Leisure Education in Colleges and Universities

Abstract

In manifold ways colleges and universities foster leisure and thereby leisure education. Some of this leisure education is an unintended consequence of the official mission and practices of these institutions, while some is formal training that can also be understood as serious leisure leading to devotee work. In other words, by means of these leisure activities, such institutions also educate the participants in their pursuits, sometimes doing so unintentionally. This article first examines the informal side of post-secondary education and then considers the formal aspect, as seen for example, in coursework and seminars. This formal side is preprofessional amateurism leading to devotee work in a profession, whether public-centered or client-centered. Next, discussion turns to the methodological basis of this article – the flaneur approach -- and then to the nature of leisure education over the life course. The college and university leisure scene is a unique lifetime experience, and as such, stands as yet another advantage in life gained from earning a degree at one of these institutions. The optimal leisure lifestyle as affected by the leisure experiences during higher education is also considered. A common-sense understanding of leisure tends to influence administrative decision-making. The evidence across much of the world is that academic units devoted to teaching and research in leisure studies are under siege. Their instructional staff is being reduced in size and, in some instances, folded into another academic unit or simply eliminated. Whether this trend reduces the formal opportunities for campus leisure and leisure education should be assessed.