ISSN 0798 1015

Vol. 40 (Number 9) Year 2019. Page 9

Sociocultural interaction of a university and the creative leisure industry businesses in the system of personnel training for educational and cultural institutions

Interacción sociocultural de una universidad y las empresas de la industria del ocio creativo en el sistema de capacitación de personal para instituciones educativas y culturales

SERGEYEVA Valentina; MEDVED Eleonora; GRIBKOVA Galina; KISELYOVA Olga; LEVINA Irina 1; MILKEVICH Oksana 2; PITENKO Svetlana 3

Received: 19/12/2018 • Approved: 03/03/2019 • Published 25/03/2019

Contents

1. Introduction

2. Research methods

3. Literature review

4. Research results

5. Conclusion

References

1. Introduction

Demanding requirements for the national culture preservation and consistent introduction of the younger generation to its various aspects necessitate consideration of updated content of the leisure sector and personnel training issues with reference to each other to implement the objectives of the country’s cultural policy. The relevance of leisure time and socially important ways of organizing it in the context of shaping personal and social culture predetermines creation of a special sector of economy (leisure industry) and a search for a new framework of relevant specialist training.

The pedagogical context of considering the problem of specialist training for the leisure sphere allows the authors to single out the sociocultural interaction of a university and the creative leisure industry institutions as the main mechanism. A variety of the leisure industries (organization of entertainment and holidays, show industry, gaming, computer, creative, music, dance, and film industries, etc.) and the rise of new forms of its organization formulate new problems for specialist training within the higher education system.

The purpose of the research is theoretical underpinning of the model of innovative personnel training for the creative leisure industry on the basis of sociocultural interaction of a university and the creative leisure industry institutions.

The scientific novelty is clarification of the essence of key research concepts, as well as substantiation of the model of innovative personnel training for the creative leisure industry and its subsequent practical evaluation.

Theoretical relevance of the research consists in developing theoretical and methodological background to social and cultural interaction of a university and creative leisure businesses in the system of personnel training for educational and cultural institutions. In addition, a model of interaction between a university and the creative leisure industry businesses as the basis for innovative personnel training for educational and cultural institutions has been developed, including target, methodological, content, activity-based, criteria-estimation components, mechanisms, and socio-educational environment for the model implementation.

Practical implications of the research are a description of the methodological framework of specialist training to ensure preparedness for professional activities in leisure institutions.

2. Research methods

The research methods were: theoretical analysis, synthesis, systematization, study and analysis of the experience of personnel training for the industry, accumulated by the university, and modeling.

Theoretical analysis of the framework presented in scholarly studies regarding the essence of sociocultural interaction objectively substantiates consideration of this interaction type as a personnel training mechanism for the leisure sector and presents the theoretical and methodological groundwork of the model under development.

The generalization and systematization of major characteristics of sociocultural interaction, as well as the analysis of the experience of specialist training for the leisure sphere allowed the authors to describe the components of the model of personnel training for the leisure sector and conditions for its implementation.

3. Literature review

Domestic and foreign pedagogical science comprises numerous studies describing the essence of sociocultural activities, interaction of cultural and educational institutions, and the leisure sector.

Results of the study of the nature and content of sociocultural activities are presented in the publications of E.I. Medved, O.I. Kiselyova (2015), V.P. Sergeyeva (2017a; 2017b; 2017c), N.N. Yaroshenko (2013), and others; the essence, forms, and types of the creative leisure industry are described in the researches by D. Hui (2006), M.A. Ariarsky (2013), and V.P. Sergeyeva (2017a; 2017b; 2017c). The trends and prospects for the creative leisure industry development, including those taking into account regional specifics, are studied extensively (Garcia et al., 2003; Caldwell, 2008; Jones and Hillier, 2002; Antonova and Kirsanova, 2014). Studies dealing with the problem of specialist training for the creative leisure sector, interaction of a university with other institutions in the training of a competent and innovative-oriented professional in the sphere of leisure are relevant (Gribkova, 2014; Sergeyeva et al., 2018).

Analysis of the research findings of domestic and foreign authors allows for particularization and description of the key concepts that determine the subject area of the study.

“Sociocultural activity” is an activity aimed at arranging conditions for development, self-affirmation, and self-fulfillment of an individual and a group (studios, hobby groups, amateur associations) in the field of leisure to the fullest extent possible. It includes the whole variety of problems on leisure time organization: communication, production and assimilation of cultural values, etc. Facilitating teachers have to engage in dealing with problems of families, children, in handling problems in the historical, cultural, environmental, religious, and other areas, in creating conducive environment for sociocultural activities and initiatives of the population in the field of leisure.

When considering creative thinking as the key quality of a prospective specialist in the field of leisure, the authors imply the ability to create, to produce, and to introduce something new into the professional activities and the surrounding community. Creative thinking includes such qualities as determination, the ability to take risks, quick-wittedness, resourcefulness, and mental speed.

When modeling ways to solve the problem of specialist training for the leisure sphere, it is important to identify the essence of leisure construed as spare time and a socio-historical phenomenon, as time not prioritized with operational or vital necessity.

The concept of “system of innovative personnel training” is regarded as teacher’s training for innovative activity. The system under consideration becomes, to a certain extent, controllable if it complies with a number of specially organized provisions:

- a combination of professional training, retraining, and self-tuition;

- continuity of all the stages of multi-level teacher education;

- focus of high school education on a generalized model of training for innovative activities;

- the need for psychological diagnostics of the readiness of future teachers for this type of activity;

- formation of creative initiative and motivational-holistic attitude to pedagogical innovations in students;

- coordination of methodological, special, general pedagogical, psychological, and methodical preparation;

- implementation of intercyclic and interdisciplinary interactions, integration of knowledge in line with general problems of innovation studies;

- ensuring the core functions of teaching practice in its unity with research training;

- study and criterion assessment of a teacher’s performance when mastering innovation activity.

Let us consider in more detail the process of formation of “cultural”, “creative”, “artistic” industries, since they are the basic differences that allow the authors to gain an insight into different types of industries, to distinguish between them, and to define the concept of “leisure industry” and “leisure technology” in the research.

Based on the definitions of “cultural industries”, it is important to acknowledge that cultural, artistic, and creative industries are the layer of culture where a product is created. This product can be both a result of mental activity, as well as a result of tangibly embodied/manual activity, of what is referred to as handmade, or DIY (Do It Yourself). The concept of “cultural industries”, according to the definition of A.V. Bokova (2017), is underlain by creative thinking and creativity.

Creativity and creative thinking are basically different, since creativity is a process that results in something new, while creative thinking is a personal quality. Creative thinking is the ability to quickly generate original ideas and solutions, the ability to work in various contexts, to notice the new and unusual. E.P. Torrance (1962) formulated the creative thinking criteria: fluency (the ability to generate a large number of ideas), flexibility (the ability to apply various strategies when solving problems), and originality (the ability to generate unusual, non-standard ideas).

N.M. Azarova (2014) considers creativity and creative thinking in terms of language studies. “While creativity is mandatory, creative thinking loses the idea of dictation, it becomes something additional and desirable. Creativity is understood in ontological terms, whereas creative thinking is a socio-psychological category.” Creativity and creative thinking are basically different. Besides the fact that creativity is a process, while creative thinking is a quality, creativity is a type of activity, and creative thinking is an activity method. Creativity is ontological, and creative thinking is technological. Creativity is joy, while creative thinking is hedonism (a pleasure). Creativity is total, while creativity is targeted. Creativity is non-communicative – it is a monologue, whereas creativity is communicative – it is a dialogue. Creativity is a sacral process (from the Latin sacrum – sacred), it stands for all that relates to a cult and worship of some particularly valuable ideals. The sacramental is something consecrated, sacred, treasured, while creative thinking is desacralized.

The analytical report “Review of cultural policy in the Russian Federation” (Razlogov and Sandell, 2013) refers to the cultural sphere as a cultural and creative sector, which includes arts, cultural industries (music scene, audiovisual and film industry, video gaming, publishing), and creative industries (design, advertising, and architecture). The creative economic industries include: large commercial organizations (television, publishing, sound recording, etc.); small and medium-sized creative organizations typically accompanying large organizations (television industry, tourism, etc.); non-governmental non-profit organizations; state and municipal cultural institutions (theaters, libraries, museums, concert organizations, etc.); independent creative professionals (painters, performing artists, writers, designers, art managers, etc.).

Based on descriptions of the above concepts, one can conclude that the creative leisure industry means interaction of a university and cultural institutions based on the mastery of innovative interactive technologies in personnel training in order to develop the creative leisure culture for consumers of different age groups.

The concept of “leisure industry technology” is premised on the growing need for a generalizing, logically clear definition of a new management approach capable of reflecting the principles, forms, and methods of best possible interaction of both internal and external processes inherent in this type of cultural institutions. The category of “creative leisure industry technology” is considered as a well-organized, well-thought-out model of joint activities of one or several cultural institutions, including:

- initiation of a general idea,

- networking (association of cultural institutions),

- space extension (engaging educational organizations, institutions for supplementary education, the local population, etc.),

- expression of the idea in the form of organizing events, projects, festivals, educational quests, and other interactive technologies aimed at the formation of creative, cognitive, and other competences in children and young people.

Scholarly studies distinguish three types of leisure time organization:

- creative type, its major attribute being to choose to engage in such activities that are aimed at both creating and copying an object in order to assert oneself in a particular creative act;

- cultural-consumer type aimed at enhancing the spiritual culture: visiting museums, theaters, philharmonic halls, art galleries, exhibitions, concerts, libraries, etc.;

- recreational type includes such types of recreational activities as fishing, tourism, dancing, and others. Drawing on the categories above, a “leisure technology” can be defined as an individual or collective type of leisure time organization aimed at development of creative qualities in an individual and enhancement of their spiritual culture and recreation.

The specifics of specialist training for the leisure industry involves, on the one hand,  mastering “new” forms of leisure time organization, and on the other hand, organization of not only traditional, but also innovative, interactive leisure forms in the activities of undergraduate and graduate students, as well as specialists of cultural and supplementary educational institutions. The following programs are offered as part of the module units of bachelor training program: “Interactive technologies in the creative leisure industry”, “Marketing in the leisure industry”, “Design process management in the cultural leisure studies”, etc.

Moscow Institute of Culture and Arts has developed a master program on “Event technologies in the creative leisure industry” for the program track “Sociocultural activities 51.04.03” for the 2018-19 academic years, comprising the following modules:

1. General sciences.

2. Theoretical and methodological foundations of the creative leisure industry.

3. Fundamentals of project activities in the creative leisure industry.

4. Event technologies of creative leisure.

An increasingly important place in the development of the leisure industry businesses is held by programs developed for enhancing the professional competence of specialists by teachers of the Chair of sociocultural activities, which is the program “Creative industries in the system of personnel training for educational and cultural institutions in the present context conditions of a metropolis” is implemented with the participation of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, directors of the Palaces and Houses of Culture in Moscow, and practicing managers who are successful in the field of creative industries. As part of the educational process, the following are organized:

1. Visits to leading art sites, art galleries, and specialized exhibitions;

2. Meetings with representatives of firms operating in the market of creative industries;

3. Meetings with editors of specialized journals;

4. Visits to event agencies, entertainment centers, and theater workshops.

The programs developed to improve the skills of specialists of cultural and supplementary education institutions are:

• Program “Sociocultural technologies in the creative leisure industry”:

• Program “Scriptwriting and directing fundamentals for event project development in the creative leisure industry”:

Based on the above, it is worth noting that the creative leisure industry is a thoughtful algorithm of sequential actions in a particular type of activity, implying the achievement of a specific result: to introduce, teach, foster interest in culture and various active leisure types, etc.

   Analysis of the main elements of the technology of the creative leisure activity industry – “organization” and “components” – interaction of a university and cultural institutions shows that they are characterized as a derivative concept, which is the professional activity of all representatives of such fields as education and culture. The activities of these interrelated actors are aimed at the object (visitors of cultural institutions and family creative leisure time organization), which is conditioned by the needs of urban population, the influence of economic, social, and cultural factors. Undoubtedly, as matters presently stand, it has become necessary to develop training programs for future undergraduate and graduate students for professional activities of specialists in the leisure industry. Therefore, interaction of a university and cultural institutions in the process of professional training to organize the creative leisure industry will determine the image of each cultural institution, its performance, and its impact on the elaboration and implementation of various creative programs for different age groups within the city. The technology components of the creative leisure industry serve as the major mechanism for the activities of a university and cultural institutions, which would facilitate their inclusion into new economic and social environment.

On the basis of the foregoing, it should be concluded that the creative leisure industry technology will only be efficient when all the actors within the educational and cultural system are focused on solving the tasks.

The practice-oriented focus of graduate student training in the field of event technologies of the creative leisure industry is aimed at mastering specific features of this industry, which include current innovative cultural practices and interactive technologies in sociocultural activities, as well as organizational and managerial skills.

An important aspect in the undergraduate, graduate or specialist training is mastering modern innovative project activities based on contemporary cultural practices and interactive innovative technologies in sociocultural activities.

Specialist training keeps main focus on practice-oriented training that would take into account all the modern forms and types of cultural and leisure activities that are currently gaining popularity among the creative leisure industry participants:

- multiple types of quests: escape room, performance, Morpheus quest, sports quest or an action game, which has become a very popular youth movement today;

- performance – a battle arranged among students of universities and colleges, at parties, in clubs, within creative teams (musical bands, theater ensembles, dancing groups, etc.);

- storytelling – a synthesis of systematized and verbal role-playing game;

- verbatim – a theatrical performance, with a storyline based on real life events, etc.

4. Research results

Taking into account the conception of the model and its structural components, existing in science, as well as a theoretical nature of the study, the authors present a model of sociocultural interaction between a university and institutions of the creative leisure industry in training future specialists. The model reflects the theoretical framework and dwells on comprehension of the essence of the key concepts presented above.

4.1. Target component

The target component of the model includes the goal and objectives of sociocultural interaction between a university and the creative leisure industry businesses to ensure that undergraduate and graduate students and specialists from cultural institutions acquire competency and skills in goal setting and designing interactive technologies for the creative leisure industry.

Such a perspective of goal reflects prediction of various actors’ interaction outcome in the modern specialist training in the leisure sector. On the other hand, the target component of the model determines the logic of designing specialist vocational training, retraining, and advanced training programs in the leisure sector. The core factor of the model under development and its subsequent practical evaluation is sociocultural interaction.

4.2. Methodological component

The authors identified the following basic methodological approaches: cultural, competence-based, process, creative, and innovative ones, that largely determine the scientific understanding of sociocultural interaction in the process of professional becoming of teaching staff (students and specialists of cultural institutions), which undoubtedly affects the activity content and area. Implementation of the above methodological approaches allowed for definition of such fundamental principles:

• the principle of dynamism – consistent development and improvement of professional and personal qualities at all stages of the professional becoming of an individual in the context of the creative leisure industry development;

• the principle of independence and activity – developing commitment to artistic, creative, and personal self-improvement in students, the use of resources of interaction between a university and the creative leisure industry businesses;

• the principle of creative thinking – arranging conditions for successful integration of an individual in their professional activities; motivation to unlock and develop their creative potential, the ability to find non-standard solutions in the course of professional activity;

• the principle of innovativeness provides for implementation of social projects in accordance with modern techniques and interactive technologies that are inextricably linked with the creative and innovative approaches;

• the principle of eventivity involves designing a creative-leisure and cultural-educational process with the inclusion of vivid memorable events, whereby students, specialists of cultural institutions, and consumers are creators and participants;

• the principle of competitiveness provides for formation of professional competences that would allow university graduates to fulfill themselves in teaching and sociocultural activities, as well as to withstand competition in this area.

4.3. The content component

1. The organizational unit is aimed at creation and implementation of undergraduate and graduate training programs for creative leisure time organization as an industry; advanced specialist training for cultural institutions to develop their own interactive leisure industry areas with the local population, etc.

2. The methodological unit is aimed at organizing seminars, conferences, writing monographs, online development of scenarios, calls for programs, projects, and instructional guidelines, as well as describing the best practices of specialists of cultural institutions and their diversification.

3. The creative unit is aimed at organizing creative festivals, competitions, and shows among students of different age groups, active development and implementation of interactive technologies in the leisure industry.

4. The consulting unit is for representatives of a university and of the professional community of cultural institutions to create psychological, marketing, and technological support centers for organizers and managers of creative leisure industry businesses in the social environment of the city.

5. The marketing unit is aimed at training personnel for metropolitan educational and cultural institutions in order to form such competences in future specialists in the leisure sector as creative, image-building, communicative, information-technological, representational, and diversification ones.

4.4. The activity component

The activity component of the model reflects mechanisms for implementing social-creative activities of students and employees of cultural institutions when implementing community projects. In the process of fulfilling the contractual commitments to students, a group work technique on the organization of creative-leisure or cultural-creative events, including consolidation of a group of students and specialists of creative leisure businesses, is honed.

The development of an interactive technology used in the creative leisure industry and in the system of innovative training involves the following stages:

Stage 1. Initiation (idea) of an interactive technology in the leisure industry.

Stage 2. Identification of environment (who will take part in the project implementation, who is the organizer, under what conditions, what kind of financing is envisaged).

Stage 3. Expansion of space (who will be involved in the leisure process, what are the age groups of the participants, description of the events: exhibitions, quests, and other creative activities).

Stage 4. Implementation of the planned activities (projects, festivals, contests, quests of various types and forms, storytelling, verbatim, action games, and many others).

Stage 5. Reflexive analysis of the activities carried out.

Mechanisms for the project content implementation with mandatory training of all students in interactive methods and technologies in the sociocultural activities and the creative leisure industry are brainstorming, “Cinquain”, association method, group discussion, business simulation, role-playing game, case study method, “Fishbone”, project method, interactive presentations, research game, case analysis, quests, escape room, performance, action game, etc., which would allow students to acquire up-to-date methods of work with different age groups of population in a metropolis.

4.5. Socio-pedagogical conditions for effective implementation

Socio-pedagogical conditions for effective implementation of the model of sociocultural interaction between a university and the creative leisure industry businesses include:

- development of common projects of the university and the creative leisure industry businesses, organization of student internship within companies of the creative leisure industry;

- development of interactive technologies and diversification of innovative best practices of all the interactors (students and specialists of leisure industry businesses) at round table meetings, seminars, research and practice conferences, and in other forms of interaction;

- training and retraining of specialists of the leisure industry businesses in advanced training programs proposed by the university and requested by specialists of the leisure industry businesses;

- consulting activities for managers and specialists of the creative leisure industry businesses.

4.6. The criteria-estimation component

The criteria-estimation component is characterized by the dynamics of competence development in accordance with the goal. In the course of analysis of academic literature and the experience of specialist training in the leisure sector, accumulated by the university, criteria and indicators for assessing sociocultural interaction of the university and creative leisure businesses were identified: motivational, creative-activity, and design-innovative. For each criterion, the levels of readiness of students and specialists of creative leisure businesses for sociocultural interaction in the system of innovative training for educational and cultural institutions were determined: low, medium, and high.

4.7. The expected result

The expected result is aimed at formation of competences both in university students and employees of the leisure industry businesses. In the process of implementing social projects, while acting as organizers and performers, students master the following competences: motivational, goal-setting, communicative, design-organizational, creative and reflexive activities.

5. Conclusion

Increased public awareness of the importance of leisure as a condition for preservation and enhancement of culture against the background of expanding spheres and types of leisure determines the search for effective mechanisms for specialist training in this sector. Consideration of sociocultural interaction of a university and institutions of the creative leisure industry as a basic mechanism puts new flesh on the process of professional specialist training, increases university graduates’ level of expertise, their relevance and competitive advantage.

Based on the stated research objective (theoretical underpinning of the model of innovative personnel training for the creative leisure industry based on sociocultural interaction of university and institutions of the creative leisure industry), its stages and methods were defined.

Clarification of the essence of the key research concepts (“sociocultural interaction”, “sociocultural activities”, “system of innovative personnel training”) expands the conceptual framework of pedagogy. Theoretical and methodological substantiation of the model of innovative personnel training for the industry of creative leisure and its subsequent practical evaluation allows the authors to reveal the updated content of training programs for future and practicing professionals in the leisure sector as interconnected, interacting subjects.

The theoretical nature of the research does not downplay its importance, which allows for the use of the developed model of sociocultural interaction between universities and institutions of the creative leisure industry in the specialist training practice.

References

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1. Moscow City University, Russia

2. State University of Humanities and Technology, Russia. milkevich.o@yandex.ru

3. Perm State University, Solikamsk State Teacher’s Institute, Russia