Playin’ farmer: leisure experiences in a craft-based community of practice

Abstract

The study applies situated learning and communities of practice concepts to an ethnographic study of volunteer farm work. In contrast to a traditional conceptualization of education for leisure, participation in farm work activities is understood as a form of education taking place in a leisure context. Analysis reveals that participation in volunteer farm labor may also be understood as participation in a craft-based community of practice. The Farm’s community of practice exhibits the use of embodied knowledge, intimate communication, a dialectic of innovation and preservation, and a hierarchical social structure. Differences between employment and leisure-based communities of practices are explored. Situated learning and communities of practice conceptualizations promise to expand both the analysis and practice of leisure education, thereby expanding its relevance in contemporary society.