Exploring the relationship between awe and leisure: A conceptual argument

Abstract

Leisure scholars are uniquely positioned to study awe. Anecdotally, the intertwined nature of awe and leisure has been well chronicled for centuries. In recent years, their relationship has been increasingly explored at the empirical level. Despite the clear connections, the enhanced level of scholarship has occurred with only sporadic contributions by scholars in parks, recreation, tourism, and leisure circles. The purposes of this manuscript are to identify attributes of awe, explore the relationship between awe and leisure, and consider the shared qualities of awe and leisure. A literature review identifies leisure settings in which awe has been chronicled to occur. Those settings are dichotomized in terms of natural and cultural landscapes, with wildlife and artistic expression noted respectively as potential elicitors of awe. Implications for parks, recreation, tourism, and leisure are discussed and include potential action points for decision makers and scholars, with specific emphasis on the potential to enhance the awe-related leisure body of research.

KEYWORDS:

• Awe
• emotion
• benefits
• memory
• aesthetic
• utility