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Nash's Pyramid of Leisure
Nash was formative in the development of Leisure research. His thinking was influenced by the prevalence of 'Spectatoritis' in America which he defines as, "a blanket description to cover all kinds of passive amusement ."

The pyramid orders activities according to their opportunity for personal growth. It begins at the ‘neutral level’ which includes activities that require no engagement, such as watching television. Higher tier activities provide a satisfying experience. They are linked to creative, emotional or active participation and require a response or an action by the individual.

Nash relied on social philosophy to understand the meaning of leisure. Current post-modern and post-structural understandings of leisure rely more on scientific theories and methods of analysis

Hierarchy
Nash uses historical perspectives towards leisure to justify a new theory on play. He suggests a culture of severity and the protestant reformation led to a de-valuing of leisure time throughout the middle ages. It is only with the industrial revolution and the mechanisation of work that leisure time can be considered an opportunity for stimulation.

When constructing his pyramid, Nash’s of recreation as a, “basic need,” is based on two assumptions. Firstly, humans are inherently active. They are most fulfilled when either their body or mind is stimulated, the determination to achieve this state being called the ‘activity drive .’

Secondly, there exists a work-leisure binary and, “leisure alone is not enough to satisfy [the activity drive], neither is work unless it has significance .” Industrialisation, through labour-saving technology, routinised the work environment and allowed for more free time. Nash’s pyramid suggests that recreation is a ‘need’ because it provides the intellectual and emotional stimulation desired by humans.

The pyramid orders activities according to their opportunity for personal growth. It begins at a neutral level which describes activities used to “kill time .” Any activity falling in the above three tiers, creative, emotional or active participation, provide a satisfying experience. This is because the participant is allowed an opportunity to be involved in the experience.

The criteria for higher-tier activities include those that have an associated ‘inner drive’, contribute to the fullness of life, build stature through self-confidence, include others and allow an individual to relax.

Any activity which is of detriment to the self or society, falls below the neutral section. This includes crime and delinquency. The general criteria for low-tier activities is that they undermine health, be routine, be carried on for reward only and be disliked.

Where an activity falls within the framework depends on the participant. Individual experiences are unique and people have different reactions to activities.

Creative Participation
Maker of the Model, inventor, painter and composer

The participant creates a new medium from their own experiences. This includes the formation of language, social groups and dance. Nash uses these historical examples are used to show the importance of tier and how it is human nature to engage in the creative process. To challenge what he sees as society’s fear of failure, Nash states, “There is tremendous creative capacity in the common people if only they have the freedom and opportunity to explore, to follow hunches, to find a talent niche .”

Active Participation
Copying the model, playing the part

A participant follows the rules and systems established by a ‘creator’. This could include an athlete playing soccer or an actor performing a script. Nash suggests playing the part forces a unique appreciation for the model which cannot be achieved by just watching.

Emotional Participation
A person moved to appreciation

A participant spectates, and experiences a reaction, to an activity. It is different to just passive watching. Potential responses include being moved to appreciation or experiencing an emotion. The level and extent of engagement depends on the participant’s own experiences and emotions.

Spectatoris Type
Entertainment, amusement, escape from monotony, killing time – antidote to boredom

In this tier, activities do not engage a participant. They are instead an escape from life’s routine. Nash believed society had a tendency to participate in spectator -type activities, limiting the possibility for self-improvement. He called this phenomena Spectatoritis. He warned that, “by constantly repeating the doses of primitive passive entertainment, man may become an addicts .”

Nash suggested the culture of mass media was contributing to the rise of spectatoritis. Radio tends not to be stimulating and only presents one view-point, limiting the potential for critical thinking.

Assuming mass media activities are, “properly chosen and properly used,” Nash acknowledges they play some role in society. This is because they would require active engagement and belong to a higher tier within the pyramid.

Zero-level
Excesses

Activities in this tier cause harm against in the individual. It includes drinking and gambling. Nash believed in the development of a social ego within a social group. Individuals, when they chose to be self-preserving, prevent the creation of a social ego and can cause injury to themselves.

Sub-zero Level
Delinquency, Crime

Nash stated crime and delinquency has been glorified. Acts performed against society belong to the lowest tier of the leisure pyramid. They create tension and undermine the social ego.

Methodology and Results
Nash interviewed 1000 people and asked about their work and leisure accomplishments, ‘happy friends’ and leisure activities. “Few” people listed spectatoris activities, such as mass media forms, as enjoyable and important.

The data showed a link between happiness and participating in activities. Nash suggested this is because recreation, such as sport, provides an opportunity for competition and risk. This helps fulfil an individual.

Theories
The organised play and recreation movement started late 1800s. It was closely linked to the emergence of parks in urbanised cities and eventually expanded to include the effects of leisure activities. It reflected an understanding that quality of life could be improved through recreation.

To analyse leisure sciences, there existed three schools of through in North America. Nash, along with Brightbill and Parker, were formative in the creation of the leisure research approach .This is where social philosophy is used to explain the purpose of leisure.

Other schools of thought included social empiricism and social analysis. Historically, North American models rely heavily on statistics and data collection. This contrasts to the European approach to leisure studies which preferences more general theories.

Nash’s pyramid contributed to further academic work. Purple recreation is defined as activities which are socially taboo. Curtis’s scale of purple recreation, which ranks activities from being extremely unacceptable to acceptable, corresponds with Nash’s pyramid. Creative activities rank highly as both a productive and acceptable form of leisure.

Nash's Perspective of Leisure and Criticisms
Nash believed a society should be judged on how effectively it used its leisure time. This is because when, “civilisations cease to face challenges they will deteriorate and die .”

For society to engage in higher-tier forms of leisure, Nash believed the education system should be reformed to help young people develop hobbies. Education should, “point to a way of living and to a means of moulding the society in which we live .” Young people are particularly at risk of spectatoris as the development of the imagination is limited with the simplification of toys.

People often develop skills and hobbies when they are young. They are un-intimidated by the creations of masters, have the patience to practice and are not afraid of failure. Engaging with a range of challenging will ensure a life-long engagement with high-tier leisure activities.

Criticisms
Nash defines leisure by the activities a person engages with outside their work-time. Feminist scholars have criticised the leisure activity approaches as it fails to include women with non-traditional working lives.

Whilst significant in the era created, other models of leisure have become more wide-spread. This includes Csikszentmihalyi’s 1985 model of character-enhancing experiences. It analyses the likelihood of a skill being totally absorbed and can consider recreational activities.

The decline in Nash’s work mirrors the decline of leisure research. This includes the use of conjecture. From the 1990s, post-structuralism and post-modernism attitudes towards leisure studies have better incorporated scientific methods into analysis.