Influence of Material Wealth on Leisure - Essay Example

Influence of Material Wealth on Leisure Influence of Material Wealth on Leisure Material wealth defines the financial ability of an individual to ensure that he or she meets all his needs. In this case, they are able to meet both basic and secondary needs comfortably. It also determines the leisure activities that a person will engage in. in this case, a person can carry out leisure activities at the basic level or have luxurious leisure time: this depend on their finance strength. With the current trends in the world, leisure can be considered as an essential requirement for humans. This is explained by their desire to relax and get away from their everyday activities where they have to work and perform home duties. People book resorts and villas and travel around the world to participate in activities that they rarely get time to indulge in. The type and experience of leisure experience have always depended on the type and possession of material wealth is a statement that I completely agree with. This study will focus on the Roman Villa and Seaside to help explain how material wealth defines leisure experience. The two places offer different leisure activities depending on individual’s ability to pay. Roman Villas were designed for the affluent people where they would take time off from their duties to relax and have sufficient time to themselves. The place is also designed to accommodate their families as well. The Roman emperors would use profits from the Empire to facilitate their entertainment. The wealthy and educated Romans would retreat to the Villa to enjoy the peaceful and quiet nature that allowed them to reflect on life (Page 67). The ability to set aside time for entertainment distinguished the elites form the common people who rarely got the chance to take time from their busy schedules to relax in the Villas. This indicates that to have leisure experience, wealth is necessary. This is because, without it, one cannot afford to visit the Villa to have a relaxing time. Leisure activities require one to spend money. This facilitates the duration of the stay at a Villa or any other facilities. Status of a person in the society also defines the form of leisure that he may be involved in. The more recognized your status is, the higher your chance will be at having leisure activities that are considered for the rich. For instance, a president cannot have the same leisure experience as a cook. The Roman Villas acted as a retreating place for politicians. The relaxing atmosphere of the villas also allowed them to work comfortably (Page 71). It is important to note that politicians and other first class citizens in a country have more than the amount of money that they need. In this case, the case study suggests that the amount of power and money that a person commands will dictate the place they will spend their time in. on the other hand, those without power and money will not be allowed to share the premises with the powerful. This basically shows the extent to which the material wealth determines the nature, type and frequency with which people will have leisure time. Lifestyle in the Villas determines the form of leisure that an individual enjoys. Since the Villa offers the opportunity to escape the day to day activities, one does not have to wake up early to perform their duties. The Villas provide people who cater to the needs of the visitors allowing them to unwind and have fun. This offers the opportunity to attend to other factors of life that they may have put on hold (Page 72). In this case, a wide variety of fun activities are availed in the villas so that individuals can decide on what they want to do during their excess time. This basically means that the person pursuing fun will have the best of their time and relaxation at its best as other things are taken care of by the staff members of the Roman Villa and Seaside. This place cannot accommodate all and sundry as other people, especially the less privileged in the society, have too much work to earn bread and other basic needs rather that just having leisure time. As such, the nature and quality of services offered at the Villa clear segregated the poor. The architectural designs of Villas ensured that the visitors got the best leisure experience during their stay. Best designs were chosen and also emulated by other countries as they created their own. The designs ensured that there was enough space for the visitors to relax. The rooms and gardens were also designed to appeal to the guests. Wall paintings and pavement mosaics, and carvings among others were included in the villas, and this distinguished them from their competitors and social classes. They elite class was attracted to them, and their availability helped their villas stay in business, as they would have a regular clientele. The kind of archeology used in a structure helped define the social class of individuals. The elite would visit places with well-structured buildings such as the villas that attracted more attention (Page 75). Nature and landscape of a place are also known to be a key influence of leisure. A place with natural beauty attracts visitors. Such beauty may include the trees, art, or culture associated with the place. The villas were located in a beautiful place that attracted the wealthy individuals who would visit the place to appreciate the beauty. The art used to decorate the villas, as well as the manmade features on the grounds and gardens further enhanced the beauty of the place. A beautiful place often has a calming and relaxing mood. For the wealthy Romans who had the ability to visit such places, they experienced excellent leisure as they relaxed. Form of music contributes to leisure. Different social classes have varied tastes in music. Some people may prefer loud music while others opt for quiet and relaxing music. The Victorian music attracted different audiences and was performed at different places. The middle-class holiday makers who were considered to be wealthier would have music played at their resorts. Orchestral concerts were held and would require an entry fee. This move was aimed at discouraging the lower class. The working class day trippers preferred to listen to music in more public venues. Their resorts were designed to include assembly halls where the bands were invited to play music. The difference in the music played also helped to distinguish the various social classes. The working class holiday makers formed the greatest populations, and different bands work hard to attract them as they would also benefit financially (Page 110). Tension was high on the seaside because of the separation of music because of different audiences. An individual is bound to have a more relaxing time at a resort if he listens to the music he desires. The seaside made an effort to have all the visitors to the place to listen to their choice of music without inconveniences. Dressing can also be considered as an important aspect that influences leisure. To enjoy some activities, an individual needs to dress up well. This means that not all clothes are fit for various activities. In swimming, for instance, one needs to dress light to ensure that he has a more fulfilling experience. A person should, therefore, invest in a swimming costume that is the ideal dress code. The seaside had beaches that provided visitors to the resorts with a relaxing experience. People of different sex, gender, race, and age would meet at the beach to have fun (Page 141). At the seaside, people were identified by the social class because of how they swam. Women and men of the upper and middle-class would swim naked because they believed that way they got the full benefit of the sea. On the other hand, the working class individuals would swim without clothes because they did not have any other option. This was because they did not have the money to purchase the costumes like their wealthy counterparts (Page 138). In the late nineteenth century, dressing was considered important to the visitors because it allowed them to feel special, as well as impress friends and strangers. The type of clothes worn would identify a person’s social status. Some of the clothes worn by the seaside included suits by men, long dresses, and skirts. Women also covered their heads using scarves. Wearing of shoes in the century was also designated for the rich who could afford to buy products that were considered to be a luxury to a large population. The beach gave people an opportunity to relax by swimming, riding, and just having a chance to sit down on the sand without having a worry in their life. This gave the visitors an opportunity to take a break from their everyday lives and appreciate nature and the therapeutic effect brought about by the sea. As such, every person has unlimited access to the beach as the amount of charge is negligible and hence highly affordable by all, despite their social class. Technology is another factor that affects how individuals perceive leisure. Technology development at the seaside ensured the visitors had reliable transport that gave them access to the resorts. The wealthy individuals were the most preferred clients the railway companies as they gave helped the companies garner profits (Page 161). This is because they would pay the train ticket without complaints regardless of the cost. The lower class individuals were shunned because of their inability to pay the train costs, and when they did, the amount was low. In conclusion, it is evident that the leisure activities are determined by a person’s material wealth. As discussed above, people with financial advantage and materials have the chance to enjoy their leisure activities. They can visit villas and resorts that give them the opportunity to get away from the lives they are used to. They also get to enjoy advancements in technologies in the leisure industry. Accordingly, luxurious leisure joints have adopted the state of art technologies that have changed the way people have leisure. The rich individuals can also afford swimming costumes that they can use when on the beach, and they have a choice to swim without them, unlike the working class individuals. On the other hand, the poor have very few options regarding the kind of leisure that they can have. As it has been shown, the poor in the society have their place in less luxurious places other than the classes of Roman Villa and Seaside and their equivalent. References Read More