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This article needs (checking for proper English spelling, grammar, usage, etc.).
- For the album by Blur, see Leisure (album).
Leisure time is time not spent in compulsory activities, such as employment, running a business, household chores, education, eating, and sleeping. Because leisure time is free from compulsory activities, it is known as "free time". The distinction between leisure time and time in compulsory activities is not strict, however, since necessity can be larger or smaller, and compulsory activities may be done for pleasure as well as long-term utility[1].
History of the idea of leisure
The notions of leisure and leisure time are thought to have come about in the late nineteenth century with the rise of mechanized industry. New machines made work more efficient, and the typical worker's week was cut by over twenty hours. In turn, workers took more time to engage in diversions such as attending sporting events, watching plays and, later, going to the movies.
Types of leisure
- Active leisure: active recreation, hobby, vacation, leisure sport (going to the gym, etc.; sport for fun rather than for competition). Active leisure rarely leads to boredom.
- Passive leisure: lounging, "doing nothing", the kind of "reclining-in-the-sun" type leisure which implies going into a near-sleep lounging state. It could be called "wasting time". Passive leisure that is not enjoyable can lead to boredom. Some moral codes frown upon this type of leisure, while others celebrate it, as in the British magazine The Idler.
Some types of leisure have been described as quality time (e.g., to spend quality time with the family).
Cultural differences
Different cultures have different standards of leisure, dependent on, for example, whether the culture is predominantly capitalist or socialist.
Capitalist views
Capitalist societies often view those who engage in active leisure activities in a positive way. Most active leisure activities require an investment of time and money. Thus, it is more difficult to engage in such activities if one is poor. Capitalist societies often accord members who have more wealth with greater status. Those types of inactive leisure that also require an investment of time and money, such as "doing nothing" in a vacation atmosphere, are also viewed positively.
On the other hand, someone who "does nothing" at home is often referred to as "lazy" by others in the capitalist society, regardless of their financial situation. The "poor little rich kid" who does nothing but lounge around the pool at home is seen as lazy. However, the financial investment helps determine the amount of status an activity can give a person. So it is that "doing nothing" by your own pool has higher status than "doing nothing" watching television without cable.
"Workaholics" are those who work more than they need to. They prefer to work rather than spend time socializing and engaging in other leisure activities. Many see this as a necessary sacrifice to attain high-ranking corporate positions. However, these days increasing attention is being paid to the effects of such imbalance upon the worker and their family.
Historically, "workaholics" would not have been recognized and would have been highly commended in the US. Throughout the early days of the colony and country, American society was driven by the Protestant work-ethic. This cultural view was inspired by the protestant preacher John Calvin. There are a variety of Protestant sects that stem from Calvinism.
Socialist views
A socialist society would be expected to view activities that do not contribute to society in a negative manner. However, there are different forms of socialism. According to Kent State University professor Marcus Verhaegh, there were Americans who believed in a leisure socialism in the 1960s and '70s. They believed that we lived in a world of plenty. Thus, if everyone is content with a smaller piece of the pie, everyone can then have their basic needs met. If everyone's basic needs are met, many in society can use their free time to pursue the arts, mysticism, athletics, various hobbies and other leisure activities. [2]
Socialist writer E. Belford Bax wrote in 1884 of a similar vision for socialist Europe in the article "Socialism and the Sunday Question" for Justice Again that work should be spread about so that everyone is provided with times of rest. His focus was on the elimination of one universal day of rest, but the general ideas are quite similar to those that emerged in nineteenth century America. [3]
However, many forms of socialism do frown upon leisure that is pursued for individual pleasure. Life in these cultures is intended to better the lives of the society as a whole. So activities that better only an individual's life are frowned upon.
See also
References
- ↨Goodin, Robert E.; Rice, James Mahmud; Bittman, Michael; & Saunders, Peter. (2005). "The time-pressure illusion: Discretionary time vs. free time". Social Indicators Research 73 (1), 43–70. (PDF file)
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