Affiliations: Faculty of Extension, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Yoshitaka Iwasaki, Ph.D., Professor & Associate Dean, Research, 2-281 Enterprise Square, 10230 Jasper Avenue, Faculty of Extension, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T5J 4P6, Canada. Tel.: +1 780 492 5599; Fax: +1 780 492 6735; E-mail: iwasaki@ualberta.ca.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Humans strive for meaning-making, which refers to the process by which a person derives meanings from an activity in life and makes sense of one’s life. OBJECTIVE: This paper summarizes the research-based knowledge about the role of leisure in meaning-making, and describes implications of this role for rehabilitation to engage individuals with disabilities. RESULTS: The key themes of meaning-making through leisure include: (1) identity, (2) creativity, (3) connectedness, (4) harmony/balance, (5) stress-coping and healing, (6) growth/transformation, and (7) experiential and existential aspects of leisure. These seven themes seem to converge for the idea that engagement with life is an overarching theme to describe these functions. Specifically, a meaningful engagement with life can be achieved by maintaining several elements including: (a) a joyful life, (b) a composed life, (c) a connected life, (d) a discovered life, and (e) a hopeful and empowered life. Research has shown that leisure can promote all of these elements of meaningful engagement with life. CONCLUSIONS: Any leisure activity that has an element of engagement in a broad sense (e.g., with self, others, and nature/world) can facilitate meaning-making, while meaning-focused leisure practice emphasizes the value of people proactively leading the process rather than people being told what to do in a prescriptive way.
Keywords: Engagement, meaning of life, purpose of life, recreation
