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22 Dec 2005 10:45:57
Local politics, football fandom, rock climbing and museum volunteering were just some of the pastimes analysed by experts from around the world at a recent one-day conference held at the University of Luton.
The Serious and Casual Leisure and Extensions and Applications Conference was a joint collaboration between the University of Luton and the Leisure Studies Association (LSA) - a national organisation set up to observe the many ways leisure represents the state of society and the effects of social change.
Dr Lesley Lawrence, from the University, who co-organised the event said: “This was a great opportunity for academics to discuss and present findings on the latest research around the topic of serious leisure. The leisure sector has been growing rapidly in recent years as more people invest time and money in leisure activities.”
The event brought together more than 40 academics from across the world, including Canada and Australia, to discuss societies’ attachment and interaction with leisure.
The keynote speaker was leisure expert, Robert Stebbins, Professor of Sociology at the University of Calgary and Visiting Professor at the University of Luton, who has written and edited more than 30 books on serious leisure.
Another high-profile speaker was Professor Stan Parker, one of the founding members of the LSA, who discussed how serious leisure can help satisfy people at work, and how this can lead to increased productivity.
Dr Lawrence added: “The excellent turn-out illustrates the growing importance of researching serious leisure within the academic community. There were representatives from a number of the UK’s leading institutions who contributed some very interesting papers.
“We were particularly pleased to welcome Professor Stebbins who is highly regarded around the world for his contribution to the study of serious leisure.
“He has agreed to be the joint thesis supervisor for one of our PhD students. This is great for the student and for the University.”
The event continues a long tradition of co-operation between the University and the LSA. Luton previously hosted the conference in 2001.
For further information about the range of leisure, sport and tourism courses available at the University of Luton, call 0800 389 66 33 or visit www.luton.ac.uk.
Latest news» 2005» Dec» Experts get serious about leisure at Luton conference
