Unit 5: Leisure’s Anthropology 1.How culture impacts leisure 2.Cultural change, leisure & quality of life 3.Leisure in the earliest human cultures 4.Leisure, modernization and post- modernism 5.Leisure in developing cultures 1.How culture impacts leisure 2.Cultural change, leisure & quality of life 3.Leisure in the earliest human cultures 4.Leisure, modernization and post- modernism 5.Leisure in developing cultures

Characteristics of Culture  Shared  Learned  Symbols  Integrated “Leisure Affects Culture and Culture Affects Leisure”  Shared  Learned  Symbols  Integrated “Leisure Affects Culture and Culture Affects Leisure”

Symbolic Interaction  Symbolic interaction means that people’s actions are usually meant to communicate something to others, and that the others who are objects of the communication constantly try to understand the meaning of those actions.  Culture arises from symbolic interaction and disappears without symbolic interaction  People convey a lot about what really matters to them through their leisure experiences.  Symbolic interaction means that people’s actions are usually meant to communicate something to others, and that the others who are objects of the communication constantly try to understand the meaning of those actions.  Culture arises from symbolic interaction and disappears without symbolic interaction  People convey a lot about what really matters to them through their leisure experiences.

The Worfian Hypothesis  Benjamin Lee Worf, 1956, declared that language not only becomes a way of communicating among people, but becomes the entire definition of culture.  Hypothesis declares that language provides habitual grooves of expression that dictate people’s thinking and behavior.  Two views: –Chick’s research does not support the hypothesis –Maybe the language we use for leisure does matter in some important ways.  Benjamin Lee Worf, 1956, declared that language not only becomes a way of communicating among people, but becomes the entire definition of culture.  Hypothesis declares that language provides habitual grooves of expression that dictate people’s thinking and behavior.  Two views: –Chick’s research does not support the hypothesis –Maybe the language we use for leisure does matter in some important ways.

Privatization  Privatization is the process of changing an industry from government control to individual control and ownership  Privatization shows how changes in recreation affect a culture  Privatization is impacting recreation services in America today  Do you think this has an effect on people’s access to recreation in the U.S.? Do you think Recreation should be privatized?  Privatization is the process of changing an industry from government control to individual control and ownership  Privatization shows how changes in recreation affect a culture  Privatization is impacting recreation services in America today  Do you think this has an effect on people’s access to recreation in the U.S.? Do you think Recreation should be privatized?

Leisure and Cultural Change Mechanisms for change that have implications for leisure:  Innovation  Diffusion  Loss  Acculturation Mechanisms for change that have implications for leisure:  Innovation  Diffusion  Loss  Acculturation

Leisure in Developing Cultures  Development refers to the extent to which resources of an area or country have been brought into full productivity  Developed countries  Less developed countries  Implications for leisure: –View of time –Amount of discretionary income  Development refers to the extent to which resources of an area or country have been brought into full productivity  Developed countries  Less developed countries  Implications for leisure: –View of time –Amount of discretionary income

Leisure in Developed Cultures  Leisure in developed cultures tends to focus on materialism  American’s own twice as many things as in 1957  They rate themselves as “slightly less happy” today than in 1957  More focus on intrinsic satisfaction may make people happier than acquiring things  Leisure in developed cultures tends to focus on materialism  American’s own twice as many things as in 1957  They rate themselves as “slightly less happy” today than in 1957  More focus on intrinsic satisfaction may make people happier than acquiring things

Is Wealth a Recipe for Happiness?  David G. Meyers studies subjective well- being of people all over the world  World-wide people report being at least moderately happy regardless of age and gender  What is the association between wealth and happiness?  David G. Meyers studies subjective well- being of people all over the world  World-wide people report being at least moderately happy regardless of age and gender  What is the association between wealth and happiness?

Impact of Eco-Tourism  Eco-tourism can be defined as visiting a destination in order to experience the native physical, cultural and ecological aspects of a region.  Case study “Torrent of Tourists” p. 146  What are the positive and negative impacts?  Describe how both leisure impacts culture and culture impacts leisure  Eco-tourism can be defined as visiting a destination in order to experience the native physical, cultural and ecological aspects of a region.  Case study “Torrent of Tourists” p. 146  What are the positive and negative impacts?  Describe how both leisure impacts culture and culture impacts leisure

Peter Mentzel’s book the Material World (backdrop photo from p. 25)  Three profound discoveries: –individual families in developing countries appear to be generally happy but they are suffering from the PPE spiral –Industrialized countries have small nuclear families, developing countries have large, extended families –Numbers in rich societies are declining in comparison to numbers in poorer societies  Three profound discoveries: –individual families in developing countries appear to be generally happy but they are suffering from the PPE spiral –Industrialized countries have small nuclear families, developing countries have large, extended families –Numbers in rich societies are declining in comparison to numbers in poorer societies

Material World (p. 163) The Thoroddsen Family, Iceland

Material World (p. 73) The Namgay Family, Bhutan

Leisure in Early Human Cultures  Leisure experiences including napping, artistic expression and religious activities were part of human cultures before civilization and language developed  Veblen’s theory of the leisure class hypothesized: –Prior to division of growing crops and division of labor everyone had equal leisure –As soon as surplus food was generated through agriculture work divided into men’s and women’s work. A leisure class, of people who were supported by others, developed.  Leisure experiences including napping, artistic expression and religious activities were part of human cultures before civilization and language developed  Veblen’s theory of the leisure class hypothesized: –Prior to division of growing crops and division of labor everyone had equal leisure –As soon as surplus food was generated through agriculture work divided into men’s and women’s work. A leisure class, of people who were supported by others, developed.

Modernization  Modernization is the process a society goes through when it is seek to acquire and adopting the characteristics common to industrially advanced societies  Ethnocentrism  Influences of modernization on leisure: –Specialization –Time consciousness –Spending money on leisure activities  Modernization is the process a society goes through when it is seek to acquire and adopting the characteristics common to industrially advanced societies  Ethnocentrism  Influences of modernization on leisure: –Specialization –Time consciousness –Spending money on leisure activities

Technology & Leisure  “Leisure: Curse or Blessing?” –Post WWII they thought people would have lots of free time because they would be “freed by technological advances”  In reality: –Free time is fragmented –Technology enables people to work 24/7 –We just do more with less –We have to work more to pay for the things we desire to use in our free time  “Leisure: Curse or Blessing?” –Post WWII they thought people would have lots of free time because they would be “freed by technological advances”  In reality: –Free time is fragmented –Technology enables people to work 24/7 –We just do more with less –We have to work more to pay for the things we desire to use in our free time

Post-Modernism and Leisure  Postmodernism the breakdown of standards, and the increasing pace of economic and social change.  Cultural Pluralism  Impact on leisure –Individualism and self-fulfillment –More isolated and linked to technology –Change is rapid –Leisure is more non-traditional  Postmodernism the breakdown of standards, and the increasing pace of economic and social change.  Cultural Pluralism  Impact on leisure –Individualism and self-fulfillment –More isolated and linked to technology –Change is rapid –Leisure is more non-traditional

Food for Thought …  Leisure has the potential to create common bonds through shared experience  Implications for leisure in post-modern culture if people are going to obtain long-term happiness –Work and leisure may merge –Such a thing as too much choice –Schwartz proposes that guidelines for behavior actually give us more freedom and increase our chances for life satisfaction  Leisure has the potential to create common bonds through shared experience  Implications for leisure in post-modern culture if people are going to obtain long-term happiness –Work and leisure may merge –Such a thing as too much choice –Schwartz proposes that guidelines for behavior actually give us more freedom and increase our chances for life satisfaction