Question 1

Your hike might be considered part of the commercialization of leisure if you:

Accepted Answer

Buying a $500 backpack with a solar panel is an example of using technology and consumer goods to enhance the leisure experience, which falls under the commercialization of leisure. The other options do not necessarily involve commercialization, as using a compass and sun for navigation, bringing a camera, and checking emails are not directly related to consumer goods or technology.

Question 2

The Mall of America has more than ten thousand workers,occupies more than four million square feet,and receives more than forty million visitors each year.However,the mall offers more than just shopping.Concerts,plays,story times for children,flight simulators,and an indoor aquarium are just a few of the elements of what the mall calls its "retail experience." What point does this illustrate?

Accepted Answer

The passage highlights the fact that the Mall of America offers various forms of entertainment and recreational activities in addition to shopping, indicating that shopping has become more of an experience or form of entertainment for consumers.

Question 3

A flash mob is a sudden assembly of strangers in a public place for the purpose of performing some novel action (clapping for no reason,singing a song together,dancing,etc.)and then rapidly dispersing.Although they appear to be spontaneous to outsiders,in reality flash mobs are organized through emails,social networking sites,and text messages.This is a good example of how technology can:

Accepted Answer

Flash mobs are organized through technology such as emails, social networking sites, and text messages, indicating how technology makes it easier to organize people.

Question 4

On ESPN.com,men's college basketball is presented as "college basketball," while women's college basketball is called "women's college basketball" and shares a web page with women's professional basketball.This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

The fact that men's college basketball is presented as simply "college basketball" implies that it is the default or standard type of college basketball, while women's college basketball is presented as a separate and lesser category. This reinforces societal inequality and a gender binary that privileges male athletics over female athletics. Shared web pages with women's professional basketball also suggests a lack of investment and support for women's collegiate athletics, further perpetuating inequality.

Question 5

Why should leisure NOT be treated as a minor and unimportant topic?

Accepted Answer

Leisure and recreation take up a significant amount of time, energy, and resources, making it an important aspect of individuals' lives and society as a whole. Ignoring it as a minor topic could lead to negative impacts on people's physical and mental well-being, as well as economic and social consequences.

Question 6

Why is free time (nonwork time)NOT necessarily leisure time?

Accepted Answer

Leisure time is defined as time that is free from obligations and responsibilities, which implies the ability to make choices. Free time that is spent doing chores or responsibilities is not considered leisure time. Additionally, leisure time does not necessarily require spending money or occur exclusively outside of work. Therefore, options A, B, and D are incorrect.

Question 7

Seagram's,a company best known for its gin,also owns Universal Records.This is an example of what trend in the media industry?

Accepted Answer

This is an example of conglomeration, which refers to the trend of media companies acquiring other companies in different areas to diversify their holdings and increase their power and influence in the industry. Seagram's acquisition of Universal Records allows them to own a record company in addition to their alcohol business.

Question 8

When one media conglomerate is able to market its products across a wide range of media,it is said to have:

Accepted Answer

Synergy refers to the ability for multiple parts to work together to create a greater whole. In the context of media conglomerates, synergy often refers to the ability for a company to market its products across a variety of mediums, such as TV, film, and music. This allows the company to reach a wider audience and potentially increase profits.

Question 9

Little League baseball and other organized community sports are examples of what phenomenon?

Accepted Answer

Little League baseball and other organized community sports represent the formalization of recreation. They are structured and organized activities with rules and regulations, which reflect a shift from spontaneous leisure activities to more organized and structured activities.

Question 10

Leisure and work are complementary activities.What links them together?

Accepted Answer

Leisure and work are linked together through consumption because the goods and services consumed during leisure time are often the result of work. Leisure activities typically involve consuming products or services, which ties the concept of leisure directly to the economic activities of work.

Question 11

Americans seem to have much more choice about which media to consume than in the past.Why is this choice deceptive?

Accepted Answer

Many choices are owned by the same company, creating a situation where seemingly diverse media sources are actually controlled by a small number of corporations. This can limit the range of perspectives and information available to consumers.

Question 12

During the first decade of the twenty-first century,daily newspapers were in trouble all across the country,many having closed and many others poised to do so.This worried some scholars who believed that newspapers are vital for maintaining:

Accepted Answer

Newspapers are often considered as the Fourth Estate and play a crucial role in providing the citizens with credible information, holding the government accountable, and facilitating public discourse. Hence, the scholars who were worried about the decline of newspapers believed that it could have a detrimental effect on democracy.

Question 13

Reading a book you checked out from the library might seem to be an example of a recreational activity that is totally uncommercialized,but it is still directly connected to commercial activity and work because:

Accepted Answer

People were paid to write, edit, print, ship, and shelve the book, therefore making it directly connected to commercial activity and work.

Question 14

How has the principle of the free press as a voice of the people been watered down since the founders guaranteed it in the Constitution?

Accepted Answer

Conglomeration and media concentration have led to fewer large companies owning a majority of media outlets. This limits diverse viewpoints and can lead to biased reporting. Blogs and zines have actually expanded the reach of alternative voices, and while tabloid press and celebrity gossip contribute to the sensationalization of news, they do not necessarily diminish the principle of a free press as a voice of the people.

Question 15

Given the ways spectatorship has changed in recent years,which of the following trends is it most closely related to?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Given the ways spectatorship has changed in...

Question 16

In August 2009,the Newbury Astronomical Society held a "Twitter Meteorwatch," posting photographs of the Perseid meteor shower as well as tweets about what was going on in the night sky as it happened.This represented a remarkable new expansion of:

Accepted Answer

The "Twitter Meteorwatch" represents an expansion of spectatorship, as the Newbury Astronomical Society allowed people to witness and participate in the meteor shower event from a distance through Twitter.

Question 17

In 2001 Sirius and XM started offering satellite radio services,but both struggled to make a profit.In 2007 Sirius acquired XM,part of a process called:

Accepted Answer

The process described is that of conglomeration, where one company acquires another to form a larger entity with more resources and market power. Sirius acquiring XM falls under this category, as it allowed them to consolidate their operations and finances, and eventually turn a profit. The other options - introducing new voices in the media, encoding, and spectatorship - do not accurately describe the process or outcome of the acquisition.

Question 18

How has technology enabled the shift from spontaneous to organized recreation?

Accepted Answer

Technology has made it easier to communicate and organize people, which has led to a shift from spontaneous to more organized forms of recreation. For example, social media and mobile apps can be used to plan and coordinate group outings, while online forums and registration systems make it easier to join organized recreational activities like sports leagues or fitness classes.

Question 19

In the early days of country music,there were a number of "family" groups,or families who became professional musicians together.This happened often,in part because many families made music together for fun.Today,far from singing together,the average family is more likely to have each member put on a pair of headphones and use an mp3 player to listen to music alone.What does this say about contemporary recreation and leisure?

Accepted Answer

The fact that family members now listen to music individually with headphones suggests that contemporary recreation and leisure is mediated by material goods such as mp3 players. This implies that we often feel the need for material goods to enjoy our leisure time.

Question 20

A typical media conglomerate is most likely to include which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A typical media conglomerate is most likely to include a sports franchise as it falls in the category of sports media. A restaurant chain, personals ad, and international phone card do not typically fall into the category of media conglomerates.

Quiz 13: Leisure and Media