Recreation in the ME or is it WE jungle

Abstract

At this years Thinking Recreation symposium I was inspired by the enthusiasm delegates shared for debating, rather than seeking solutions to, a range of issues such as youth deviance, physical inactivity, resource allocation, and managing the environment. However, it was the discussion about some of the invisible influences on our work that really aroused my curiosity. In particular, the thought-provoking workshop by Robyn Cockburn on Systems Theory inspired some critical ‘thinking about recreation’. In his review of the symposium published in the 06 Spring Issue of Australasian Parks and Leisure, Geoff Canham said that this (i.e. Systems Theory) session “drew the most feedback and stimulated much discussion long after it ended”. It was evident many delegates had a desire to look beyond the pragmatics of recreation although this can pose challenges of the intellectual kind. I recall one delegate saying, “I liked the session on that theory but it can be frustrating when talking about something that seems quite vague even though you know it relates to what happens in your work.” Although ideas such as those espoused by Systems Theory are complex and often seem a little distant from the reality of our work, they are useful in helping explain something about the why and what we do.