Evaluation Of Selected Parks And Playgrounds In The City Of Bryan, Texas

Author

Rose M. Thornton, Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical College

Date of Award

1-1971

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Degree Discipline

Education

Abstract

The thousands of children and adults using playgrounds, beaches, pools, and parks each summer illustrated one of the striking developments of American life ... the rise of recreation as a major element in the national scene. With more leisure, higher wages, and greater mobility, Americans have devoted a greatly increased share of their time and money to relaxation and recreation.

Probably the greatest spur to recreation in the past century has been the increasing amount of time made available for it by decreases in working hours. A hundred years ago, the average workweek was about sixty-eight hours, and only about sixteen hours a week could be devoted to leisure pursuits. With the average workweek now about forty hours, leisure time has almost tripled, totaling nearly forty-four hours a week. Earlier retirement and increase of the life span, moreover, have added leisure years to the later periods of life. If these trends continue, the average man is likely to have more spare time on his hands and an increasing need for ways of using it constructively.

With this increase in opportunity for play has come recognition of the value of recreation to a healthy society. The role of play in good physical development has long been known. More recently, psychiatrists have come to realize that recreation also helps to create sound mental health by supplying desirable outlets for impulses which are fundamental in human behavior.

Publisher

Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical College

Rights

Date of Digitization

3/21/2022

Contributing Institution

John B Coleman Library

City of Publication

Prairie View

MIME Type

Application/PDF

Recommended Citation

Thornton, R. M. (1971). Evaluation Of Selected Parks And Playgrounds In The City Of Bryan, Texas. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.pvamu.edu/pvamu-theses/1371