recreation

Learn about this topic in these articles:

African dance

  • rock painting of a dance performance
    In African dance: Dance as recreation

    Dance is the most popular form of recreation in Africa. In towns, men and women of all ages meet informally in dance clubs to dance to the rhythms of popular musicians. In villages there may be opportunities in the evenings for informal dancing, but…

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Atlantic Ocean

  • Atlantic Ocean, with depth contours and submarine features
    In Atlantic Ocean: Other uses

    …been substantial growth in such recreational activities as sportfishing, sailing and cruising, windsurfing, and whale watching. Many of these activities compete for space and community support with such traditional commercial marine activities as fishing and shipping. Sportfishing, for example, now constitutes a significant portion of the total marine catch in…

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automobile travel

  • automobile assembly line
    In automotive industry: Recreational travel

    One of the conspicuous effects of the automobile has been to permit nearly everyone in the automotive countries to travel for recreation. The motor vehicle allows for such auxiliary devices as trailers (called caravans in Europe), campers, trailers for boats and off-road vehicles,…

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British history

  • United Kingdom
    In United Kingdom: Leisure

    The idea of “recreation” began to emerge; that is, that nonwork time should be a time of re-creating the body and mind for the chief purpose of work. The idea grew too that this recreation should be “rational.” The characteristic institutions of these new initiatives were the Mechanics…

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collective obsession

  • Haiti earthquake of 2010: search and rescue
    In collective behaviour: Collective obsessions

    In the case of recreational fads, such as skateboarding, nonfaddists are amazed at the tendency to drop all other activities in order to concentrate on the fad; the hundreds of incidents in which swastikas were daubed on synagogues during a few weeks in 1959 and 1960 in the United…

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cycling

  • Miguel Indurain
    In cycling: Recreation

    Cycling as recreation became organized shortly after racing did. In its early days, cycling brought the sexes together in an unchaperoned way, particularly after the 1880s when cycling became more accessible owing to the invention of the Rover Safety bicycle. Public cries of alarm…

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forestry

  • Logging in Borneo
    In forestry: Development of U.S. policies

    …for planning and developing outdoor recreation facilities. State forestry programs had their beginnings in the United States during colonial times, but it was the Weeks and Clark–McNary laws that provided the impetus to develop recognized state forestry departments. The Smith–Lever Act of 1914 allotted funds through the state agricultural colleges…

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  • Logging in Borneo
    In forestry: Recreation and wildlife

    From the earliest times human beings have looked to the forests for recreation. Today, recreation in forests assumes ever-growing importance with the growth of cities whose inhabitants need a change of scene, fresh air, and freedom to wander, as a relief to the…

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Gulf of Mexico

  • The Gulf of Mexico.
    In Gulf of Mexico: Recreation

    The coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico are used extensively for sport fishing, especially for red snappers, flounder, and tarpon. Boating, swimming, and scuba diving also are popular recreations. The Gulf Coast has become a popular tourist destination, especially during winter. Tourism has…

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Hovercraft

  • Mountbatten class hovercraft
    In air-cushion machine: Sporting Hovercraft

    …promises to be that of recreation. In the mid-1960s enthusiasts in many parts of the world began to build their own Hovercraft, powered by automotive engines and using homemade propellers, fans, and skirts.

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industrial society

  • Max Weber
    In modernization: Social problems

    …in cities, seeking rest and recreation, the populations of industrial societies force open the whole world to tourism. Soon every rural haven, every sunswept coast, is turned into an administered holiday camp, each a uniform replica of the rest. The industrial principle of mass production and distribution can readily be…

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urban planning

  • Haussmann's plan of Paris
    In urban planning: The era of industrialization

    …recognition of the need for recreation. Parks were developed to provide visual relief and places for healthful play or relaxation. Later, playgrounds were carved out in congested areas, and facilities for games and sports were established not only for children but also for adults, whose workdays gradually shortened. Supporters of…

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walking

  • race walking
    In walking: Recreational and fitness walking

    Organized noncompetitive walking is extremely popular in the United States and Europe. Millions participate for the relaxation and exercise it offers. Walking for recreation or fitness is differentiated from hiking by its shorter distances, less challenging settings, and the lack of…

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