What role does
leisure play in social,
cultural and
economic development?
Leisure plays a very
important role in social, cultural and economic development. All three of these aspects are influenced by
leisure activities and things related to leisure.
Leisure, along with
recreation and play has a great effect on
people socially by influencing their
personal and
social identities.
Personal
identity is how we view ourselves while social identity is how
other view you, and leisure
affects both of these views. During the period of adolescence what you do
in your leisure time affects your personal identity. Socially your identity is highly influenced by the groups you
associate with. These groups usually
have shared values and attitudes, which are many times determined during your
leisure time with the group. There are
also many social values that affect how you spend your leisure time such as
family structure, social norms, friends, and facility availability. However there are also negative affects that
leisure can have on social development.
Leisure can include things like gambling, substance abuse, and violence
all of which inhibit social development.
Culturally, your
choice in leisure is determined by what are considered acceptable
behaviors. Culture and society at the
time help decide what are acceptable behaviors and thus influences your leisure
pursuits. Our cultural meanings of
activity and experience help shape our leisure expectations. Also, an individual’s style of leisure says
a lot about the culture they are in, and can help influence the culture of the
time. Cultural development also is
influenced by the freedom of leisure we are allowed to have. There are certain social roles and cultural
expectations that people are expected to follow in their pursuit of leisure.
Leisure also plays an
enormous role in economic development.
For one people can benefit from the opportunities that leisure services
provide. One major way leisure affects
economic development is that the economy is enhanced when leisure creates new
jobs, spurs consumption of goods, and increases tax revenues. People spend a lot of money each year in
their pursuit leisure activities, whether it is through travel and tourism or
in their community. This money that is
being spent helps the economy grow and prosper. It’s not just individual citizens that contribute to this
either. The government also spends a
dramatic amount of money in setting up recreation and leisure service providers
at all levels. These leisure service
providers then lead to an increase in employment. And this spending on leisure activities is only increasing over
the years. All of this promotion and
spending of money gets people involved and helps economic development.
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