:2). Before the 1980s the body was treated as a biological entity this remained the status quo until the postmodern era the body was seen as cultural entity (Besnier and Brownell 2012). 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Pew scholars suspected that America was going through a profound changes as â€Å"the industrial-era model of secure jobs with good wages and benefits that predominated until roughly a generation ago gave way to a more cost-conscious and globally-competitive workplaceRead MoreInequality Young People with Disabilities Experience in Leisure Activities1724 Words   |  7 Pagesregarded as a `necessary part of contemporary life† (Smith, Hughes, 1999, p. 124). Smith and Hughes discuss this quote in their study Disadvantaged families and the meaning of the holi day and discover, the importance families place on holidays. When examining leisure, a range of disciplinary approaches can be applied, and in this case psychology and sociology will be explored. More specifically psychology and how body image and cyber bullying can impact leisure participation, along with sociologyRead MoreThe Cultural Analysis Of Outdoor Leisure Essay1732 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis of Outdoor Leisure in the Select Field Cities 1. Introduction In the last chapter, the development of outdoor leisure practices in the selected cities is in tamed with the transformations of Chinese government economic strategies. With increasing disposable money, overall increased spare time compared with Maoist era, health conscious as well as the negative consequences caused by modernization in terms of high pressure of working condition with high trade-off leisure time, psychic tensionsRead MoreSports As An Element Of Culture1494 Words   |  6 Pagesunderstand contemporary society without acknowledging the place of sports (Jarvie 2006:2). 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