ABSTRACT
In his 1929 book After Working Hours: The Enjoyment o f Leisure, S idney D ark utilises a specific no tion o f leisure, one w hich has frequently been em ployed by historians o f leisure over the past th ree decades. A t the centre o f D a rk ’s understand ing o f leisure is its relationship to pa id work: w ork and leisure are perceived to be sharply differentiated, although m utually reliant, activities. U nd erp in n in g this conceptualisation is an unprob lem atic no tion o f tim e as subject to clear distinctions w ithin w hich it is possible to experience designated ‘hours o f leisure’. Leisure tim e itself is p resen ted as a m eans o f atta in ing personal fulfilment; an a ren a for self-discovery an d autonom y. T h e aud i ence for D a rk ’s advice concern ing the use o f leisure tim e is assum ed to be m ale; certainly the particu la r construction o f ‘leisure’ used is one roo ted in a m ale, w age-earn ing experience. It seems unlikely th a t the experiences of adult w om en in the 1920s perform ing un p a id dom estic labour an d the w ork o f childcare, perhaps in addition to p a id em ploym ent, w ould be readily encom passed by D ark ’s p articu la r rep resen ta tion o f leisure.
