ABSTRACT

In recent years all developed economies have experienced a significant growth in leisure-time activities. Part of this can be related to the rapid increase in most people’s disposable incomes, mobility levels, and available discretionary time (Patmore 1970; Patmore and Collins 1980). Part also derives from the fact that, in the Western world, the last two decades have seen significant increases in the numbers of unemployed and, therefore, in the size of the group with enforced leisure time. The term ‘leisure’ encompasses activities in which individuals may indulge of their own free will either to rest, amuse themselves, to add to their knowledge and improve their skills disinterestedly and to increase their voluntary participation in the life of the community after discharging their professional, family, and social duties (Appleton 1974: 63).