TOPIC 31 AMMUSEMENTS
SKILL: CS.4.2.24. To relate the leisure and recreation options of Ecuadorians as occasions to stimulate links that make the construction of national identity possible.
THE USE OF FREE TIME
The use of our free time is another of the needs we have not only as human beings but also as members of an organized society. In this unit, we will consider the importance of free time and see what ways we have fun and how those forms of recreation, which by the way are not exclusive to the Ecuadorians, identify us individually and in front of others.
YOUTH’S FREE TIME
The influence of mass culture, the development of information technologies (especially the Internet), and entertainment culture influence the recreation of young people in cities. In cities, young people spend their free time visiting movie theaters, going to discos and entertainment centers in groups or attend shows and popular concerts.
ECUADORIAN’S FUN
The way children and young people have fun is not the same as that of adults. There are differences marked by age, gender, regional origin, and economic level of people.Nevertheless, we can point out some diversions shared equally between different sectors of the population, like the taste for some sport or the liking for some team, for example.Especially in the cities of our country, the families of the middle and popular class frequent during the weekends the commercial centers to buy some article or, simply, to entertain themselves and to walk.
POPULAR ENTERTAINMENT
Another element of entertainment in our country are the popular festivals that are characteristic elements of our national, regional, and local identity.There are moments of recreation that involve the whole community. In celebrations, such as the Old Year or the Carnival, adults, young people and children from all regions and social sectors participate.
OUTDOOR GAMES
Until not so many years ago, it was common for children to play outdoors at school with their classmates and in the street with friends. In any case, some forms of recreation: the ball game in the street or meetings in city parks, and some games outdoors, subsist in rural areas
HAVING FUN TOGETHER
This aspect is not very frequent in other societies where individualism and personal satisfaction prevail over the community's interests. Have fun together or think of others to share our recreation constitutes a fundamental element of our identity.
ADULT RECREATION
The adult people of our country also have fun and recreation with some specificities. The practice of some sport in free time is one of the most important leisure activities. In the cities it is very common to practice gymnastics, jogging or running in the morning, besides the game of volleyball, basketball, and soccer during the weekend.
