The Charismatic and the Playful in Outdoor Recreation

• Author: Rolf Meyersohn
• DOI: 10.1177/000271627038900105
• Published date: 01 May 1970
• Date: 01 May 1970
• Subject Matter: Articles

35

The

Charismatic

and

the

Playful

in

Outdoor

Recreation

By

ROLF

MEYERSOHN

Rolf

Meyersohn,

Ph.D.,

is

Associate

Professor

of

Sociology

at

Herbert

H.

Lehman

College

and

deputy

executive

officer

of

the

Ph.D.

Program

in

Sociology

at

the

Graduate

Center

of

the

City

University of

New

York.

ABSTRACT:

Striking

parallels

exist

between

the

concepts

charisma

and

play.

Both

refer

to

a

quality

or

an

orientation

rather

than

a

behavior

or

an

activity.

Both

are

seen

as

innate

to

humans,

yet

scarce

because

of

lack

of

opportunity

and

lack

of

cultivation,

as

well

as

lack

of

talent

or

"genius."

Charisma

as

well

as

play

is

related

to

vital

processes

and

is

transcendent,

featuring

the

extra-ordinary.

Charisma

and

play

are

contrasted

with

the

routine

and

reject

it.

Separateness

and

segregation

are

inherent

in

charisma

and

play;

yet

both

become

routinized,

stylized,

institutionalized.

The

elaborate

and

complex

nature

of

these

concepts

is

illustrated

by

exam-

ining

a

study

of

wilderness-camping

in

which

qualities

of

experience

are

expressed

that

can

be

derived

from

the

ele-

ments

of

charisma

and

play.

These

qualities

are

more

readily

experienced

by

persons

who

are

trained

to

experience

them;

most

leisure-activities

are

not

felt

to

be

so

moving

or

touching,

and

outdoor

recreation

as

well

as

the

rest

of

the

activities

which

occupy

us

during

our

free

time

are

not

usually

endowed

with

transcendent

qualities.