Research On The Essence And Function Of Leisure Education

Centering on the core question of "what is leisure education",this paper explores the meaning of leisure education based on previous studies,reveals the meaning of leisure education in four dimensions,and makes a three-dimensional analysis and research on the essence and function of leisure education.There is a profound historical tie and an internal connection between leisure and education.Under their relationships,leisure education demonstrates the following four dimensions:(1)Education as Leisure,it means leisure plays a role of nature in education,education and leisure become homogeneous activities,education is leisure.The principal of education is to dig out,conform,guide and boost the power for self-development in human beings,with the push of such power,so as to enabling individuals to be distinctive among objects and other people,and becoming a human being.Leisure is an objectification process with the purpose of itself under the guidance of inner love.By the objectification of leisure,people may realize self-achievement,self-surpassing,and self-development.Furthermore,on the one hand,leisure contains the power for people’s self-development;the objectification of leisure refers to a process in which people are powered by selfdevelopment impetus to develop and becoming a human being ultimately,which conforms to the essence of education.On the other hand,when education always adheres to the essence of cultivating people,then education is a process when its tools are consistent with the purpose.Such education is unrestricted,pleasant,and brings people enjoyment and development,which is a process of leisure.Therefore,education and leisure become homogeneous activities,leisure is the essence of education.(2)Education for Leisure.Firstly,it can meet the needs of individual development.Leisure relationship will be formed between human with its general object in the embodiment of leisure.In leisure relationship,by further demonstration and confirmation from a person’s objects(i.e.,the natural world,the society,and other people),the person is given chances for self-achievement and self-development,so as to become a human being.Secondly,in addition to satisfying personal development needs,leisure-oriented education is developed to solve social contradictions and prompt the society’s development through the enjoyment and development achieved by individuals in leisure.(3)Education about Leisure.It can be divided into two types: leisure mass education and leisure specialized education.Leisure mass education,with its audience of all the citizens,aims to solve the issue of “How to make better use of leisure”,majorly contains cultivating people’s leisure values and developing their various abilities on leisure,e.g.,abilities to choose and to practice leisure activities,and the negotiation ability of leisure constraints.Whereas,leisure specialized education,with its audience of leisure-majored students,aims to cultivate professionals who are expert in leisure management,leisure planning,leisure services and leisure research.The major content of this education includes research,criticism,dissemination and sublation of leisure expertise,and how to train students to be leisure practitioners with professionalism.Leisure mass education and leisure specialized education promote each other and develop in a coordinated way.They are committed to improving the leisure level and the quality of leisure life of the public.(4)Education in Leisure.This dimension has always been the educational concept advocated in the history of Chinese civilization,which reflects the incomparable superiority of leisure as an educational context.The educational function of leisure is embodied in shaping the subjects of education and building up the educational experience.So education in leisure is an effective way to carry out “Five ways of life” at the same time,and it has a certain value in building an education system which comprehensively fosters the students’ all-round moral,intellectual,physical and aesthetic grounding with a hard-working spirit.leisure education in a broad sense is the sum of the aforementioned four dimensions.That is to say,leisure education is an education as/for/about/in leisure.Each dimension is a narrow concept of leisure education.These four dimensions are not the same level of concept,the first two dimensions reveal the nature of leisure education and reflect the ideal and potential significance of leisure education,while the last two dimensions reveal the function of leisure education and focus on the realistic process of leisure education.The four dimensions are interdependent.The stable and profound essence of the first and second dimensions is represented by the rich and diverse functions of the third and fourth dimensions.The third and fourth dimensions are based on the first and second dimensions as their internal basis and support,which are unified in a complete process of leisure education.At the same time,the four interdependent dimensions play their respective roles.The first and second dimensions determine the nature and development direction of leisure education.The third and fourth dimensions make the function of leisure education present realistically.With the improvement of the level of social and economic development,under the contradictory movement of the essence of leisure education,the practical function of leisure education is constantly changing its specific form and developing to a higher level with the development of the process.