This classic study still provides one of the most acute descriptions available of an often misunderstood subculture: that of fantasy role playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. Gary Alan Fine immerses himself in several different gaming systems, offering insightful details on the nature of the games and the patterns of interaction among players—as well as their reasons for playing.

Product Description: Throughout this project Stebbins has built on the work of Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss and their notion of "grounded theory." First, Stebbins extensively observed the routine activities of amateurs and professionals in each field studied...read more

Product Description: First published in 1985, this title explores theories of leisure in a capitalist society. Basing his argument on a refutation of the conventional association of leisure with freedom and free time, Chris Rojek examines the four main structural characteristics of modern leisure practice: privatisation, individuation, commercialisation and pacification...read more

Product Description: Edited by Michael G. Wade

Product Description: This book explores the meaning of leisure in the context of key social formations of our time. Chris Rojek brings together the insights of Marxism, feminism, Weber, Elias, Simmel, Nietzsche and Baudrillard to produce a survey - and rethinking - of leisure theory...read more

Product Description: Presents the most recent arguments on the problems, myths, and misunderstandings of leisure through a lively and controversial debate on class and gender, employment and economic status, age and education. This book should be of interest to students and professionals involved in leisure studies, sports science, recreation management and cultural studies...read more

'This book presents the most current research in fantasy games and examines the cultural and constructionist dimensions of fantasy gaming as a leisure activity. Each chapter investigates some social or behavioral aspect of fantasy gaming and provides insight into the cultural, linguistic, sociological, and psychological impact of games on both the individual and society'--Provided by publisher.

Product Description: The highly contested nature of both 'gender' and 'leisure' encapsulates many of the most critical social and cultural debates of the early twenty-first century. Drawing on a wide range of theoretical perspectives, as well as extensive empirical research, Gender and Leisure goes forward to offer a contemporary socio-cultural analysis of gender relations in leisure practice and leisure policy...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: Book by Godbey, Geoffrey

Product Description: Increasingly significant as mediators of spatial identity and meaning, leisure, tourism, culture and heritage are only now beginning to be located within the rapidly evolving discourses of poststructuralist geographies. Exploring the influence of leisure and tourism on the production, representation and consumption of landscape, the first half of this important book focuses on different ways of ‘seeing’ or representing landscape, whereas the second half examines different forms of productive consumption in leisure and tourism...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Almost every chapter of the second edition of Leisure Enhancement has been updated with dozens of new references, totaling well over 100 in all. Readers gain timely information on the most recent developments in the areas of health and fitness, stress reduction, socialization, recreational participation patterns of Americans, and leisure trends around the world. In addition, new ideas for improving leisure time management, and utilizing leisure to improve fitness, socialization, and stress management have been added. Leisure Enhancement, Second Edition teaches students how to facilitate maximum leisure well-being by providing a basic understanding of leisure theory, concepts, and philosophy. It illustrates how these ideas can be applied to one's own life to enhance social development, improve fitness and health, and reduce stress. Intended as a text for introduction to leisure for non-majors, Leisure Enhancement, Second Edition is also ideal as a resource book for leisure and recreation majors and in leisure counseling and leisure education courses. A unique combination of theoretical and practical material shows students: a comprehensive philosophy of leisure theoretical explanations of why people recreate how to better understand personal and societal leisure behavior effective leisure planning and goal setting ways to improve fitness, reduce stress, and promote social development through leisure how to facilitate the application of theories, concepts, and data to improve personal leisure and well-being how to broaden their perspectives on leisure and adapt to future changesLearning objectives at the beginning of each chapter of Leisure Enhancement guide instructors and students in focusing on the most important facts and concepts in each chapter. Chapters present intellectually challenging information in a format that enables its practical application to the improvement of readers’leisure and their lives in general. A detailed instructor's guide is included which makes the book an excellent text for use by new or experienced instructors and in departments where different faculty teach the applicable courses every semester. The guide contains suggestions for activities and discussion questions to “bring to life” the material in the book. Students and instructors alike will benefit from the book's user-friendliness and its clear links between theory and application.

Product Description: A look at the use of, and the implications of using, a social networks structural approach to leisure, recreation and tourism research. The book introduces the theoretical basis of social networks research and presents the considerations...read more

Product Description: Book by T. L. Burton (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Offering readers the most complete and authoritative critical introduction to Leisure Theory and written by one of the major figures in the field, the book provides an exciting and reliable guide to leisure forms, leisure practice and the representation of leisure. It demonstrates how power relations influence leisure choices and introduces students to the primary functions and regulative mechanisms of leisure, providing a thought provoking account of the central problems confronting students of leisure today. Written with the needs of students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in mind, the book will quickly be recognized as the bible for Leisure Theory.