New book: Leisure in Later Life

School of Sport and Health Sciences Principal Lecturer, Dr Tania Wiseman, has written a book based on her doctoral thesis.

The book was published on 17 May and challenges presumptions about later life leisure and the purposes it serves.

Active ageing through leisure is an idea close to the core values of sports and health sciences teaching, but we need to pay close attention to how culturally narrow ideas of active and successful ageing are. When we ask someone to change their lifestyle we are asking them to make a cultural shift that may cause discord in the way they see themselves, or how they relate to the people they love.

The book suggests we focus less on the instrumental health outcomes that can be achieved through ‘appropriate’ leisure activities, and re-evaluate a wider variety of social and passive leisure pursuits for the joy and connection they offer.

Tania said: “I am very excited to share these ideas and look forward to the conversations that will be generated.”

The book will be of particular interest to Occupational Therapy students and graduates, people working with older people and academics interested in leisure or active ageing.

You can find more about the book and read abstracts on the Springer website.