Personal Critique on Leisure - Essay Example

Running head: Personal Critique on Leisure 1 Leisure Concept Order ID: 469384 Introduction Contemporary society has come a long way due to the Globalization that has advanced in so many areas of our lives, ushering with it a major increase in the economic changes in our societies. In the early days, life was completely different and so were the concepts of both work and leisure. In fact, what seemed work to some was leisure to others because life was so simple. However, this cannot be said for the present times, because of the profound advancement in the economy as well as Science and Technology that has made our lives so easy and functional, that we have so much of time on our hands, in addition to luxurious living standards brought about by higher paying job opportunities. One of the major occurrences that set the trend for this economic change was the Industrial Revolution, which paved the way for better living and made families more economically independent. This economic independence served to change our outlook on the work and leisure front and very soon community – based activities became a thing of the past, while work and leisure services became increasingly more professional and commercialized. In this study, an attempt is being made to draw clear boundaries between work and leisure and try to analyze how these factors are impacted upon as changes are brought about in society. Running head: Personal Critique on Leisure 2 Though Work and Leisure are two different sides of a coin, yet both are interconnected in more ways than one. For most people, work is considered to be a physical activity that is carried out religiously in order to earn a livelihood or realize one’s goals and aspirations in life. Some view it as a specific task to overcome their obstacles or difficulties in life and satisfy or fulfill their aims and dreams by earning well and making a success of their lives. Therefore, according to (Ramey & Francis, 2009, p. 192) work can be considered as chores ‘that involve tasks necessary for earning and maintaining a standard of living’. Besides, enhancing worker’s skills and providing them with a sense of belonging, work is looked upon as a social obligation that enables the individual to gain a sense of responsibility to fulfill his social commitment of providing food, shelter and other amenities to his family. (O’Boyle, 2011) on the other hand, considers Leisure as the free time away from work, which helps to rejuvenate an individual’s health and happiness by allowing him to gain ‘relaxation from hard labour.’ Leisure tends to have a very positive impact on individuals as it helps to build their confidence and mentally and physically prepare them for the work that follows. Work and Leisure are not an end in themselves, but rather a means to reach an end because they compliment each other and serve to reach the goal they had in mind. Work could therefore be viewed as a ‘continuum which can be used as a means to obtain leisure. From centuries immemorial, the work/leisure dichotomy existed and continues to prevail in contemporary society, but the balance of ethics has shifted from the more work oriented outlook to a more relaxed one brought about by motivation, Running head: Personal Critique on Leisure 3 money power and an abundance of time, in addition to the wide variety of leisure services available to all. There are many factors that come into play when we try to demarcate between work and leisure because these concepts hold different meanings for each one of us. The primary reason for this attitude is because both work and leisure have impacted our normal lives in many ways. We are well aware of the fact that not all people have neither the capacity nor the position to revel in leisure activities and hence are not capable of enjoying the pleasure of leisure, the way it has to be enjoyed due to their circumstances, economic status and lack of time. However, other people are well aware that leisure activities benefit them in more ways than one. Besides building good health and happiness, it motivates them to prepare themselves for the task ahead. It is the same group of people who understand that in order to enjoy their leisure activities it is inevitable that first one needs to work hard. People who shirk from work are in no position to enjoy leisure because neither do they have the money nor the motivation for it. On the contrary, people who are highly motivated, determined and hardworking have the freedom to enjoy recreation and leisure activities in the manner they like to do so. The Ethical aspect of leisure cannot be ruled out, because though leisure mostly is looked upon as something positive and good, there is also a dark side to it. It is a fact, that good Running head: Personal Critique on Leisure 4 and evil exists in our society, but we do have the complete freedom of choice to choose between the two. Societal influences and structures serve to impact our thought processes and may impact us negatively. When our behavior patterns fall within normal boundaries, it becomes acceptable in society, but sometimes due to negative impacts, the behavior of people go way beyond these boundaries and become deviant in nature. As a result their recreational activities take on a very dark side such as alcoholism and drug abuse, gambling, pornography, hooliganism and other such nefarious activities, which are extremely deviant and not accepted in society. Though most of our actions are rational, sometimes these actions are impacted by the choices we make and the outcomes that evolve. In (Ajzen. 2002) opinion, ‘even our past can influence our behavior in the future. Work and Leisure go hand in hand and complement each other in the sense that one cannot enjoy leisure if one does not work. Idleness was never an accepted norm in society and therefore work was looked upon as an essential part of life. According to (Beatty & Torbert, 2003) work provided dignity to an individual and was ensured ‘in order to prevent sloth in society and maintain peace and it is for the this reason that we have the responsibility to maintain a balanced dichotomy between our work and leisure and ensure that both aspects are given equal importance in our lives, so that neither one suffers in comparison to the other. Therefore, we come to understand that work and leisure cannot be alienated from each other, because they are interdependent and serve to fuel and satisfy the other experience. In other words, leisure cannot exist without work. Running head: Personal Critique on Leisure 5 The Industrial Revolution was looked upon by Historians as a very important period that served to pave the way for great transformation that marked society’s advancement from an ancient one to a more modern one. Mechanization served to boost productivity and raise the standard of living of the working class people. While critics and historians who were pessimists believed that the Industrial Revolution was more of a bane than a boon, as it placed added burden on the workers making their lives even more miserable, there were the optimists who believed that the Industrial Revolution served to put an end to the debacle of poverty and suppression and raise the standard of living of the common man. According to them the 19th century gave birth to a consumer revolution that served to make consumer goods more easily and readily available to people and raised their standard of living to a great extent, but on the other hand, child labor was encouraged during that time because it was more economical to employ them instead of adults. (Nardinelli, 1990) Though many people look upon the Industrial Revolution as a period of social oppression, (Ashton, T.S, 1998) looks at it as period of great advancement that served to bring about economic progress and raise the standard of living of people, despite the population growth and wars that followed. It was during the Industrial Revolution that work patterns changed making their working schedule between Mondays to Fridays and leaving them free to enjoy leisure during the weekends. According to (Robinson & Godbey, 1997) work was given the first priority, while leisure was scheduled around all else. Running head: Personal Critique on Leisure 6 Societies are all not the same, but in fact, each of them have their own thoughts and ideas about leisure. For many societies, leisure was a time of freedom away from work and responsibility. They did not have a prescribed plan of what should or should not be done during leisure time. Individuals did whatever they liked doing or whatever they were good at. One such group were the Buddhists, who used their leisure time doing the things they excel in. Some of the common activities they indulge in are meditation, reflection, reading, traveling, admiring beauty of nature, doing community work and helping others. The societies of the Romans and Greeks viewed the work/leisure balance as a status symbol which helped to segregate or distinguish between the classes of society. While work was associated with the common or working class people, leisure was closely associated with the high or elite classes. Where work was concerned, the Romans mostly followed in the footsteps of their fathers, while their wives stayed at home to look after the family. Their recreational activities include athletic games, chariot races, gambling, sports, social relations and gladiatorial combats and the arts. (Kyle, Donald G. 2007) The Protestant work ethic includes independence, hard work and saving for their future. They kept their lives simple by working hard but with a motive on profit. According to them, work was considered as a duty that benefited not only the individual but the society as a whole. The Protestant ethic stresses the fact that man has to prove himself to be a strong individual who is responsible and answerable to himself, to God and the society around him and it is only those who were predestined who would receive the grace of God (Max Weber, 1905) which would save their souls during judgment. Running head: Personal Critique on Leisure 7 Conclusion The work/leisure dichotomy continues to evolve as society changes. Society has now become more secular and open-minded and therefore the patterns of work and leisure have changed considerably. Priorities have shifted from a more work oriented outlook, to presently be given equal importance. In modern contemporary society, leisure is given a very important place in the lives of people, because they well understand the benefits that go with it. However, not all people are included in the group that enjoys leisure and they are the poor, unemployed and the elderly. Leisure has become more of a commodity that can be purchased according to one’s money clout - The more the money, the more the enjoyment. Leisure activities are no more limited to just a few, but on the other hand have such a wide variety to choose from. However, there is a clear interconnectedness between work and leisure showing that if one works and earns well, he is capable of enjoying his leisure time and in the manner he thinks necessary. Leisure directly corresponds to the kind of employment education one has, based on his skills, but there is no doubt that the media serves to influence these choices in more ways than one. While the benefits include keeping fit and healthy, reducing stress, building self- confidence and self-esteem, social participation and building good relationships, one cannot deny the fact that leisure cannot exist without work. References Aizen, (2002) Theory of Planned Behavior, Perceived Behavioral Control, Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 32, 665 – 683. Ashton, T.S, (1998) The Industrial Revolution, (1760- 1830) Oxford University Press, 2nd ed.) pgs. 160 Beatty & Torbert, 2003, ‘The False Duality of Work and Leisure’, Journal of Management Inquiry¸ vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 239-252. John T. Haworth & A.J. Veal (ed.) (2004) Work and Leisure. Routledge. Taylor and Francis Group, Psychology Press. London and New York. www.sport.scnu.edu.cn Kyle, Donald G. (2007) Sport and Spectacle in the Ancient World, Blackwell Publishing, pp. 251 – 257. Nardinelli, Clark., (1990) Child Labour and the Industrial Revolution. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. O’Boyle, (2011), ‘Meeting Human needs through Consumption, Work and Leisure’, International Journal of Social Economics, vol. 38, no. 3, pp. 260-272 Ramey & Francis, 2009, ‘A Century of Work and Leisure’, American Economic Journal, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 189 – 224. Robinson & Godbey, 1997, Time for life: The surprising ways Americans use their time. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, Pennsylvania. Weber, Max (1905) The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Read More

From centuries immemorial, the work/leisure dichotomy existed and continues to prevail in contemporary society, but the balance of ethics has shifted from the more work oriented outlook to a more relaxed one brought about by motivation, Running head: Personal Critique on Leisure 3 money power and an abundance of time, in addition to the wide variety of leisure services available to all. There are many factors that come into play when we try to demarcate between work and leisure because these concepts hold different meanings for each one of us.

The primary reason for this attitude is because both work and leisure have impacted our normal lives in many ways. We are well aware of the fact that not all people have neither the capacity nor the position to revel in leisure activities and hence are not capable of enjoying the pleasure of leisure, the way it has to be enjoyed due to their circumstances, economic status and lack of time. However, other people are well aware that leisure activities benefit them in more ways than one. Besides building good health and happiness, it motivates them to prepare themselves for the task ahead.

It is the same group of people who understand that in order to enjoy their leisure activities it is inevitable that first one needs to work hard. People who shirk from work are in no position to enjoy leisure because neither do they have the money nor the motivation for it. On the contrary, people who are highly motivated, determined and hardworking have the freedom to enjoy recreation and leisure activities in the manner they like to do so. The Ethical aspect of leisure cannot be ruled out, because though leisure mostly is looked upon as something positive and good, there is also a dark side to it.

It is a fact, that good Running head: Personal Critique on Leisure 4 and evil exists in our society, but we do have the complete freedom of choice to choose between the two. Societal influences and structures serve to impact our thought processes and may impact us negatively. When our behavior patterns fall within normal boundaries, it becomes acceptable in society, but sometimes due to negative impacts, the behavior of people go way beyond these boundaries and become deviant in nature.

As a result their recreational activities take on a very dark side such as alcoholism and drug abuse, gambling, pornography, hooliganism and other such nefarious activities, which are extremely deviant and not accepted in society. Though most of our actions are rational, sometimes these actions are impacted by the choices we make and the outcomes that evolve. In (Ajzen. 2002) opinion, ‘even our past can influence our behavior in the future. Work and Leisure go hand in hand and complement each other in the sense that one cannot enjoy leisure if one does not work.

Idleness was never an accepted norm in society and therefore work was looked upon as an essential part of life. According to (Beatty & Torbert, 2003) work provided dignity to an individual and was ensured ‘in order to prevent sloth in society and maintain peace and it is for the this reason that we have the responsibility to maintain a balanced dichotomy between our work and leisure and ensure that both aspects are given equal importance in our lives, so that neither one suffers in comparison to the other.

Therefore, we come to understand that work and leisure cannot be alienated from each other, because they are interdependent and serve to fuel and satisfy the other experience. In other words, leisure cannot exist without work. Running head: Personal Critique on Leisure 5 The Industrial Revolution was looked upon by Historians as a very important period that served to pave the way for great transformation that marked society’s advancement from an ancient one to a more modern one.

Mechanization served to boost productivity and raise the standard of living of the working class people. While critics and historians who were pessimists believed that the Industrial Revolution was more of a bane than a boon, as it placed added burden on the workers making their lives even more miserable, there were the optimists who believed that the Industrial Revolution served to put an end to the debacle of poverty and suppression and raise the standard of living of the common man.

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