Synopsis
Organized in three major sections the text provides a comprehensive overview of the phenomena of leisure in North American society, the delivery of leisure services and critical and relevant issues impacting professional practice. The authors demonstrate that the role of leisure professionals is one of crafting leisure environments to assist individuals, groups of people and whole communities in achieving a higher quality of life and a greater level of happiness and satisfaction.
About the Author
Christopher R. Edginton is Professor and Director of the School of Health, Physical Education and Leisure Services at the University of Northern Iowa. He has held direct leadership, supervisory and administrative positions in the park and recreation field. He has been identified as a leading proponent of the application of contemporary management concepts in the park and recreation field. Before accepting his current position, he served as Professor and Head of the Department of Leisure Studies and Services at the University of Oregon and as an Associate Professor at North Texas State University and at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia. He has also served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Recreation at the University of Waterloo, Ontario and as an Instructor at the University of Iowa. Dr. Edginton was the Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Wooster, Ohio; has served as a Recreation Supervisor with the Arlington Heights (Illinois) Park District; and as a Recreation Specialist and Recreation Leader with the Palo Alto Recreation Department, Palo Alto, California. Dr. Edginton holds a B.A. in Recreation from San Jose State College, a M.S. from the University of Illinois in Park and Recreation Administration and a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. In addition, he has served a one-year internship sponsored by the National Recreation and Park Association and the Village of Oak Park, Illinois. Active in professional organizations, Dr. Edginton is the Past President of the American Association for Leisure and Recreation. He is the past Managing Editor of Leisure Today, and also a past member of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Leisure and Recreation. In addition, he has served as guest editor of the Leisure Today publication focusing on Managing Leisure Services, and a special issue of Recreation Canada, dealing with the topic of Recreation Education in Canada. He has served as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, and has co guest edited an issue of the Journal devoted to Leisure Programming. He has guest edited an issue of the Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, featuring the topic of Youth Development. Also, Dr. Edginton has served as a member of the Editorial Board of Humanics: The Journal for Leadership in Youth and Human Services. Currently, he serves as a member of the Policy Board of the Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, and as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal for International Council of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport and Dance. Dr. Edginton has directed over $35 million in grants and contracts funded by local, state and federal agencies. His major research interest has focused on the study of organizational goals in public leisure service organizations. He has conducted extensive studies on this topic in the United States, Canada and Australia. Dr. Edginton has authored over 200 articles on topics such as organizational goals, leisure management, leisure programming, and leadership. Spanning the globe, he has published articles and/or made professional presentations in Japan, Hong Kong, Romania, The People's Republic of China, Korea, Australia, Canada, Great Britain, and the United States. His co authored textbooks include: Productive Management of Leisure Service Organizations: A Behavioral Approach; Recreation and Leisure Programming: A Guide for the Professional; EXETRA Perspectives: Concepts in Therapeutic Recreation; The Recreation and Leisure Service Delivery System; Leadership in Recreation and Leisure Service Organizations, Commercial Leisure Services: Managing for Profit, Service, and Personal Satisfaction; Leisure Programming: A Service-Centered and Benefits Approach; Youth Programs: Promoting Quality Services; Leisure and Life Satisfaction; Selected Papers of the Academy for Youth Leaders, Leadership for Recreation and Leisure Service Programs and Settings, Enhancing the Livability of Iowa Communities: The Role of Recreation, Natural Resource Development and Tourism, Managing Recreation, Park, and Leisure Services, Leisure: Basic Concepts, and Papers of the American Leisure Academy. Dr. Edginton is the founder of the nationally award winning Camp Adventure Youth Services program. Since its establishment in 1985 the Camp Adventure program has provided contracted children and youth services worldwide. The program has been operated at sites in Argentina, Bahrain, Belgium, Bermuda, Cuba, Denmark, England, Germany, Greece, Guam, Holland, Hong Kong, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Macau, Mexico, Norway, Panama, The Peoples' Republic of China, Puerto Rico, Republic of China (Taiwan), Russia, Spain, Turkey, and the United States. In 2004 the program served nearly 650,000 children based on daily participation rates. Additionally, Dr. Edginton has received many prestigious awards including being named the National Recreation and Park Association's Pacific Northwest Regional Council's Professional of the Year Award (1984); Lansdowne Scholar, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (1985); Fellow, Academy of Leisure Sciences (1986); Distinguished Fellow Award, Society of Park and Educators (1989); Merit Award, American Association for Leisure and Recreation (1989); Elected Member, American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (1993); Excellence in Scholarship Award, College of Education, University of Northern Iowa (1994); Honor Award, American Association for Leisure and Recreation (1995); Senior Fellow, American Leisure Academy (1997); Distinguished Professor, Guangzhou Institute of Physical Education, The People's Republic of China (1997); Distinguished Alumni Award, San Jose State University (1998); J.B. Nash Scholar Award, American Association for Leisure and Recreation (1998); Charter Member, North American Society for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport and Dance (2000), National Literary Award, National Recreation and Park Association (2000), Innovative Teaching Award, Society of Park and Recreation Educators (2001), Honor Award, American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (2001), Biennial Distinguished Scholar Award, International Council for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport and Dance (2002), R. Tait McKinzie Award, American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, (2003), and the Charles K. Brightbill Alumnus Award (2004).
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