Work and Leisure
Work and Leisure
Work and Leisure
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Chapter 9<strong>Work</strong>, leisure <strong>and</strong> well-beingJohn T. HaworthIntroductionThe chapter summarises current perspectives on work, leisure <strong>and</strong> well-being,<strong>and</strong> highlights a range of measures of well-being <strong>and</strong> enjoyment. A model ispresented focusing on the influence of characteristics of situations <strong>and</strong> personson well-being, <strong>and</strong> the pivotal role played by enjoyment. The chapterconcludes with the recognition that research is embedded in broaderprocesses influencing well-being, work <strong>and</strong> leisure.The relationship between work, leisure, social structure <strong>and</strong> well-being is ofconsiderable concern. <strong>Work</strong> has been with us a long time. Tools made to acommon pattern have been discovered 2 million years old. Some anthropologistsargue that interaction with the physical <strong>and</strong> social environment (work)led to the development of both tools <strong>and</strong> the organism, stimulating our evolution(Ingold 2000). <strong>Work</strong> can be considered central to human functioning.Both Marx <strong>and</strong> Freud extolled the potential importance of work for theindividual <strong>and</strong> society. The historian of work, Applebaum (1998), states that‘The work ethic is the human ethic’. Kohn <strong>and</strong> Schooler (1983) indicate thatwhere work has substantive complexity there is an improvement in mentalflexibility <strong>and</strong> self-esteem.Yet stress in employment is viewed as a major problem. Many individualsexperience long hours of work, increasing workloads, changing work practices<strong>and</strong> job insecurity. Many have to change jobs more frequently, <strong>and</strong>increasing numbers of people are forced to spend periods without jobs. This‘flexibilisation’ of work patterns is seen to have advantages for those who canenhance their CVs <strong>and</strong> employment potential, while creating greateruncertainty <strong>and</strong> stress for those facing the possibility of redundancy with lesspersonal, social, cultural <strong>and</strong> financial resources. In the United Kingdomthere is a socio-economic class divide in access to such resources (ESRCFuture of <strong>Work</strong> Programme: Taylor 2001, 2002). But there are also indicationsthat in a minority of organisations a new work ethic is emerging,emphasising a ‘reasoned wellness’.Research into leisure is becoming increasingly important. While leisure as
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