Abstracts
of Annals of Leisure Research, Volume 2: 1999
Jenkins,
J. (1999). Politics and management of recreational lands: a case study of
crown land policy making in NSW, 1856-1980. Annals of Leisure Research,
2, 1-27.
This
paper examines aspects of the politics of the establishment and early
management of national parks and state recreation areas (SRAs) in New South
Wales (NSW). The premise of this paper is that, to understand the
contemporary politics of recreation policy and management, one must first
understand their historical development. Considerable attention is given to
Crown land legislation and policy from the early nineteenth century to 1980,
and to the NSW Department of Lands, the organisation responsible for much
Crown land administration and policy for most of that period. The discussion
leads to an explanation of why national parks and SRAs were initially
established and managed by the Lands Department but then transferred to the
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service in 1967 and 1980, respectively.
Crown land legislation and policy dating back to the nineteenth century left
indelible marks on recent public land administration and management in NSW.
Compounding these broader historical influences were the archaic
organisational frameworks and entrenched culture of the Department of Lands,
the institutional and management structures of which adapted too
slowly to the challenges and demands of the mid- to late-twentieth century.
Burden,
J. (1999). Leisure as process and change: what do older people say? Annals
of Leisure Research, 2, 28-43.
This
paper examines the notion of leisure as process and leisure as change.
Drawing on recently completed research, which used a case study approach to
explore the ways in which older people constructed their leisure through
engagement with community theatre, I discuss how some qualitative research
methods are supportive of emergent theories about leisure as a process of
change. When 'subjects' of research become co-participants in the
construction of new meanings, then a picture of leisure as a process can
emerge. Process implies change over time, and so the conceptualisation of
leisure as process allows us to recognise change as a fundamental aspect of
the leisure experience. The paper concludes that if we are to embrace change
in leisure studies we need to examine both our research methods and the ways
in which we 'deliver' leisure services.
Mansvelt,
J. (1999). Producing rural recreation spaces: representation and place
identity. Annals of Leisure Research, 2, 44-57.
Rural
spaces in New Zealand have tended to be associated with rugged wildness,
agricultural productivity and the mastery of landscape through the
(masculine) pioneering spirit. Such images are perpetuated in 'Dairyland',
an interactive visitor centre located near Hawera, a rural service town in
South Taranaki. The created environment that comprises the Dairyland
experience is a function of the symbolic representations of 'authentic'
images of pastoral production and the actions of the owners and managers of
the site. This landscape of leisure reinforces taken-for-granted constructs
of rural space and simultaneously creates meanings of place which connect
the company which owns the site with local place identity. Public debate
surrounding the use of Dairyland for tourist information services suggests
such 'powerful' representations of space may be resisted. The complex and
contested nature of the production of this particular leisure space
indicates the necessity for further research into how such representations
are read and given meaning by different groups of users.
Davidson,
P. & Black, R. (1999). Negotiating ideologies: women finding a place in
national park agencies. Annals of Leisure Research, 2, 58-72.
Although
significant changes have occurred with regard to women's access to
employment in natural resource management agencies over the past twenty
years, field-based and management positions remain male-identified. A case
study of women's experiences working in two Australian national park
agencies reveals some 'discomfort' and conflict as a consequence of the
positions being constructed as masculine. This paper explores these issues
drawing on post-structuralist concepts of contested subjectivities, and
argues that an on-going process occurs where women negotiate ideologies that
are significant to their senses of self, such as career woman, mother,
conservationist and the masculine-defined position of Ranger. This
interpretation suggests that the successful inclusion of women into
traditional male workplaces requires the feminisation of the workplace and
the construction and acceptance of a diverse set of feminine subjectivities
that are seen as valid by women, men and the institution.
Carter, M. &
Colyer, S. (1999). Feminising the outdoors: women and adventure recreation
leadership. Annals of Leisure Research, 2, 73-86.
While
most sport administrators acknowledge the advantages of managing sport
organisations as businesses, or at least the need to use good management
practices, they are frequently unaware of the features that distinguish
sport from other forms of business. This paper aims to review these distinct
features which make sport a special enterprise. These features include an
intense emotional relationship between members, fans and their clubs, and
ongoing tension between the sometimes competing goals of on-field success
and profitability. The other major features are the importance of a balanced
competition, the difficulties in ensuring constant quality, the frequent
need for collaboration between competing clubs, the desire of members and
fans to publicly display their club and player affiliations, and the
difficulty in meeting sharp increases in demand.
Stewart,
B., & Smith, A. (1999). The special features of sport. Annals of
Leisure Research, 2, 87-99.
While
most sport administrators acknowledge the advantages of managing sport
organisations as businesses, or at least the need to use good management
practices, they are frequently unaware of the features that distinguish
sport from other forms of business. This paper aims to review these distinct
features which make sport a special enterprise. These features include an
intense emotional relationship between members, fans and their clubs, and
ongoing tension between the sometimes competing goals of on-field success
and profitability. The other major features are the importance of a balanced
competition, the difficulties in ensuring constant quality, the frequent
need for collaboration between competing clubs, the desire of members and
fans to publicly display their club and player affiliations, and the
difficulty in meeting sharp increases in demand.
Polistina,
K. (1999). Cultural and environmental education by and for Indigenous
Australians, through the Medium of outdoor recreation and education. Annals
of Leisure Research, 2, 100-19.
This
article examines the issues surrounding the involvement of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) peoples in leisure programs, with a particular
emphasis on outdoor recreation and education. First, the social and personal
issues, and the reasons provided for these issues in many ATSI communities,
are reviewed. This is followed by a discussion of a contradiction in the
term 'Indigenous outdoor recreation and education (ORE) programs' and a
brief critique of the Western Outdoor recreation and education context in
which these programs are placed. Finally, ways in which education by, and
for, ATSI peoples through the ORE medium could contribute to a future
society with a heightened acceptance and respect for cultural diversity and
environmentalism, are also discussed.
Lynch,
R., & Jonson, P. (1999). A chronology of Australian courses in
recreation and leisure studies. Annals of Leisure Research, 2,
120-130.
The
broad field of leisure and recreation studies is now well established in
Australia with degree courses, majors or individual subjects offered in a
majority of Australian Universities and Colleges of Technical and Further
Education (TAFE). The development of the area, and its consolidation within
the tertiary education sector, is the result of a rich historical and
political process, with several parallels to the development of leisure
studies in Aotearoa-New Zealand and elsewhere in the world, but particularly
in North America. An interpretive paper addressing these parallels, and
contrasting Australian course developments with those elsewhere, is
forthcoming from the authors. What this research note simply seeks to do is
present a chronology of the evolution of courses in the area as a
contribution to the historical record for the field of leisure studies.
Gomez_Fort,
R. (1999) Some conceptual issues associated with measuring 'quality'. Annals
of Leisure Research, 2, 131-137.
Customer
satisfaction has been a 'buzzword' of the 1990s. Organisations worldwide
have attempted to measure customer needs, expectations and satisfaction with
service. The issue of satisfaction and quality of experience has also
received much attention in academic literature. With a slightly different
outcome in mind, government agencies are encouraged to evaluate quality
through management performance measurement, as this is seen to be associated
with increased efficiency and effectiveness. Despite this attention – and
probably because of the complex nature of this field of study – little
consensus has been reached. One step towards clarification in measuring
'quality' is to understand that there are arguably two key questions that
need to be addressed: Who is being asked to evaluate 'quality'? And what
facets of quality are they being asked to evaluate? I discuss these issues
in the context of the current literature. I also discuss a number of
methodological problems in measuring these aspects of quality, using
examples from the research program of the Centennial Park and Moore Park
Trust (Sydney). The experience of the trust highlights the need for
measurement clarity.
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