Without Work, There Can Be No Leisure - Assignment Example

Without work there can be no leisure” Name Institution Course Tutor Date “Without work there can be no leisure” Work and leisure are descriptions of two realities that are quite interrelated. Leisure, just like work can be viewed in the contexts of the individual, the community, national and even international set up (Torkildsen 2005 p.3). Talking of work on the one hand almost automatically suggests leisure on the other. A distinction of the two can only be stated after a person does a critical examination of both of these terms. This paper is exactly aimed at describing what work is and what leisure is. In addition, it will show the historical development of the two terms from the ancient times up to the present times. It will show the relations that exist between them and finally give the stance that work necessitates the being or not being of leisure. In the first place leisure has several meanings. It has been viewed as time that is unobligated whereby one is not compelled to assign a particular task to it except as he or she chooses. It is also a state of being where, and even a consumption pattern. It consists in being a remedy to a person’s working schedule in life (Human Kinetics 2012 p.5). It has also been defined as the time that is spent outside the working schedule as well as the home duties (Roberts 2010 p.5). In this case, therefore, leisure is doing an activity either interacting with other people who are felt to be important or a solitary act. Furthermore, it can be a relaxed daydreaming act or a serious vigorous physical activity. In some cases, leisure may involve careful organization or a spontaneous and a non-organized activity. In other words, leisure can be just be described as a time when one sets aside to do anything (McLean & Hurd 2011 p.5). Another question that arises in the description of leisure is the time when it is done. Out rightly, many people would suppose that leisure time is done during holidays, vacations, weekends and so on especially those based on traditional work schedules (Coalter 2000 p.6). However, there are times when leisure time is found in the midst of the daily tasks (McLean & Hurd 2011 p.24). For example, in the midst of a job, workers can flirt each other; in the midst of learning schedule, students can find time to socialize make fun during break time and so on. All these point out to the fact that leisure is not just fixed to the time when one takes official leave from the work so as to engage in his/her own activities as McLean & Hurd (2011 p.24) maintain. Still, another question that arises is where leisure is done. To answer this, it is important to acknowledge that if leisure can be done in the midst of any task, then leisure is almost everywhere. Workers in a factory can make fun of their machines; at home one can find relaxation in the television and so on. Leisure therefore can be said to take place in the ordinary places where people spend most of their lives. Work on the other hand is basically defined as the use of effort that is geared towards some end. It is also seen as a set of activities that are aimed at the production of various goods as well as services whose aim is to generate benefits directly or indirectly (Reskin 2000 p.3261, cited in Eichler & Matthews 2004 p.2). In work, a person’s responsibilities and goals are well defined and they are expected to do them within a given period of time. Work is also continuous and a person is expect to operate within that given frame unless he/she is required to shift to another form of task (Eichler & Matthews 2004 p.2). This however, concerns the work where a person is paid although any work benefits an individual as mentioned above. The history of work-leisure dichotomy in the western countries is embroidery of places, events, people, and social forces. It also shows the important role of education, religion, government, values and customs of various cultures together with their sports, arts and pastimes. It is upon understanding the origin of work-leisure dichotomy that a person can appreciate and associate effectively with the present. The culture of human being did not start with the necessity to work, rather with dancing, acting, language, ritual, mimicking and different forms of play. The evolution of such activities was viewed as an immediate solution to the requirements of leisure on those days (Rojek, 2000: 115). In the Western society the balance between work and leisure is, and has since the Enlightenment been considered a serious issue because work is viewed as a means of human progress, both at the societal and individual level and in terms of intellectual and material perspectives. It is from this viewpoint that Sahlins (1974, 15) observes that lack of material possessions among the early people was not a mere indicator of poverty, but can be viewed in terms of a society which achieved a balance in life between work, material needs and leisure. It is important to realize that attaining this balance has always been a challenge for human culture throughout the generation and it has currently led to intensive discussion about work and leisure. The hunter-gatherer groups led to the development of work-related activities through the creation of artefacts like pots, clothing, bags and tools. However, these were actualized by through agriculture development and settlement of human in permanent residents that resulted to formalized work activities recognizable in the current modern society. Availability of crops, land and domestic animals brought about the need for human labour. The development of work phenomenon was further enhanced by the development and maintenance of social relationships and physical communal human settlements. Continued increase in the size of human settlement led to the development of specialist occupations like leather, stone mongers, metal and wood. This phenomenon resulted to the possibility of formation of social structures which comprised of warriors and priests, chiefs and their close family members who never participated in work activities until the industrial era. Members from the elite group were exempted from work and this created a status gap between work and leisure (Haworth and Veal, 2013, p.18). According to Bozkurt, (2010, p.750) the Protestant Work-ethics is one Max Weber’s work that was published over a century ago. Several researchers have identified the factor structure that relates to the Protestant Work-ethics. These dimensions include religious and moral beliefs, belief in hard work, independence from others, internal motive, anti-leisure, asceticism, work itself, internal locus of control, saving in time and money, delay of gratification,. Self-reliance and reward of work (Bozkurt, 2010, p.753). The Protestant Work-ethic model brought about justification for the creation of wealthand it relates positively to the concept of authoritarianism and internal expectancy. On the other hand, PWE was negatively related to the welfare ethic, leisure ethic and the situation of being courageous, forgiving, open-minded, intellectual and imaginative. People who believed in the model emphasized negative individualism which resulted to unemployment (Bozkurt, 2010, p.754). Work and leisure are considered to be dichotomous and antithetical and the conceptual duality is not reflective which confuses the meaning of both terms. Leisure and work complement each other and in the extreme conditions share important elements and they can be understood well in their dynamic relationship to each other. Leisure is an experimental quality of an individual’s time especially when a person involves voluntarily in an inquiry that enable him or her create awareness, which then generates ongoing hence fostering human development throughout adulthood. It intrinsically rewards, enhances individual and organizational transformations that escalates extrinsic economic value. Therefore, leisure should be given equal level of scrutiny and respect the same way work is naturally treated with lots of concern by management practitioners. In fact nurturing leisure is more involving than work itself (Beatty and Torbert, 2003, p.240). Traditional gender roles in Australia are still evident considering how men and women spend their time both at work and in leisure activities. Women spent most of their time shopping household goods, doing household duties and taking care of children. On the other hand, men use more time to engage in paid work or employment related activities. Also, compared to men, women spent considerably more time eating and sleeping. Men, on the other hand commit most of their time to leisure and recreational activities (AMP.NATSEM Income and Wealth Report, 2011, p. 5). As a matter of fact, time spent at work in many cases is accompanied by a price, with less time being utilized in leisure and recreational activities. Nevertheless, spending more time in employment also implies greater income, making it possible to afford to afford other requirements in life deemed important. Research indicates that both men and women with higher household income in Australia engage more in employment activities than in recreational and leisure. However, people with low income spend much of their time in recreational and leisure activities (AMP.NATSEM Income and Wealth Report, 2011, p.7). In other societies like the aboriginals, leisure activities form an integral part of life. This was manifested in various activities that promoted the physical, emotional as well as the spiritual health of the people. Moreover, these activities were interconnected; work and play, culture and leisure et cetera. As such, they were meant for the fitness of mind, body as well as spirit (Turner 2003 p.2). It is reported that song and dance accompanied work, hunting and so on. Still toys were made for children as a way of teaching and entertaining them. Games too were played according to particular seasons and were interconnected with the people’s way of life where they honoured various deities (Turner 2003 p.3). There were also other games that were used as ways of training children to gain particular skills (Turner 2003 p.15). Other than children, there were games for adults which were ways of socializing among themselves such as marbles and snow snakes. Recreation among the Greeks is exemplified in their vibrant participation in arts, learning as well as athletics. This kind of leisure was common among the aristocrats who were seen to have full citizenship and participation in the state affairs. Sports were a daily part of the people’s lives especially during people’s gatherings, army assemblies, weddings or funerals (McLean & Hurd 2011p.53). Musical, events were also held together with poetry, flute and harp performances and theatrical presentations. The Greek philosophy saw recreation together with leisure as ways of improving the individual bother physically and socially (McLean & Hurd 2011 p.53). Having discussed the various ways in which leisure and work have been understood throughout history to the present day, it is worth noting that they are related and are equally important in human life. Work as it has been viewed as any effort geared towards a satisfying end, necessitates the presence of rest, a move-away from the continuous participation in work. This move-away, whether in a short or a long period of time, gives a break to refresh and make the come-back easier and tolerable. This is the same idea that is presented in the various iterations in the cultural practices of various communities both in the ancient times and present ones. Both have confirmed the importance of work and leisure. It has been confirmed that sometimes, though imperceptibly, leisure can be experienced in the shortest time possible during work as well as in long times such as vacations. They can also be carried out together, where leisure provides the enjoyment in work, especially in communities where some leisure activities like singing accompany work. Some leisure activities have been proved to be work in themselves and thus they may seem to make leisure the same thing as work, this is not the case. They still remain to be leisure in as much as they are freely intended and are a way of moving away from continuous work schedule. All these are testimonials that the afflictive tendency of work finds its relief in leisure, and thus, leisure is necessarily implied and drawn from work. Therefore, it is not possible to think of leisure in the absence of work References AMP.NATSEM Income and Wealth Report, 2011 “Race against Time: How Australians spend their time”. Beatty, J. E., & Torbert, W. R 2003“The false duality of work and leisure”, Journal of Management Inquiry, 12(3), pp.239-252. Coalter, F. (2000). Public and commercial leisure provision: active citizens and passive consumers. Leisure Studies, 19(3), 163-181. Dawes, G., Bozkurt, V., &Furnham, A 2010 “The Protestant Work Ethic and Hedonism among Kyrgyz, Turkish and Australian College Students”, Društvenaistraživanja-Časopiszaopćadruštvenapitanja, (4-5), pp.749-469. Eichler, M & Matthews, A, 2004, What is work? Looking at all work through the lens of unpaid housework, April 25, 2004. Haworth, J. T., & Veal, A. J. (Eds.) 2013 “Work and leisure”,Routledge. HUMAN KINETICS (ORGANIZATION), 2013, Introduction to recreation and leisure. Champaign, IL, Human Kinetics. McLean, D, & Hurd, A, 2011, Kraus' recreation and leisure in modern society. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Roberts, K, 2010, Sociology of leisure. Retrieved on June 17, 2013 Rojek, C. 2000 “Leisure and Culture”, London: Macmillan. Sahlins, M. 1974 “Stone Age Economics”, London: Tavistock. Torkildsen, G, 2005, Leisure and Recreation management, New York, Routledge 5th Ed. Turner, D, 2003, Aboriginal leisure in Saskatchewan focusing on toys, games and pastimes. Saskatchewan Indian cultural centre, April 23, 2003. Read More