DP+Reading+Leisure

What is leisure? Must it always be used wisely and well? Different people in different times have defined leisure in different ways. The ancient Greek philosophers, for example, regarded leisure as labor of the mind, putting to use all one had learned—languages, mathematics, science, music, and the arts—to expand an individual's intellectual horizons and thereby make the person a better citizen. The goal was to become an educated individual, a goal that could not be attained until the individual was well into adulthood. This understanding of leisure is in stark contrast to the late 20th-century view that regards leisure as time to be used for recreation and for fun.

As the pursuit of leisure among the ancient Greeks was limited to those who did not engage in trade and commerce or do the menial activities of society, it was necessarily a somewhat elite undertaking confined to those responsible for running the state. The ancient Romans had a distinctive caste system with slaves to do physical labor, but to Romans leisure meant primarily rest from work. On the other hand, the Puritans thought that leisure was evil. Their work ethic required that they labor from dawn until dusk six days a week and rest only on Sunday, a day they devoted to worship and spiritual contemplation.

Western civilization thus developed a kind of double standard when it came to relating work and leisure. The Greek and Roman upper classes viewed ordinary work with contempt. Farmers and artisans were very low on their social scale, if not outright slaves. The Judeo-Christian understanding was quite different. It not only commmanded work, but work was also exalted as a kind of imitation of God's work in creation. Therefore six days were set aside for work—the same number of days expended on the creation of the world as recounted in the Bible. The seventh day was for rest: leisure was not a Jewish or a Christian notion. In later centuries the religious view of work was renamed a work ethic. But by the mid-20th century there was a resurgence of the Greco-Roman view.

Today leisure is often regarded as time left over after caring for the needs of existence, such as eating and sleeping, and for subsistence, such as work or education. This leftover time is to be used as each individual chooses. Studies suggest that the average adult spends about 80 to 85 hours weekly for existence and about 35 to 40 hours for subsistence, leaving about 40 to 50 hours of leisure time.

Some people view leisure simply as recreation. Others view it as an attitude or frame of mind. Many people consider leisure the main objective of life, and work merely a means to that end. Recent writers have defined leisure as a state of being free, an attitude of mind and condition of soul that aids in experiencing the reality of the world. Still another view defines leisure as a function of social class. Throughout history there has always been a leisure class—kings, rulers, and aristocracy—who did not work but lived a life totally supported by slaves, subjects, and servants. No matter how leisure is defined, the time for it has increased for most people in most cultures. In the United States, for example, the workweek has gradually decreased from six days of 12 hours each to an average of about 34 hours when vacations, holidays, and leaves for illness are considered. Flexible working hours, four-day workweeks, personal leaves, and longer vacations have all allowed more time away from jobs and therefore more time for leisure. The need to use leisure wisely, therefore, is increasingly important.

__Values__

In his book ‘Philosophy of Recreation and Leisure', J.B. Nash organized the concept of leisure by placing leisure pursuits into a hierarchy based on their value to the individual in society. Leisure time spent wisely benefits both the individual and the community. Time spent in creative activities such as music, art, hobbies, education, and community service are more beneficial than such amusements as television, radio, spectator sports, or other passive activities. The benefits of leisure are generally considered to include happiness, fun, creative expression, the opportunity for self-development and self-fulfillment, accomplishment, the challenge of experiment, adventure, and pure satisfaction. Leisure brings different rewards to different people. Research has shown that preferences for leisure activities are related closely to types of personality. One of the first steps in learning how to use leisure wisely is to understand that each person's choice is individual. The old cliché “each to his own taste” is certainly appropriate.

__Children__
Children need guidance in their leisure as much as they do in schoolwork or in developing good personal habits. They need a variety of leisure opportunities in order to help them find the kinds of things that are of interest to them. These opportunities may develop into lifelong interests or lifetime activities. Creativity, patience, and ingenuity are required of parents, teachers, and club leaders to locate and present opportunities and resources that are challenging, stimulating, and of benefit to children. After initial exposure, they need opportunities to participate in their newly discovered interests, skills, or talents.

__Youth__
Young people have more leisure than their parents, and leisure for them in most cases is provided away from home by outside organizations. They desire change and experimentation, entertainment and variety. They enjoy activities with immediate satisfaction that have diversity and contrast. They desire novelty, mobility, and an opportunity to explore life and their own feelings. They need to develop close relationships outside the family and often to alter existing family relationships. They especially require acceptance by their friends and classmates.

__Adults__
Adults find leisure a time for changing interests, often from strenuous physical activities to less strenuous ones. Their interests change with those of their friends, relatives, and acquaintances in social organizations. They take up hobbies and interests learned in their youth, and they tend not to learn many new skills. Boredom results in passive activities such as watching television. They are often so busy with their jobs and careers that there is little leisure time available. They may desire to escape from their work environments or other responsibilities on vacations or trips in search of satisfaction. Those who make the effort to participate in more active or creative kinds of leisure activities are likely to find greater enjoyment and satisfaction.

__Retirement__
There are members of society who experience what is sometimes called enforced leisure. Such groups include those confined to institutions because of illness, handicaps, old age, or criminal punishment; the unemployed; and an increasing number of retired persons. All of these have more leisure time than they really want or are able to use. People who have learned to use leisure well can turn to familiar activities for much enjoyment after retirement. Most often retirees enjoy activities that involve people. They may enjoy many of the activities of their earlier years, but some must be adapted. In softball, for instance, bases are placed closer together so that players do not have as far to run. If in the past retirees have developed a variety of interests, hobbies, and activities—both passive and active as well as creative—they will be able to continue them in retirement. If not, retirement can become for them a source of boredom.

__The work-leisure trade-off__
The productivity revolution has made possible larger blocks of free time for most segments of society. Before 1900 nearly every adult who was not wealthy worked long hours almost every day. The average work year was 3,000 hours. Today, in the United States, it is about 1,800 hours. Japan's work year is also shrinking, and in Europe it is already approaching 1,600 hours. As affluence became more widespread in industrial societies, individual preferences began to shift from demands for more income to demands for more free time. In Germany, for instance, workers are guaranteed six weeks of vacation with pay each year. This is not true in the United States, where vacation time varies considerably, and where the amount of leisure time available to workers is among the lowest of industrialized nations. In Japan, known for its emphasis on productivity, workers in the 1990s were shifting their preference to time in which to enjoy the standard of living they have created since 1945.

__Source__ > Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2011. Web. 9 2011.
 * " **leisure .**" //Britannica Student Encyclopedia//. //Encyclopædia Britannica Online Library Edition//.