LEISURE AND EDUCATION

Leisure and Education

Leisure and Education

Introduction

Education and leisure are significant domains in people's lives. At first glance, they may be seen as contradictory; whereas leisure is associated with freedom and relaxation, education is associated with learning and may not be perceived as related to freedom. This is especially due to the tendency to associate education with a formal way of studying in school as illustrated in the following definition: '[education is] social process in which one achieves social competence and individual growth, carried in a selected controlled setting which can be institutionalised as a school or college'.The perceived contradiction between leisure and education may also derive from the fact that for many generations schools have been mostly concerned with roles related to work life. However, it is important to note that education can be formal and informal and can be undertaken anywhere. Recent definition of education indicates that 'education does not have to take place in schools', and furthermore, 'it is not a name of a particular activity or process. It is a name applied generically to a number of different activities and processes'. This implies that education can be also undertaken within the leisure domain. The relationships between leisure and education have been highlighted by leisure scholars over the past several decades, indicating that these two domains are interrelated. Dewey (2004) has indicated two types of link between education and leisure. The first lies in the educational philosophy which regards preparation for full and satisfying leisure life as part of the aims of education. When translated into practice it implies preparation of 'young people in the schools for the kind of leisure experience which are presently available to them and will be available in later life'. The second link lies in ensuring that the learning activities undertaken by students are enjoyable and thus contain the leisure elements. This link Parker names 'education as leisure', where 'the learning process itself can take on some characteristics of leisure'. Leisure and education are linked in their common function of developing the personality, and since education is not bounded to schooling but is rather a life-long process, leisure can be infused into education at various forms of adult education.

Perceived V Actual Relationship

The strong connection between leisure and education has been further described by Bender et al. as follows: 'education should prepare students for all major life functions, including use of leisure time. Since leisure is central to one's life experience, it rightfully deserves increased educational attention' (1984: 3).A further examination of the way leisure education has been defined suggests that learning is one of the common threads running through leisure and education. For example, Bright bill and Mobley have perceived leisure as part of learning. Emphasizing the need for education for full life, they highlighted the much potential that leisure has for learning, asserting that 'In leisure we can, if we choose, add the how to the why of learning' (1977: 28). Roberts's definition of leisure relates it to the process of learning ...