Shades of Purple Recreation

Abstract

“Purple Recreation” categorizes dark, unusual, taboo, deviant, or socially unacceptable forms of recreation and leisure activities. To fall within the set range of Purple Recreation, an activity must be considered socially unacceptable by the majority of the population in which the activity is participated in. The purpose of this study is to provide insight on the participant’s perceptions of deviant leisure activities using a modified survey instrument to support the Curtis Scale (1979) and the concept of Purple Recreation (Curtis, 1979). The results of this study will also provide a glimpse into the current perception of deviant leisure and taboo recreation activities. In this study, 231 individuals, over the age of 18 rated 41 leisure and recreational activities on a scale of -10 to +10 to assess its level of social acceptability. The results displayed various activities which were previously viewed as socially unacceptable, have now shifted towards a positive societal view. Future research efforts are discussed regarding the need for a full-scale comparative study to fully understand the social perceptions of "Purple Recreation."