Why Boredom Matters: Education, Leisure, and the Quest for a Meaningful Life

Kevin Hood Gary (Valparaiso University, Indiana)

Why Boredom Matters: Education, Leisure, and the Quest for a Meaningful Life
Format
Hardback
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Country
United Kingdom
Published
4 August 2022
Pages
200
ISBN
9781108839983

Why Boredom Matters: Education, Leisure, and the Quest for a Meaningful Life

Kevin Hood Gary (Valparaiso University, Indiana)

Boredom is an enduring problem. In response, schools often do one or both of the following: first, they endorse what novelist Walker Percy describes as a ‘boredom avoidance scheme,’ adopting new initiative after new initiative in the hope that boredom can be outrun altogether, or second, they compel students to accept boring situations as an inevitable part of life. Both strategies avoid serious reflection on this universal and troubling state of mind. In this book, Gary argues that schools should educate students on how to engage with boredom productively. Rather than being conditioned to avoid or blame boredom on something or someone else, students need to be given tools for dealing with their boredom. These tools provide them with internal resources that equip them to find worthwhile activities and practices to transform boredom into a more productive state of mind. This book addresses the ways students might gain these skills.

This item is not currently in-stock. It can be ordered online and is expected to ship in approx 2 weeks

Our stock data is updated periodically, and availability may change throughout the day for in-demand items. Please call the relevant shop for the most current stock information. Prices are subject to change without notice.

Sign in or become a Readings Member to add this title to a wishlist.