Work and Leisure

10 John T. Haworth and A. J Vealpeople feel stressed because of financial difficulties and the dominance ofwork and that in such situations leisure is used primarily for recuperationfrom work. The result is a passive leisure lifestyle and a reactive approach topersonal health. They argue, on the basis of considerable research, that activeleisure is important for health and well-being. Participation in both physicaland non-physical leisure activities has been shown to reduce depression andanxiety, produce positive moods and enhance self-esteem and self-concept,facilitate social interaction, increase general psychological well-being and lifesatisfaction, and improve cognitive functioning. However, many people fail todiscover active leisure. Trying new things and mastering challenges arediscouraged and undermined by the social system and environment. Andmaintaining motivation for active leisure is possible only if it is marked byenjoyment. Of course, active leisure is not a panacea. If it is used as avoidancebehaviour in order not to face up to problems which require attention, it canincrease stress; and for people who are experiencing heavy demands fromwork and family, trying to undertake too much active leisure may exacerbaterather than ameliorate stress.In the 1975 volume, the question was raised as to whether Western societyas a whole was becoming ‘leisure centred’. Such a possibility is rarely consideredin the current era, but it is clear that leisure can take on varying levelsof significance in individual lives. In Chapter 11 Robert A. Stebbins considersthis phenomenon through his examination of ‘serious leisure’, volunteerismand quality of life, and argues that an optimal leisure lifestyleincludes both serious and ‘casual’ leisure. Serious leisure is seen as thesystematic pursuit of an amateur, hobbyist or volunteer activity that participantsfind so substantial and interesting that, in the typical case, they launchthemselves on a ‘career’ centred on acquiring and expressing its special skills,knowledge and experience. Stebbins distinguishes between ‘serious leisure’and ‘casual’ or ‘unserious’ leisure, which is characterised as comprisingimmediately intrinsically rewarding, relatively short-lived pleasurable activityrequiring little or no special training. In the course of pursuing their activities,many participants in serious leisure try to find an optimal leisure lifestyle,conceived of here as the pursuit during free time of one or moresubstantial, absorbing forms of serious leisure carefully balanced withsessions of casual leisure as needed for a change of pace. Quality of leisurelife is influenced by many factors, among them the very people with whomleisure participants pursue their leisure, and the number and intensity ofrewarding experiences found in this part of life. The particular case of howcareer volunteering can lead to an optimal leisure lifestyle and quality of lifeis discussed.The final chapter of the book identifies and addresses five themes or issues,which emerge from the preceding chapters. These are: the desirability of locatingour current concerns in an historical context; the distribution of workand leisure; processes of change; well-being; and the question of policy.