Educationists and psychologists have always developed an interest in play as a characteristic common in children. Play most of the time is synonymous to children. Few adults, especially in the modern world, are interested in play. However, there are currently many leisure activities that have been created in the contemporary industrialized world that most, if not all people, can participate. This paper gives such activities serious focus. Furthermore, this essay analyses some of the approaches that have been applied to the study of play and how it relates to various leisure activities.
The concept of play has been investigated by two significant groups of authors. Many educational philosophers and theorists of the nineteenth century wrote broadly on the play, specifically on how it relates to the educational process. They formulated many theories about the concept of play that was speculative. They made observations of animal plays and made comparisons with human beings, where they deduced that the play behavior was similar in man and animals. The second approach describes studies of children’s play done by educational psychologists.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Despite the different approaches developed by various writers to attempt and distinguish play, some characteristics run across all of them. First, many of the interpretations emphasize that play is non-instrumental (Veblen, 2009). It means that play is not psychologically connected to functions which are alien to the activity and which would influence its character. The play is an activity that is not productive. It is self-contained meaning it is distinct from any economic or artistic production.
While there may be similar features between the play of animals and man as well as the play in cultures, it is vital to note that play encompasses a broad set of behavioral structures. There are no specific activities that can be said to be the conclusive definition of play. Researchers for example, argue that games cannot be defined as play. It is because many people have forged careers out of sports, which makes them economic activities hence disqualifying them as games (Caldwell and Witt, 2009). On the contrary, when children imitate sports performed by adults, they become play. The reason is that children undertake these activities for fun and not for financial obligations.
There are four main types of play theories namely, the surplus energy theory, the recreation theory, the recapitulation theory, and the instinct practice theory. The surplus energy theory depicts play as a way of releasing extra energy that remains after engaging in normal life activities. Children and young animals have a majority of their needs provided for by adults and can expend their surplus energy in spontaneous patterns. One limitation of this theory is the assumptions that play must be triggered by a quantum of extra power. It does not describe the different forms that play might take.
The recreational theory was formulated by Lazarus, a German educationalist and was supported by several authors. This theory posits that the roots of play resulted from the need to release the mental and physical stresses that arise from performing other tasks (Veblen, 2009). The primary psychological function of play in this theory is to make one cool off by participating in activities that the person enjoys or feels relaxed. The fault with this argument is that no mention is given of the ways that restore the exhausted individual. In fact, people might get very tired after taking part in recreational activities. The energy expended is not recuperated and might mean that play is intended to wear out participants.
Not much has been written on the recapitulation theory. However, it is said to raise the assumption of racial inheritance. The play activities of children are viewed as the attempt to elicit past behavior patterns which played a crucial role in the social development of the particular race. The most popular ancient theory about the play is the instinct practice theory. The roots of play are observed as instinctive, and play is regarded as a learning process (Caldwell and Witt, 2011). The play has a central role in the learning and development of individuals. When young animals, as well as children, observe adults engaging in sporting activities, they imitate them and begin to practice. The training might eventually lead them to become active participants in the sporting activities in the future. It is essential for future economic obligations and survival. This theory, therefore, delves more on the significance of play as opposed to the other arguments that tend to limit themselves to the small description of play.
Two primary research methods are applied by various scholars to come up with the different theories. They include observation and use of questionnaires (Veblen, 2009). Observation involves seeing the events and recording the findings. In the case of play and leisure activities, researchers usually watch different people participate in plays to establish the motive behind the participation. It is done for a satisfactory length of time to ensure accuracy. The observation usually involves watching different groups of people for comparison purposes. The questionnaire approach seeks to establish individuals’ opinions on the reasons for taking part in the plays. The questionnaires are usually in two forms. The first type is where the individual carrying out the research asks the participants questions while he records the answers. The second type is issuing out the questionnaires where the participants themselves answer the questions. From the two techniques, the researcher can analyze the findings and come up with possible postulations.
In conclusion, play and leisure are diverse as opposed to being dynamic. As it can be seen from the above descriptions, different scholars have attempted to come up with theories regarding play and leisure, but each argument is not conclusive enough. It might be correct to conclude that play depends on personal interpretation and the purpose that one wants to achieve. People are different, and hence, there should be no confinements when defining play and leisure.
References
Caldwell, L. L., & Witt, P. A. (2011). Leisure, recreation, and play from a developmental context. New Directions for Student Leadership , 2011 (130), 13-27.
Veblen, T. (2009). The theory of the leisure class . Oxford University Press.
