ABSTRACT
According to Duval leisure and work are cultural universals; all societies in all periods of history have exhibited a continuum of use of time linking. This chapter shows that albeit in general terms, the validity of this observation and sets out in somewhat greater detail the modern place of work, leisure, and obligation. Viewed from the standpoint of work and leisure, much of the history of mankind has been about subsistence as a livelihood, with free-time activity taking place in the comparatively few hours left over after seeing to life's basic needs. C. Sylvester writes that, from classical antiquity through the Middle Ages, two streams of thought influenced modern-day Western beliefs about and attitudes toward work and leisure. The Protestant ethic, as a summary concept for a distinctive set of motives to work, is largely a dead letter today, though some people still work long hours in pursuit of a variety of more worldly rewards.
