Leisure Wellness and Education HPR 322 Chapter 14

Leisure Wellness and Education HPR 322 Chapter 14

�Leisure Education is a paramount function of Leisure Programming �Individuals with disabilities face barriers (constraints) to leisure participation �Undeveloped leisure can be a primer for deviant behavior �Some people avoid leisure participation because they don’t understand what it is or the benefits �Having free time is not beneficial unless you know how to use it properly

�Watching TV can have some benefits but heavy TV watching can have harmful effects: �Development of sedentary lifestyle that contributes to heart disease, obesity, hypertension, and other illnesses �Individual and community isolation �Development of violent behaviors via social learning theory �Decrease of quality time or meaningfulness in life

�Individuals seek more meaningful leisure experiences �Desire to develop appropriate skills, knowledge, attitudes required for successful participation.

Leisure Wellness �Access to information �Decision Making �Clarify Leisure-related values �Traditional strategies � Instructional programs and services

Leisure Barriers �Attitudinal – ex. Must be athletically gifted to participate in physical fitness �Communicative – Agency must provide clear, accurate, and meaningful info about offerings. Individual must be able to send and receive messages �Consumptive – Purchasing “experiences which are “in vogue” but don’t match needs �Economic – Lack of discretionary funds and individuals associate “value” with “cost”

Barriers (cont’d) �Experiential – No experience so activity is avoided �Health - Illnesses and conditions may prevent participation physically, emotionally, socially – Adaptations necessary �Leisure Awareness – “Leisure Ethic’ – Lack knowledge of benefits, resources, skills �Physical Resource – Lack of facilities and overcrowding – National Parks are being “loved to death” - Facilities in communities “run down”

Barriers (cont’d) �Social Cultural – Attention must be given to needs based on diversity – racial, ethnic, social, economic, political, and cultural �Temporal – Not having enough time or quality time to pursue leisure interests �Work schedules, year around schools, flextime, four day work weeks require new approaches to address customer’s needs

Leisure Education �Developmental process through which individuals or groups of people increase their understanding of leisure and the relationships among leisure, lifestyle, and society (Mundy, 1998) �Develops �Skills that develop competencies �Knowledge of leisure experiences available (resources) �Experience increases confidence and desire to explore �Attitudes, Values, Appreciation – Positive perception of leisure

Components of Leisure Education �Leisure Appreciation �Self-Awareness �Decision-Making �Self-Determination �Leisure Activity Skills �Community Skills �Social Skills �Leisure Resources

Components represent Goals that may be achieved by clients through Leisure Education �Leisure Appreciation �Assess attitudes toward leisure and assist clients in becoming aware that leisure offers benefits �Self-Awareness �Clients examine their leisure lifestyle to become aware of leisure values, patterns, behaviors, barriers so they make alterations

�Decision-Making �Many individuals with disabilities have not had opportunities to engage in decision-making �Self-Determination �Being in control of the course a life takes �CTRS assists clients in identifying leisure preferences and assert themselves to achieve them

�Leisure Activity Skills �Archery to Yoga – Individuals need a repertoire of activities and the skills to engage �Community Skills �Skills to participate in community life �Transportation, handling money/finances �Social Skills �Overcome deficits by �Modeling appropriate behaviors, role playing, providing opportunities, reinforcing positive skills, formal training

�Leisure Resources �Information about possible community resources (places, programs, people) to meet their interests �Leisure Ed ranges from appreciation for leisure to obtaining concrete information about possible community leisure resources

�Leisure Ed may take place in �Classes �Social Skills training groups �Community Reintegration programs �Group Counseling �Individual Counseling �Counseling is a means of Leisure Ed �CTRSs are Helping Professionals and must be able to communicate therapeutically

Leisure Ability Model �Overall purpose of Leisure Education �Assist participants in acquiring leisure- related knowledge and skills so participants can eventually gain an independent leisure lifestyle (Peterson and Stumbo, 2000) �This Leisure Education Model consists of four components

�Leisure Awareness – Knowledge of leisure, self-awareness, leisure and play attitudes, and related participatory and decision-making skills �Social Interaction Skills – Dual, Small Group, and Large Group �Leisure Activity Skills – Traditional and Non. Traditional activities and skills �Leisure Resources – Activity opportunities, personal resources, family and home resources, and state and national resources

Leisure Lifestyle Center (LLC) � Dept of Recreation Management and Therapeutic Recreation at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse �Community-Based Leisure Education Program �Begins with individualized leisure assessment in which participants become aware of leisure and self �Participants learn different skills (e. g. decisionmaking, social skills, activity skills) �The goal is to help participants experience the benefits of leisure and develop a lifestyle �Main focus is to assist individuals with disabilities