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Responsible Leisure and Sustainable Human Development in Times of Change

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2022) | Viewed by 29268

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ángel De-Juanas Oliva

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Guest Editor

Department of Theory of Education and Social Pedagogy, National Distance Education University (UNED), 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: leisure; social difficulties; time management; life trajectories; psychological wellbeing; youth and sustainability; social values

Prof. Dr. Francisco Javier García-Castilla

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Guest Editor

Department of Social Work, Faculty of Law, National University of Distance Education (UNED), 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: leisure; educational technology; social exclusion; time management; life trajectories; social work education; youth and sustainability

Prof. Dr. María de los Ángeles Valdemoros-San-Emeterio

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Guest Editor

Departament of Educational Science, University of La Rioja, 26006 Logroño, Spain
Interests: leisure; intergenerational relationships; service-learning; values
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Society is in a steady state of change. However, the recent pandemic events have entered us into an even greater state of uncertainty. The use and management of time have been proven and are proving to be key in dealing with the various problems associated with the confinement to which millions of people around the world have been subjected. We must be aware that the promotion of healthy and sustainable management of leisure and free time is one of the main socio-educational and psychological concerns in our times. Therefore, it is essential to retake and promote the social, educational, psychological, economic, and political value of leisure time and the activities conducted for this purpose, particularly all those positively impacting curbing the consequences of climate change. To ensure sustainable leisure, we must be able to analyze the causes that are leading society to a gradual and constant increase in life expectancy, an increase in leisure time, and a wide range of leisure activities that do not always lead to good practices in our society. Thus, this Special Issue aims to look for new research, besides recent studies, related to the following topics:

- Impact of leisure activities on education;

- Effect of leisure activities on climate change;

- Leisure time at school before, during, and after confinement;

- Leisure activities and leisure time in the networked society before and during the pandemic;

- Future challenges;

- The role of educational actors in leisure activities;

- Social responsibility, spaces, and relationships in leisure activities;

- Entrepreneurship and sustainable leisure activities;

- Methodologies in psychological and socio-educational intervention in different contexts and leisure activities;

- Studies on social policies and actions related to sustainable leisure;

- Technologies, social media, and innovative initiatives related to responsible leisure;

- Affective and intergenerational relationships for inclusive leisure;

- Socio-cultural diversity, transformation of gender relations, and leisure activities;

- Real protagonism of people and communities in the different spaces and areas related to leisure.

Manuscripts published in this Special Issue should contribute to a better understanding of developments concerning new advances, as well as apply the optimization of resources and the use and management of time. We aim to publish new proposals for leisure activities in different environments in favor of sustainable human development in these times of uncertainty.

Dr. Ángel De-Juanas Oliva
Prof. Dr. Francisco Javier García-Castilla
Prof. Dr. María de los Ángeles Valdemoros-San-Emeterio
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

sustainable leisure
educational methodologies
leisure and free time activities
time management
climate change
social responsibility
entrepreneurship
digital technologies
values
social relations

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 286 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relative Immunity: COVID-19 Pandemic Effects on the Emotional State, Economy, Leisure, and Socialization of Young People in Spain

by Sagrario Segado, Eva Sotomayor and Javier Páez Gallego

Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6555; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086555 - 12 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1941

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the habits and attitudes of young people in Spain during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically regarding leisure and free time, framed within a context of the objective structural indicators of the economy, employment, and health. To this end, we reviewed official data banks and surveys conducted in Spain on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the general population. We performed a descriptive and longitudinal analysis with the aim of amalgamating the data on the general behavior of Spanish youth in terms of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their mental health and their positioning on the issues most important to them, especially in regard to their social relationships and leisure activities. Based on the results, we found evidence that young people were negatively affected by the impact of the pandemic, and, similarly to other age groups, reported high levels of concern about the demise of many of the aspects of their prepandemic lifestyles. Although their concerns mainly focused on leisure activities and social relationships, young people are the population group that suffered the highest anxiety levels during the pandemic. In relation to this, we highlight how the emergency measures adopted by society to fight against the spread of the virus were precisely aimed at restricting social relationships and leisure activities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responsible Leisure and Sustainable Human Development in Times of Change)

20 pages, 1615 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social Networking as Leisure: An Attempt to Conceptualize Liquid Leisure

by Ivana Olecká, Ludmila Trochtová, Jiří Pospíšil and Helena Pospíšilová

Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5483; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095483 - 3 May 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3235

Abstract

Our research was intended to find out whether social networking is recognized and experienced as leisure or should be considered liquid leisure because its borders are fluid. This aim was connected to the broader question of whether there are still clear borders between work, leisure, and other life aspects. The research was designed as a cross-sectional ex-post-facto study. The survey examined data collected through a structured questionnaire completed and returned by 3451 respondents aged 15+ selected from the general population of the Czech Republic. The statistical significance of hypotheses was tested using χ² statistics for two-way (C × R) and three-way (C × R × L) contingency tables. Only 752 (21.79%) respondents reported not having or using an online social network account. Even though there is no reason why social networking should not be considered leisure, there was a considerable discrepancy between those who considered social media a leisure activity (8.2%) and those who did not (78.21%). Therefore, this kind of leisure activity is conceptualized in this paper as a specific liquid leisure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responsible Leisure and Sustainable Human Development in Times of Change)

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10 pages, 273 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Adolescents’ Self-Esteem Associated with Solitary, Passive, and Active Leisure Activities

by Dongwook Cho and Sung Kyeom Kim

Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 4873; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14094873 - 19 Apr 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3879

Abstract

Adolescents enjoy their free time in different ways including solitary, passive, and active leisure activities. The current special circumstance, the COVID-19 pandemic, provides adolescents with more free time that individuals have to spend by themselves. However, there has been little research devoted to their participation in different leisure activities and its effect on adolescent self-esteem. This study examined current adolescents’ self-esteem levels and frequency of participation among solitary, passive, and active leisure activities and how participation in different types of leisure activities affects adolescent self-esteem. A total of 1759 adolescents self-reported 13 self-esteem items and the frequency of different types of leisure activities. The results revealed that 12 items of the self-esteem scale were higher scores than the average among adolescents in this sample. Adolescents spent significantly more time on solitary leisure activity (M = 4.85) than passive (M = 2.54) and active leisure activities (M = 3.51). The results of regression indicated that solitary activities (β = 0.068, p = 0.007) and sport/exercise (β = 0.267, p < 0.001) and hanging with friends (β = 0.113, p < 0.001) of active leisure activities were positively associated with adolescent self-esteem. The findings suggest that parents, teachers, and administrators should recognize and apply appropriate directions or programs to optimize adolescents’ self-esteem by developing suitable leisure activities. It could be helpful to provide other active leisure activities such as socialized clubs or extracurricular physical activities to improve their self-esteem. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responsible Leisure and Sustainable Human Development in Times of Change)

16 pages, 3616 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Leisure among the Youth of Spain

by Idurre Lazcano, Joseba Doistua and Aurora Madariaga

Sustainability 2022, 14(7), 3993; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14073993 - 28 Mar 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3619

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly transformed the lives of millions, including young people, who are in a vital stage during which leisure has had a preponderant role in their lifestyles, characterized by the search for experiences outside the family environment and forms of leisure dependent on friendships as a source for well-being (physical, cognitive, social, and emotional). This article explores how leisure becomes a form of negotiation among social needs, normative demands, and a particular crisis. It analyzes the transformations of leisure of young Spanish university students during confinement and the new normality. The sample is made up of 1066 young undergraduate university students between 17 and 25 years old residing in Spain. The quantitative findings revealed that (1) young people now value their leisure more than before the pandemic; (2) young people have transformed their leisure time and feel that their leisure has not been the same and will not be the same again; (3) the pandemic has especially affected their routines, relationships with friends, and psychological well-being; (4) they perceive that society has treated young people unfairly in relation to their leisure. The findings show the need to develop leisure policies and programs that address the short- and medium-term effects and transformations caused by COVID-19 on youth leisure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responsible Leisure and Sustainable Human Development in Times of Change)

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23 pages, 595 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Catalogue of Leisure Activities: A New Structured Values and Content Based Instrument for Leisure Research Usable for Social Development and Community Planning

by Jiří Pospíšil, Helena Pospíšilová and Ludmila Trochtová

Sustainability 2022, 14(5), 2657; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052657 - 24 Feb 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3187

Abstract

Leisure is a phenomenon that undergoes constant change. These changes are sometimes global, but more often, they are localized. For this reason, the capturing of leisure and leisure activities poses a major challenge for researchers. In particular, they struggle to capture measurements for leisure activities in such a way that these measurement results can be compared over time, in different places, and in different communities. We have therefore identified the need for a tool that makes it possible to compare both time- and place-specific measurements. Based on our long-term research, we have created the Catalogue of Leisure Activities (CaLA), which is built on two pillars—content proximity and value consequences of leisure activities. Therefore, the CaLA allows for the capturing of the complexity of leisure activities and using the data thus measured as variables in statistical hypotheses, longitudinal comparisons of research across locations, over time, and across population groups (e.g., children, adults, etc.). It also allows measurements of other secondary characteristics (e.g., favor rate, duration, etc.) to be linked to the activities found. The results of measuring leisure activities using the CaLA can be used in research as a dependent or independent variable. As a result, we can detect many hitherto hidden relationships that significantly influence leisure experience and its quality. The CaLA also opens up many more possibilities for a wider range of applications in practice, e.g., in counseling, psychology, and coaching in support of individual development, in helping professions, social work and pedagogy when working with students and clients, and among managers when planning the development and maintaining the competitiveness of leisure facilities. Last but not least, the CaLA can be used by community leaders and politicians when designing public policies or developing a sustainable society. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responsible Leisure and Sustainable Human Development in Times of Change)

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12 pages, 2072 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Socially Disadvantaged Youth: Forms of Expression and Communication in Social Networks as a Vehicle of Inclusion

by Margarita Vasco-González, Rosa M. Goig-Martínez, Isabel Martínez-Sánchez and José Álvarez-Rodríguez

Sustainability 2021, 13(23), 13160; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313160 - 27 Nov 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2374

Abstract

Socially disadvantaged youth are a group to which prejudices are attached which question the appropriateness of their participation, communication and language in the digital setting. From this perspective, the aim of the present research proposes to identify the forms and expressions of communication used by socially disadvantaged young people from the city of Madrid in social networks. This will be examined as a tool for the development of interpersonal and social relatedness processes, which will enable inclusion and socialisation in contemporary society. To this end, a qualitative approach was proposed which enabled a set of core memos, codes, networks and categories to be established, through which study data were interpreted. WhatsApp images and interviews conducted with 78 informants were analysed using Atlas.ti 9 software. All participants belonged to a social group characterised by circumstances of social vulnerability. Of the main findings, it should be indicated that these young people exhibit a social network use that is not limited to engagement in digital leisure but, instead, is based on the exchange of communication. For this reason, these individuals have developed their own language, a fact that highlights specific traits of the digital culture to which they belong and contributes to disproving the idea that these young people use the digital setting inappropriately. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responsible Leisure and Sustainable Human Development in Times of Change)

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18 pages, 1956 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Leisure Spaces Shared by Grandparents and Grandchildren in Northern Spain

by M. Sáenz de Jubera Ocón, E. Sanz Arazuri, M.Á. Valdemoros San Emeterio, R.A. Alonso Ruiz and A. Ponce de León Elizondo

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9191; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169191 - 16 Aug 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2203

Abstract

Spaces are the backbone of intergenerational leisure interests and experiences. The objective of this research was to examine the spaces used in the practice of leisure shared by grandparents and grandchildren and their link with the geographical area of residence. A cross-sectional telematic survey was carried out in which 357 grandparents with grandchildren between 6 and 12 years of age living in the northern part of Spain participated, and a descriptive study and inferential analysis of the data were carried out. The results revealed that a descriptive and inferential analysis was performed. The preferred space for intergenerational leisure was the home, especially for cultural activities such as board games, watching television, and reading. Associations, municipal spaces (sports centers, cultural centers, playrooms), and educational centers are more frequently used in the inland populations. Residing in urban towns and coastal municipalities implies a greater preference for the use of private leisure spaces. Living in provinces with a wetter, rainy climate is related to more shared leisure practice at home. The possible exceptionality of the current situation, within the framework of COVID-19, which may have led to significant alterations in the grandparent–grandchildren relationship, is discussed, with the consequent need to continue this line of inquiry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responsible Leisure and Sustainable Human Development in Times of Change)

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17 pages, 2105 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Main Cross-Cutting Training Contents of LEISURE and Free Time Schools: Acceptance of Groups Involved in the Leisure Time Instructor Courses

by Paloma Valdivia-Vizarreta, María Pilar Rodrigo-Moriche, Roberto Sánchez-Cabrero, Karla Villaseñor-Palma and Vanessa Moreno-Rodríguez

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 8959; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168959 - 10 Aug 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3714

Abstract

Time atomisation trends, leisure economy, and social and technological changes are causing a reframe of the leisure and free-time industry. This study aims to analyse the assessment of nine cross-cutting contents by the main agents involved in leisure-time instructor courses, and a group of young subjects in Spain. The study sample consisted of 1049 individuals, including management and technical teams, leisure and free-time schoolteachers, leisure and free-time school students (receiving the leisure-time instructor course), and finally a group of external young subjects. An ad hoc questionnaire was used, and the results were analysed through a correlational study using contingency tables and chi-square and Somers’ D statistics, Spearman’s correlation to determine within-population correlations, and the Kruskal–Wallis test to establish that these relationships were not randomly established. The results show that all the analysed agents valued the training proposal of cross-cutting contents as a consolidated item. This indicates that the nine cross-cutting contents should be maintained in these courses. Social Skills content was crowned as the defining content of this training, and there was dissonance in the ICT-Use content, which was not highly valued by main agents but was highly valued by young people, leading to the need to review this content to adjust it to the real needs of the young population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responsible Leisure and Sustainable Human Development in Times of Change)

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13 pages, 455 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Inclusive Leisure as a Resource for Socio-Educational Intervention during the COVID-19 Pandemic with Care Leavers

by Jorge Díaz-Esterri, Ángel De-Juanas, Rosa Goig-Martínez and Francisco Javier García-Castilla

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 8851; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168851 - 7 Aug 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3085

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a reduction in leisure activities involving human contact. Social isolation has increased, particularly amongst vulnerable individuals with a fragile support network, as is the case with young people who have left care. The aim of the present research was to identify socio-educational proposals and interventions implemented during the pandemic pertaining to leisure as a form of promoting social inclusion of these young people. To this end, a qualitative study was carried out in which twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with young people who had left care system, in addition to fifteen interviews with professionals working with this group when delivering socio-educational interventions. Discourse analysis revealed that isolation due to the health crisis had greater repercussions in normalised settings in which leisure activity was reduced with this increasing risk of social inclusion amongst these young people. Proposals and experiences emerging from this setting provide evidence that socio-educational interventions targeting leisure facilitate social inclusion. In this sense, future lines of research are suggested to optimise the outcomes of socio-educational interventions within this group. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responsible Leisure and Sustainable Human Development in Times of Change)

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