ABSTRACT
The leisure phenomenon can be measured not only in terms of time availability but also in terms of activities engaged in, that is, how people spend their leisure time. Leisure activity in contemporary society is characterized largely by home-based activities such as watching television or gardening, and social activities such as visiting friends and relatives in their homes, or going out to the pub or for a meal. In order to consider possibilities for the future it is necessary to understand the relationships between work, productivity, economic output, prosperity and leisure and to understand that such relationships are dynamic, not static. Thus to focus on leisure and its future at this particular point in time is by no means to ignore the serious problems of unemployment and economic disruption currently being faced across the world. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
