Am I a Leisure Theorist? A Dogs Perspective By Mango Hibbler (roommate to Dan K.

Hibbler) Introduction Over the past several decades, the leisure industry has exploded to comprise one of the largest and fastest growing industries in the world, whether measured in dollars spent, canines served, hours of time devoted, or resources used. The increased interest in leisure has stimulated the thinking of dogs across the globe. Researchers have found that leisure is central, not peripheral to the canine experience and leisure has become essential to the well-being of every dog. The concept of leisure, however, is one of those highly contested, debated, and critiqued constructs such as culture, race, or more recently patriotism. Therefore, leisure theorists have spent a great deal of time, money, and energy defining the concept of leisure and understanding the impact it has on our society. Out of the research, four salient definitions of leisure have been consistent: (1) Leisure as time, (2) leisure as activity, (3) leisure as a state of mind and, (4) leisure as a symbol of social status. Although these cursory definitions have been agreed upon by most, the fact is, much of the theorizing around the topic has not been initiated by scholars with backgrounds in Leisure Studies. Instead, due to the multidisciplinary nature of the field, and, of course, available research dollars, individuals from a variety of backgrounds are claiming expertise in leisure behavior. As a good dog I beg the question; Am I a leisure theorist? Leisure as Time Am I a leisure theorist? Can a member of the canine species consider themselves a student and scholar of leisure theory and professional practice? Why not? After all, along with most North Americans, I primarily view leisure as time (discretionary time, free time, time left over from the obligations of life), (Kelly & Godbey, 1992). My owner better known as my roommate/servant, spends an inordinate amount of time pondering the relationship between leisure and time. I too ponder and even brood over the tyranny of the clock. In fact, I must be a leisure theorist given the frequent expressions on my loveable face that clearly denote the depth and breath of my understanding of leisure as time. One of my favorite pastimes is to spend countless hours simply peering out the window. I can kill time with the best of them. Leisure as Activity Am I a leisure theorist? I certainly see the connection between leisure and activity (Henderson, 1997). In fact, if leisure is defined as activity, Im truly an expert. Being an aristocratic Golden Retriever, I test my leisure theorems by chasing squirrels, swimming in the lake and taking leisurely strolls around the yard while marking my territory. Oh yes, I do occasionally deconstruct the dichotomous relationship between work and leisure. After all, a dog must do the work of marking his turf even during discretionary moments. During his not so intellectual musings, I have heard my human roommate mention that the most popular play activity for adults is foreplay. Well, according to my bag of Eukanuba, I am an adult, yet I have very little interest in foreplay. I have much

more sophisticated tastes. In fact, I would much prefer to chase my own tail than that of a female dog. I suspect that is because I have been neutered by the humans. Leisure as a State of Mind Am I a leisure theorist? As a canine advocate of leisure, I contemplate the ethos of leisure as a state of mind. Leisure is a complex concept with understanding that goes far beyond the objective definitions of time or activity. What gives leisure, and life for that matter, significance is the personal meaning we experience. That is, perhaps leisure can be best defined as a psychological condition for the meaning it holds for us as a philosophy about living (Kelly, 1996). Leisure is an attitude for living that invokes selfexpression and self-actualization. For example, why does that little yappy dog on the second floor spend the entire day belting out the death bark at each leaf that falls from the tree, while I lay belly up near the bay window soaking up the sun? Apparently she has not developed a healthy attitude towards leisures importance to life satisfaction. Me, however, Im happy! Happiness is a choice. Happiness is a psychological manifestation of leisure. Moreover, we leisure purists believe that to truly experience leisure as a state of mind, one must have a connection to the Big Dog in the sky; the Creator of all dog and human kind. Leisure as a Symbol of Social Status Am I a leisure theorist? I have a friend. Her human roommate named her Prada after some ridiculously expensive designer clothing line. Prada wears a $5000 diamond studded collar, designer clothing, and is carried around in a hand bag representing her namesake. Why would humans dress dogs in designer clothing, much less diamond collars? As a leisure theorist, I posit that this behavior epitomizes leisure as a symbol of social status. Call it what you will, keeping up with the Jones, conspicuous consumption, or plain old stupid. Notwithstanding, this is clearly an example of leisure as a vehicle to display wealth and social position through status symbols (Veblen, 1953). Humans also demonstrate this conspicuous consumptive behavior with large gas guzzling cars, trophy vacations, and decadent homes in the suburbs. This dog will never understand how something as sacred as leisure has become a means for humans to put on display their wealth, power, and social status. More importantly, even my poor little rich friend Prada is a victim of leisure as a symbol of social status. Nonetheless, there will be no bling, bling for this proud, prudent pooch. I am a Leisure Theorist Being born and raised in Miami, Florida where leisure reins supreme, I have gained a thorough understanding and appreciation of the essential nature of leisure to ones overall quality of life. Further, leisure is a multidisciplinary field that includes Sociology, Psychology, Economics, Literature, Business Management, and Theology, to name a few. Given the fact that most leisure theory has been derived out of disciplines other than Leisure Studies and by scholars who have no formal background in leisure, I declare that I too am a leisure theorist!

REFERENCES Henderson, K. A. (1997). Just recreation: Ethics, gender, and equity. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 15(2), 16-31. Kelly, J. R. (1996). Leisure (3rd ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Kelly, J. R., & Godbey. G. (1992). The sociology of leisure. State College, PA: Venture. Veblen, T. (1953). The theory of the leisure class: An economic study of institutions. New York: New American Library.