1. SERIOUS LEISURE.
- Author
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Stebbins, Robert A.
- Subjects
- *
LEISURE , *WORK , *CULTURAL activities , *HOBBIES , *RECREATION , *SOCIOLOGY - Abstract
This article discusses the criteria for distinguishing serious leisure. Serious leisure can serve as an effective non-remunerative substitute for work in the Information Age for those who find they have too little of it. First, consider again the concept of social world. It is not only an idea well in tune with the work and leisure routines of the present and future, it is also a desideratum of many a modern man and woman both for today and for many years to come. Increasingly, it appears that the only available communal connections for most people will come through activities taking place in their after-work time. Yet, because they tend to be private, purely family activities rarely generate such connections. But those who once found meaningful organizational ties at work can still turn to serious leisure, where one of the principal attractions of most of the amateur, hobbyist, and volunteer activities is the sense of being part of a bustling, fascinating, all-encompassing social world. For many enthusiasts this involvement is as exciting as the central activity itself and, in career volunteer work, often indistinguishable from it.
- Published
- 2001
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