Prr 213, Introduction to Parks, Recreation and Leisure

PRR 213, INTRODUCTION TO PARKS, RECREATION AND LEISURE

Spring Semester 2002

Department of Park, Recreation and Tourism

Michigan State University

CLASS:Monday and WednesdayINSTRUCTOR:Dr. Richard Paulsen

3:00-4:20 p.m.OFFICE:Natural Resources Bldg., 131

PHONE:517-353-5190Ext. 114(office)

CLASSROOM: 223 Natural ResourcesEMAIL:

OFFICE HOURS:Monday WEB:

10-12 Noon

Or by appointment

INTRODUCTION

Our society has developed important social institutions which enable us to pursue personal fulfillment. One of these institutions is loosely identified as leisure services. (This course is designed to orient students majoring in Park, Recreation and Tourism Resources to the conceptual foundations, constellation of services, and management issues associated with the profession. Primary focal points for this course include: a) historical and philosophical foundations of the parks and recreation field, b) the demand for resources and services, c) the types of resources and services and how they are managed, and d) career and professional opportunities. Students will also have the opportunity to explore the significance of recreation and leisure in their lives.)

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The course is designed to enable you to:

explore the rudiments of historical and current views of recreation, leisure, play and work;

formulate personal working definitions for the above mentioned concepts and begin developing a professional philosophy;

become aware of professional responsibilities and resources;

understand the basic motivations for recreation participation of and provision for various consumer groups;

examine the spectrum of the recreation resource and delivery systems in the public and private sectors;

investigate the various aspects of the field including tourism and commercial recreation, natural resource management, visitor information services, programming, planning, research, and therapeutic recreation;

interview a park and recreation professional to discuss park, recreation or tourism resources on an individual basis.

WRITING SKILLS

Because effective writing skills are important to any profession, attention will be paid to the actual writing components of your papers. All written work is to be professionally presented with attention paid to elements such as structure, clarity, grammar and spelling. Due to its importance in all writing, you should give yourself time and opportunities to revise your work.

REQUIRED TEXTS

Kraus, R. 2001. Recreation and Leisure in Modern Society 6th ed. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

ASSIGNMENTS

ASSIGNMENT #1 (two sections) PERSONAL DEFINITION OF RECREATION - due: February 27 (100 points). 7-10 types pages not including title page or reference page. (100 points)

Goal:To provide an opportunity for each student to initiate the process of formulating his/her views on fundamental concepts.

State clearly your definition of recreation. Describe the elements of this definition and why you believe that they are important. Present a definition of recreation from the literature and discuss why you selected this particular definition. Compare and contrast your definition with the definition from the literature. Explain how your definition of recreation relates to the concepts Aleisure@, Aplay@, Atourism@ and Awork@ and provide a Aven diagram@ of this relationship.

Discuss how the following factors have affected your current participation in recreational activities:

current geographical location and one other place that you have lived;

current age;

current economic condition;

current personal mobility (physical and mechanical);

friends and family influence (and preferred social group);

experiences, training, opportunities as a child; and

other relevant factors (factors that have influenced your recreation behavior and are not included in the list above);

* Note: you must relate elements of this discussion to readings and class discussion (provide references which support this discussion).

ASSIGNMENT #2MANAGEMENT OF LEISURE SERVICES (Group Paper) - Due April 15 (100 Points)

Goal:To provide an opportunity for each student to develop insights into the management of recreation services.

A group of 3 students is to select a recreation activity in which they participate or one in which they have a strong interest and locate a recreation service organization that offers this activity. Make an appointment to interview the organizational manager responsible for the activity of interest to you and gather the following information:

Describe the activity that you have selected and the history of each group members= involvement with that activity (participant, spectator, provider).

Choose a leisure service organization and discuss the management of the chosen activity. In your discussion, you are to include, but you are not limited to, the following topics:

mission of the organization and management objectives for the activity,
structure of the organization (organizational chart)
discussion of whether the facilities and/or natural resource(s) that directly support the activity are provided by the government and/or private sector and if this provision is profit-oriented (if not profit-oriented, but fees are collected, where do the fees go?);
policies which guide the operation of the activity of interest;
explanation of the annual operating budget for the activity, including salaries of personnel at various levels (if possible), and allocation of budget directly in support of your selected activity;
discussion of the number of personnel (full and part-time) assigned to operate the activity, and their basic work responsibilities;
description (demographic profile) of the users/participants; and
overview of the visitor information system/promotional efforts/marketing strategies used to reach clients/visitors/users of this activity.

In addition, from your interview discuss two issues confronting the management of the activity that you have selected.

To conclude the paper each student is to describe his/her impressions of the organization and how it is managed for the selected activity. This discussion is to reflect the student=s knowledge of professional concepts and information gleaned from readings and class discussion. Also, each student is to state specifically how this investigation has affected his/her view of the activity of interest and recreation services in general (Minimum two pages for each student). [Individual points for section D = 25 points].

Appendix: Provide the written questions used during your interview and the full name, title and address of the manager who was interviewed. Include a copy of the thank you letter that you sent the manager for his/her assistance.

In this paper, document your knowledge through use of course notes and references to readings. Length: 7-10 pages excluding title page, Section D, reference list, and appendix. (75 group points and 25 individual points). [Individual points for Section D = 25].

GROUP PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS TO CLASS: Small group presentation - 25 points for each group member present.

Extra Credit:CURRENT EVENTS ARTICLE SUMMARY

Two points each (maximum of 10 articles per student or 20 points total for semester)

Bring in a Acurrent@ article pertaining to Issues of leisure to share with the class. Newspaper clippings, news magazines, sports, recreation and health magazines and television news reports[1] are good sources. Stapled the article to a one paragraph (double spaced with standard margins) description of key points of the article and why it is relevant/important. Include your name and date on the summary. (Only one article summary per week, per student will be accepted. The articles must be turned in at the beginning of the class period). These articles are separate from Assignment #2.

POLICY ON LATE ASSIGNMENTS AND MAKE-UP EXAMS

Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the scheduled due date. Late assignments will be deducted 5 points per day late.

Presentations which are due and scheduled to be presented during a specified class period may not be made up.

No one will be excused from taking exams or handing in assignments at the times scheduled without PRIOR permission of the instructor or a written doctor=s excuse. If for some reason I am out of the office, be sure to leave a message (don=t forget to leave your name and phone number) with a secretary. They answer the phones from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at 353-5190, Monday through Friday.

Individuals who miss lectures are expected to make arrangements with fellow students to obtain the material presented. The instructor=s lecture notes will not be duplicated for make-up purposes.

EVALUATION

Grades will be determined on the following basis:

AssignmentPoints

Exam I (February 4)100
Exam II (February 25)100
Exam III (April 1)100
Exam IV (April 29)100
Assignment #1 (February 27)100
Assignment #2 (April 15)75

Individual perspectives (Individual)25

Small group presentation (Individual)25

625 Total Points

FINAL GRADE

Final grade is based on the following scale:

4.0 = 90% or more

3.5 = 85% -89%

3.0 = 80%-84%

2.5 = 75%-79%

2.0 = 70%-74%

1.5 = 65%-69%

1.0 = 60%-64%

0.0 = Below 60%

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE

Note: At the beginning of each class meeting we will discuss current events on campus, surrounding communities, Michigan, the United States, and the World related to leisure behavior and leisure services management. Additionally, current professional information from a variety of professional organizations which support the leisure services industry will be shared.

Date:Topic:Readings:

MondayCourse overview

January 7

Module One: Conceptual Foundations of Leisure, Recreation and Play

The fundamental concepts of leisure, recreation and play provide the foundation for the provision of leisure services. To e effective, leisure services managers must incorporate these concepts into their professional philosophy of service. Students will be provided opportunities to develop an understanding of the conceptual foundations of leisure, recreation and play for all populations and settings.

Date:Topic:Readings:

WednesdayDefinitions, Philosophies and Theories of RecreationText, Chap.: 1,2

January 9Play and Work

MondayDefinitions, Philosophies & Theories of RecreationReadings:

January 14and work (continued)Text, Chap.: 1,2

WednesdayLeisure and Recreation in World HistoryReadings:

January 16Text, Chap. 3 pp. 49-61

Module Two: Leisure, Recreation and Play: Historical Perspectives

Throughout the development of our culture, leisure and recreation has played a significant role in the fabric of life and influenced social, political and economic institutions. In this module, students will be provided an opportunity to develop an understanding of the psychological, sociological and physiological significance of play, recreation and leisure from a historical perspective of all populations and settings.

Date:Topic:Readings

MondayDr. Martin Luther King

January 21Observance (NO CLASS)

WednesdayEarly History of Leisure and Recreation in the Text, Chap. 3 pp. 62-81

January 23United States

Date:Topic:Readings:

MondayEarly History of Leisure and Recreation in theText, Chap. 3 pp. 82-121

January 28United States (continued)

Module Three: Development of Leisure Services Profession

The leisure services profession that exists today has evolved as a result of social, political and economic pressures into a significant institution in our culture. Students will be provided an opportunity to develop an understanding of the history and development of the leisure services profession in the United States.

Date:Topic:Readings:

WednesdayLeisure and Recreation in the Modern United StatesText, Chap. 4

January 30

MondayExamination 1

February 4

Module Four:The Value of Leisure, Recreation and Play

Leisure, recreation and play are important activities in our culture. Leisure services managers must appreciate and understand the importance of leisure within the context of human development if they are to effectively organize programs and facilities to meet consumer demands. In this module, students will be provided with an introduction to the significance of leisure, recreation and play throughout the life cycle.

Date:Topic:Readings:

WednesdayBenefits, Constraints and Negative Aspects of LeisureText, Chap. 5 pp. 123-137

February 6and Recreation

MondayDemographic and Lifestyle Influences on Text, Chap. 5 pp. 137-155

February 11Recreation BehaviorChap. 6

Module Five: International Perspectives

Date:Topic:Readings:

WednesdayInternational Perspectives on LeisureRussell

February 13

Module Six: Professionalism in Leisure Services

Managing leisure services involves a variety of complex responsibilities. To enable leisure services managers to maintain a high level of professionalism a variety of resources are available. Students will be introduced to a number of important considerations associated with success in the leisure services field; professional, professional organizations, professional ethics, professionalism, professional development resources.

Date:Topic:Readings:

MondayProfessionalism and Professional Organizations in Text, Chap. 11

February 18Park, Recreation and Tourism

Module Seven: The Experience: Leisure Recreation and Play

Leisure services are developed, in part, to provide experiences to consumers. A variety of resources are employed to create meaningful experiences in an effective manner. Students will be provided an opportunity to understand the use of diverse community, institutional, natural and human service resources to promote and enhance the leisure experience.

Date:Topic:Readings:

WednesdayUnderstanding the Leisure ExperienceChubb & Chubb

February 20

Monday

February 25Examination 2

Module Eight: Leisure Service Delivery

The leisure services infrastructure in our society is extensive and varied. This array of service delivery models attempts to address the diverse needs of our society. Students will be provided an opportunity to understand (1) the roles and interrelationships of diverse leisure service delivery systems (2) the responsibilities of the leisure service profession to make available opportunities for leisure experiences for all population segments in our society and (3) current issues facing leisure managers in various organizations. Additionally, students will develop an understanding of the role and content of leisure service programs within these delivery systems.

Date:Topic:Readings:

MondayPublic Recreation Services (Federal & State)Text, Chap. 8 pp. 209-227

February 27

WednesdaySPRING BREAK

March 3-8

MondayPublic Recreation Services Text, Chap. 7

March 11(County & Municipal)

WednesdayRecreation Services Provided by Not-for ProfitText, Chap. 8 pp. 227-238

March 13Organizations

MondaySpecialized Services: (Employee, Military, Text, Chap. 9 pp. 258-284

March 18Campus, Church)

WednesdayTherapeutic Recreation ServicesText, Chap. 9 pp. 249-257

March 20Services

MondayCommercial Recreation ServicesText, Chap. 8 pp. 239-247

March 25

WednesdayTravel and TourismText, Chap. 10 pp. 296-311

March 27

Monday Examination 3

April 1

WednesdayNatural Resources Recreation ManagementSharpe

April 3

MondayInterpretation and visitor Information Services

April 8

WednesdayPlanning and Design of Recreation Areas & Facilities

April 10

MondayRecreation Program ManagementRossman

April 15

WednesdayLeisure Management Research Presentations

April 17

MondayLeisure Services Management: Roles and Responsibilities

April 22

WednesdayProfessional, Values & Philosophy Future of Text, Chap. 12

April 24Recreation Services, Course Summary

MondayExamination 4

April 29223 NR - 3-5 PM

PRR 213

ASSIGNMENT #1: PERSONAL DEFINITION AND RECREATION (100 POINTS)

(7-10 pages not including title page or reference page)

Definition Discussion50/

Your Definition

Compare

Contrast

Text Definition

Relationship to Concepts (Leisure, Play, Tourism, Work)

Ven Diagram

Factors Affecting Your Recreation Participation35/

Current Geographical Location

Another Geographical Location

Current Age

Current Economic Condition

Current Personal Mobility

Friends & Family Influence

Experiences, training, opportunities as a child, other relevant factors

Overall Quality10/

Mechanics5/

Total100/

PRR 213

ASSIGNMENT #2: INTRODUCTION TO PARKS, RECREATION AND LEISURE

(100 Points)

Part A:HISTORY OF INVOLVEMENT IN ACTIVITY15/

Part B: MANAGEMENT OF THE SITE

Management Objectives (4)
Nature of the Organization (public, private, non-profit) (4)
Operational Policies (4)
Annual Operating Budget (4)
Funding Sources (4)
Personal (4)
User Profile (4)
Overview of communication with visitors (visitor information

system, promotion, marketing) (4)

Part C:DISCUSSIONS OF ISSUES15/

Issue One (4)

Issue Two (4)

Part D:VIEW OF ACTIVITY AND MANAGEMENT OF THE ORGANIZATION

AS A RESULT OF YOUR RESEARCH25/

Part E:Appendix (5)5/

References

Interview Questions

Name and Address of Interviewee

LETTER THANKING INTERVIEWEE (5)5/

OVERALL QUALITY10/

MECHANICS5/

TOTAL/100

(75 group/25 individual)

[1]On televison program/report summaries include name of program, network affiliation and time of program.