Looking at leisure through a new lens

Enjoying a round of golf, catching up with friends, sitting alone in a dark room – leisure looks different to everyone, which is just one of the reasons it’s such a fascinating topic, Professor Neil Carr says.

Neil is the creator and lecturer of TOUR310 Leisure: Lives and Societies – one of the papers Otago is offering through Summer School in 2026.

“Leisure is absolutely central to our lives. It’s a moment and place where we can heal, where we can grow, and where we can explore who we want to be."

“At its heart, TOUR310 is about encouraging everyone to think critically about something that is so important to us, individually and collectively, but that we often give little conscious thought to beyond complaining we don’t have enough of it,” Neil says.

“Leisure is much more than simply a case of enjoying ourselves. Rather, it’s core to the wellbeing of every individual and society, and the industry associated with it is a diverse and major component of the global economy.”

TOUR310 examines leisure's conceptual and historical roots, focusing on the contemporary role, nature, and scale of leisure desires, experiences, and the leisure industry, Neil says.

“Leisure is absolutely central to our lives. It’s a moment and place where we can heal, where we can grow, and where we can explore who we want to be. It’s a key mechanism through which a healthy and sustainable society can evolve.

“It has also garnered along the way, the world's biggest industry.”

TOUR310 is not just for Tourism students, he says.

“This paper is open to anyone, and particularly suits people with an interest in thinking critically about leisure, anyone needing 300-level points and anyone with an inquiring mind.”

One such student is Isabella Galvan (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa, Ngāi Tūhoe) – in her fourth year of a Bachelor of Laws – who took the paper in 2024.

“TOUR310 falls under the umbrella of Tourism but I think it offers a strong reminder to all students to critically reflect on social norms, constraints and systems, rather than simply accepting them as they are.

“The paper explored a broad range of topics, including how we spend our free time, human needs and motivations, social defiance, and access to leisure. I enjoyed the breadth of topics that we covered, including discussions about animal sentience, which I found particularly interesting.”

This was Isabella’s first time taking a Summer School paper and it was such a positive experience she’s since taken more.

“I chose TOUR310 because the flexibility really suited me and allowed me to lighten my workload during the main semesters, when I’m usually busier with sporting commitments.

“I was also drawn to the paper as the content was quite different from the Law papers that I typically study. I would recommend this paper to others – not only was the content engaging, but the structure of the course allowed for significant flexibility and autonomy.”

TOUR310 is taught by distance, with lectures recorded in advance and made available for the duration of the paper. This enables students to engage with the material in their own time and way, Neil says.

“It recognises that, particularly during summer, students are often working and can be situated anywhere in the world. This makes a set lecture time frustrating for everyone.”

Throughout the course, students are assessed on two essays as well as their contribution to two electronic discussion boards, which are each open for 30 hours.

“During this time, students can pop in and out of the board, reading and adding commentary when they can and feel it appropriate to do so. I really love the level of engagement they generate.

“All the assignments are meant to challenge students to critically think about what they are finding out in the paper and to take those ideas further.”

Neil’s research over the last 30-plus years has been focused on leisure so the paper is close to his heart, he says.

“As such, selfishly, the paper is an opportunity to share my interest in, and passion for, understanding leisure and critically engaging with discussions about what leisure is and how we need it.

“Yet it is at least equally great to get student feedback about how the paper has helped them to see leisure anew. It’s all well and good to say something but it’s even better to find out those words are being listened to.”

– Kōrero by Internal Communications Adviser Laura Hewson