A People’s History of Leisure Studies : Old Knowledge, New Knowledge and The Philadelphia Negro as a Foundational Text

There is a great realization that a professor teaching an introductory or philosophical foundations course in the field of leisure studies comes to, if that professor may not be from the dominant culture of most Western societies. This realization is as stark as their numerical presence in their respective departments. Why are the philosophical foundations of the field devoid of the experiences, voices, and perspectives populations of color, or even more broadly, the populations of the global majority? And, why is there an absence of historical discussions on the field’s role in perpetrating or condoning activities that hindered or constrained populations of color full access, enjoyment, and articulation of leisure? As we move forward in the field more globally, thinking and discussing the new and progressive ways that we can conceive the sociology of leisure, it is imperative that we rethink our philosophical foundations in reconciliation of the potential harm it may have caused (and may continue to harm) and the actual good it can invoke in assisting the myriad of scholars who are pushing more progressive efforts for a critical leisure paradigm (Spracklen, Lashua, Sharpe and Swain, 2017). The objectives of this manuscript are: 1) to briefly categorize the research in the field on Race and ethnicity; 2) to outline the key canonical texts of the field; 3) to consider and reconceptualize a racially and ethnically inclusive foundation for the field utilizing The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study as an example; and, 4) to identify some of the specific areas that this change and inclusion would impact or realign the field’s history

Grobalization: An Analysis of the Wal-Martization of the World

This article analyzes the Wal-Martization of the world by using a theoretical concept called grobalization. Grobalization refers to imperialistic goals, desires, and needs of large corporations, or even entire countries, to impose themselves in various areas of the world so that their power, influence, and profits can grow. As a form of unbounded capitalism and cultural imperialism, grobalization is both a specific and an extreme form of globalization. The rapid global expansion of Wal-Mart, the largest and most successful corporation in the world, exemplifies the reality of grobalization. The Wal-Martization of the world has revealed that local cultures are being overwhelmed by grobalization. As the grobal penetrates the local ever more, less and less of that local will remain uninhibited by grobal influences. As illustrated in the Wal-Martization of Mexico and China, cultures are changing as a result of grobalization