While there have been many texts published since the 1970s seeking to outline, in some manner or other, the phenomenon of the leisure experience, few recent efforts can be compared to that of Elkington and Gammon's edited text, Contemporary Perspectives in Leisure. The editors have sought the assistance of 16 authors, many well-known internationally as long-term contributors to the leisure field, to offer their reflections about the experience of leisure in the twenty-first century. In so doing, the editors have set each contributor the challenge of reflecting upon the subjective nature of the leisure experience and asked each to consider the legitimacy of widely accepted leisure theories in today's rapidly evolving global society. In essence, the editors’ intent for the volume was to “examine what it means to study leisure and the individual context of this potential new era of leisure from various theoretical and methodological approaches” (p. xix). Purposefully, this exploration has been framed around three broad themes: contemporary meanings of leisure, motives for leisure engagement and its potential for lifelong learning.
In all, the book is presented as 17 chapters with each taking a somewhat different slant and/or theoretical position with respect to the topic matter. The volume commences with a discussion of contemporary meanings of leisure with Roger Mannell reflecting upon his 30 plus years of involvement in psychological leisure research and his ongoing line of inquiry into the interrelationship of people's behaviours and attitudes in leisure, their personal lives and the impacts of these behaviours on each individual's life satisfaction and level of well-being (Chapter 1). Mannell's reflections are then complimented by the chapters by McGrath (Chapter 2) and Stebbins (Chapter 3) who each highlight a range of benefits derived when people immerse themselves in forms of leisure that are personally enriching and meaningful. McGrath notes that quality, as against the quantity, of the leisure experience is increasingly a critical key for many in today's consumer-driven world. Stebbins also notes that a search for positiveness in one's life often leads individuals to recognize just how important leisure is as an avenue of opportunity in their lives. In this respect, Haworth's (Chapter 4) discussion of leisure and well-being is timely to say the least given the research evidence emerging to support the notion that the level of well-being experienced by individuals collectively living in communities is increasingly linked with the health of a nation generally. The final chapter in this section is Stone and Sharpley's (Chapter 5) discussion of the personal meanings attached to involvement in dark tourism and dark leisure activities. The line of argument presented by the authors is thought provoking to say the least and certainly challenges the reader to reconsider the ‘true’ morality of such behaviour in modern society.
Section Two, ‘Motives’, commences with a chapter by Henderson (Chapter 6) who reminds us of the importance of ensuring that leisure involvement must be just and sustainable. Henderson argues that many current forms of leisure activity have very negative impacts on the world at large, both socially and environmentally, and that such behaviours simply must change in the immediate future. The chapters that follow each seek to consider a range of motivations for why people engage in certain leisure activities. Beedie's (Chapter 7) discussion of people's search for competence and challenge in their pursuit of outdoor activities is interesting as is Elkington's (Chapter 8) reflective piece on the meanings of space and place and the resultant impact that each of these can have on the serious leisure experiences of individuals. In Chapter 9, Gammon introduces the concept of the ‘leisure identity deceiver’ and sets out to explain how many people today engage in leisure activities in order to deceive others about who they truly are. The intent, Gammon argues, being to use leisure to position themselves in the minds of others in a more desired light than might be otherwise the case. Chapter 10 (Bryce) provides a discussion of the physical, social and psychological outcomes of involvement in popular forms of online leisure such as computer gaming and online networking. To round out the section, Chapters 11 (Howlett) and 12 (Roberts) discuss the positive benefits that can accrue to individuals through volunteering and how British youth cultures have valued and engaged in leisure over time, respectively.
In Section Three of the book, ‘Life-long learning’, the focus of attention moves to that of learning across the life course, with much of the discussion centred around how leisure can be a significant contributor in one's life. While each author in this section addresses the core theme in very different ways, each contributes purposefully to the broader intent of the book, and this section of it more particularly. Ramsay's (Chapter 13) discussion of leisure as a means of expressing freedom and personal identity is interesting, as is Walker's (Chapter 14) introduction of the Comprehensive Leisure Participation Framework which he contends is one theoretical lens through which people's engagement in leisure opportunities can be better considered. Cohen's contribution (Chapter 15) centres on a discussion of how leisure engagement in postmodern society can lead to personal growth and development. Taking a very different tack, Elkington and Watkins (Chapter 16) have reviewed the current teaching models in leisure education, offering insight into the advantages that can accrue with the use of each, whereas the final chapter by Lawrence (Chapter 17) closes out this section wonderfully by offering the reader a personal insight into her career as a leisure researcher. Lawrence's reflections on her 25 year plus involvement in leisure research is a fitting final chapter and reminds us all of the critical importance of being explorative and seeking out more in our work, and life more generally, than we might otherwise choose to do.
In all, Elkington and Gammon's edited text is a well-crafted volume of work but one which, it must be noted, has a distinctly Western flavour to it. While a number of authors are based in Europe, the other contributors are principally academics located in North America. Given the growing importance of the regions globally, the lack of contributors from the Asia-Pacific and South America, with Mike Watkins from Australia the sole representative, would seem to be a significant oversight in light of the book's overall intent. The other matter worthy of critical note is the significant variation in style evident across the chapters. While it was made clear early in the volume by the editors that their intent was not to restrict the manner of the contribution beyond the broad stated themes, the reviewers believe that some greater consistency in how each chapter was presented would have served the text well. While each chapter is, in itself, an interesting read, it was perceived that the book lacked any sense of flow from one chapter to the next and it is felt that this may be somewhat disconcerting to some readers. These criticisms aside, the effort overall is considered commendable in that the book serves to illustrate the complexity of the leisure phenomenon and just how difficult a concept it is to compartmentalize in current society. The extensive bibliography to be found in the back of the book is something of an added bonus and, in itself, will serve as a useful resource for students and researchers alike with an interest in better understanding the leisure phenomenon. Contemporary Perspectives in Leisure is a most worthy addition to the literature and indeed does offer “important insights in the leisure condition today” (p. xv). As such, there is little doubt the book will become a well-utilized resource for many with an interest in the field.