ABSTRACT
Leisure education, which has been, for many years, a prominent branch of leisure studies, is itself a hybrid entity, with a leg in leisure studies and one in the field of education. Education is a complex process, with leisure education being no exception. In general, and in harmony with the emphasis in leisure education, adult education centers, for the most part, on serious rather than casual leisure. Consonant with Houle's distinction between learning-oriented and goal-oriented motives for pursuing adult education is the fact that the liberal arts hobbies are the only form of serious leisure where learning is an end in itself. The common domain occupied by both leisure and popular culture is nevertheless vast. Moreover the large majority of popular leisure activities can be qualified as casual rather than serious leisure. Contemporary governmental policy in Britain tends to overlook the existence of serious leisure and its implications for personal fulfillment, quality of life, and well-being.
