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RST Professor Monika Stodolska Delivers McCristal Lecture
The leisure activities of immigrant populations not only can improve their health, says Professor Monika Stodolska of the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism, but also help them to retain the identity of their home culture and adapt to a new culture. Dr. Stodolska presented her research during the Fall College Meeting of the College of Applied Health Sciences as the 2013 King James McCristal Scholar.
Unlike work, she said, leisure allows for cultural expression. It provides opportunities for contact and relationship building among cultural, racial, and ethnic groups, and may promote socio-economic advancement within both the ethnic and mainstream communities.
Through her research, Dr. Stodolska has identified a number of constraints on leisure activity among immigrants. Because they typically work in lower-paying jobs, and often hold more than one, they may lack time for leisure or feel they are unable to take time off to engage in it. Lower socioeconomic status also means that the leisure activities of ethnic and racial minorities typically take place outside rather than in clubs, gyms, and other fee-charging facilities. Access to natural environments, then, is critical. "But in our research, we have found that park space is limited in low-income neighborhoods, and the park space that is available is of inferior quality," she said. "Also, because of gang activity, outdoor leisure facilities may be perceived as unsafe." Children in these communities prefer organized, adult-supervised, and indoor leisure activities. The facilities for these activities must be within their community, safe to access, and free of discrimination.
With a deeper understanding of the important roles leisure plays in the lives of racial and ethnic minorities and of the obstacles they encounter in integrating leisure into their lives, Dr. Stodolska hopes municipalities will step up their efforts to improve the health and quality of life of minority populations by providing them with safe, affordable, and high-quality recreational opportunities.
The King James McCristal Scholar Award was established in 1988 in honor of King James McCristal, dean of the College of Applied Health Sciences dean from 1961–1973. The annual award recognizes faculty excellence for significant contributions in research, teaching, service humanitarianism, administration, and advising. Recipients’ names are added to a permanent plaque displayed at the College of Applied Health Sciences Library and they receive a monetary award.