Leisure experience and positive identity development in adolescents

Abstract

The search for a balance between time for compulsory tasks and time for freedom and relaxation is one of the most important issues related to the role of leisure in achieving well-being. Leisure's complexity and its relationship with so many life aspects make it an important issue in the study of optimal human functioning. A review of the literature regarding leisure and adolescence shows a wide spectrum of conclusions about how leisure contributes to adolescent development in general (cf. Verma S, Larson R (eds) Examining adolescent leisure time across cultures: developmental opportunities and risks. New directions in child and adolescent development, no. 99. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 2003) and identity development in particular (cf. Shaw SM, Kleiber DA, Caldwell LL, J Leisure Res 27(3):245-263, 1995). This chapter aims to analyze these contributions and integrate them into the scope of positive adolescent development.