Unit 2: Having Fun

1. Unit 2: Having Fun Central questions … What “state of mind” is leisure? What are different ways that people feel leisure? What roles do intrinsic satisfaction and freedom play in the leisure experience?

2. Leisure as a “state of mind” usually involves the qualities of: Happiness Relaxation Pleasure Ritual Freedom Solitude Intrinsic reward Commitment Play Spirituality Game Risk Laughter

3. How you experience leisure has an effect on the kind of person you are. A poem, called The Invitation, by Danah Zohar, inspired by Oriah the Mountain Dreamer, Native American Elder (May 1994) illustrates this point.

4. Aristotle’s philosophy of eudaimonia … the highest of all practicable goods, living well, and doing well. What form of life satisfies this concept? • the ability to choose and engage in worthy pursuits • worthy pursuits are those that involve good action and are pursued for reasons of intrinsic satisfaction

5. Positive Psychology & Authentic Happiness • Positive Psychology is the study of “conditions and processes that contribute to the flourishing or optimal functioning of people, groups, or institutions” (Gable & Haidt, 2005) • Much research has been conducted in this field to explore well-being and happiness for individuals (www.authentichappiness.com)

6. Well-Being Theory and Happiness (PERMA) • Positive emotion • Engagement • Relationships • Meaning and purpose • Accomplishment To learn more, read Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being

7. Pleasure • A biological sensation that the organism seeks • Social views of pleasure: cynicism, skepticism, stoicism, epicurianism, and hedonism • Classifications: sensory, expressive, intellectual • Csikszentimihayli & flow

8. Leisure as freedom …. “freedom from” – escape from the necessities of life “freedom to” – seizing the possibilities by choosing to act

9. Kelly’s Leisure Types

10. Can there be such a thing as too much freedom?(research by B. Schwartz, 2000) • Americans live in a time and place in which freedom and autonomy are valued above all else • We have so many opportunities that it is possible for freedom, autonomy, and self-determination to become excessive • Excessive choice is resulting in life dissatisfaction • Society should guide people to activities that include commitment to education, social groups, excellence, and commitment to virtues like honesty, loyalty, courage, and justice

11. Intrinsic Reward • Aristotle said that eudaimonia involved activities that had no end apart from themselves • The relationship between rewards and intrinsic satisfaction is very complex • Self-determination theory shows that people have three needs that must be supported to remain curious, vital and self-motivated: • Competence • Autonomy • Relatedness • Research on motivation has profound implications for improving life by providing more opportunities for intrinsic motivation

12. Play Theories Older: Surplus Energy Preparation Relaxation More Recent: Catharsis Behavioristic Psychoanalytic Contemporary: Arousal Seeking Competence-Effectance

13. Play: A Fundamental Human Activity • Play is seen as a fundamental human activity engaged in by people of all ages. • “We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.” - George Bernard Shaw

14. Games • Callois’ classification distinguished four types of play that occur in games: • Agon • Alea • Mimicry • Illinx • Drinking games provide an example of “reversal of competence” in games

15. Relaxation • Non-activity, “leisurely” • Our Puritan forefathers taught us “idle hands were the devil’s workshop” and we should stay busy to “be good” • However, we now know that deep relaxation can be time for reflection, day dreaming, peacefulness, contemplation, or meditation.

16. Solitude • Time spent alone is time we can get to know ourselves. • How important is solitude? • Time to know and love ourselves

17. Leisure as seriousness • Personal identification with the activity • Longevity • Specialization • Investment of time and money • Often a life-time commitment

18. Stebbins’ concept of“serious leisure” • Serious Leisure – avocation that is central to life - high investment - long term and constant • Casual Leisure – lesser degree of commitment. The leisure pursuit is short-lived and requires no special training. • Project-based Leisure – an even lesser degree of commitment. The leisure pursuit is short-term, and often involves complications and creativity.

19. Spiritual Intelligence Types of Intelligence: • IQ – intellectual and rational intelligences • EQ – emotional intelligence • SQ – spiritual intelligence (finding life meaning)

20. Indications of a Highly Developed SQ • The capacity to be flexible (actively and spontaneously adaptive) • A high degree of self-awareness • The quality of being inspired by vision and values • A tendency to see the connections between diverse things (being “holistic”) • Being “field-independent” (possessing a facility for working against convention) • A tendency to ask “Why?” or “What if?” questions

21. Intrinsic Satisfaction & Freedom • Central to understanding the leisure experience • What aspects of freedom are so important to understanding leisure? • What is it about intrinsic satisfaction that makes leisure unique? • Can you recall the innate needs that bring people intrinsic satisfaction?

22. Review • Give examples from your experiences to fit Kelly’s four categories of • Unconditional leisure • Relational leisure • Recuperative leisure • Role-determined leisure