The social psychology of leisure has long been, and still remains, a prominent perspective for understanding the role and impact of leisure in peoples lives. It is a dynamic field influenced by researchers in leisure studies and theories and research in, among others, the fields of social, personality, developmental, and positive psychology. An early systematic effort to examine the potential of social psychology for understanding leisure was provided by John Neulinger in his 1974 book, The Psychology of Leisure: Research Approaches to the Study of Leisure. In 1980, Seppo Iso-Ahola published The Social Psychology of Leisure and Recreation, the first textbook to map out the boundaries of the field and review the social psychological theory and research available at the time. Seventeen years elapsed before the first edition of A Social Psychology of Leisure was published in 1997. The first edition was well received, used in classrooms around the world, often cited by other researchers, and translated into Japanese. Another 14 years elapsed before the second editionwith Gordon Walker being added as a co-authorwas published in 2011. It too was well received, used globally, often cited, and, in this instance, translated into Chinese. This new edition builds on these earlier efforts and incorporates major new topics of research, innovative studies, and contemporary examples. It also advances from the second edition in several important ways. First, it takes into account recent trends in psychology, such as the rise of positive psychology, evolutionary social psychology, and the social psychological treatment of culture (see Chapter 2). Second, it provides a more comprehensive overview of the diverse range of experiences that take place in leisure (see Chapter 4). Third, we have changed the focus of later chapters from benefits to outcomes, recognizing that leisure behavior may be both beneficial and harmful at times. And fourth, rather than have a separate chapter on age and gender, we have integrated material on these two topics throughout the third edition. These differences notwithstanding, we have continued with the general orientation that the social psychology of leisure is concerned with how people come to perceive time or behavior as free or discretionary, how they choose to fill and structure this discretionary time with behavior and experience, why they make these choices, and the implications of these choices for their happiness and personal growth. Important here, however, is that the social psychology of leisure recognizes that these perceptions and choices are influenced by other people and by experiences in the other domains of life such as work, family, and community. A Social Psychology of Leisure is written to serve as a textbook for undergraduate students taking a course in the psychological and social aspects of leisure and recreation. It also provides for students in graduate courses a comprehensive introduction that should be supplemented by books and journal articles focusing on specific topics. Finally, especially as it has incorporated reference to newer literature, this edition is intended to serve as a source-book for leisure researchers in providing context and even direction when conducting studies that employ a social psychological approach. Given the last, in this edition each chapter has its own reference list rather than there being a single, comprehensive list as in the past. This modification reflects a recent trend in how researchers, who are typically interested in a specific topic or area, now access and utilize scholarly information. Many years of teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in this area have provided a testing ground for much of the material and the methods of presentation that appear in this book. Consequently, we have tried to maximize the clarity and interest level of the text. Many concrete examples are used, and where appropriate, topics are introduced through the use of scenarios highlighting various types of leisure behavior for students to analyze. We also pose interesting leisure questions often found in the readers own daily life and then demonstrating how researchers have attempted to answer these same questions. By doing the above, we hope to demonstrate the relevance, excitement, and methods of social psychological leisure research. Finally, as in past editions, we discuss the potential applicability of the research reviewed. In some cases, these applications will have immediate implications for the provision of public and private leisure services in communities, tourism, park management, and private recreation businesses. However, there is another sense in which the book is applied. Not only can the information provided by a social psychology of leisure be used to more effectively plan leisure services, but also individuals, through an awareness of the social psychological dimensions of leisure, may be able to extend more control over their lives and better enjoy their own leisure. To this end, readers will constantly be asked to reflect on their own experiences and their personal observations of other people at leisure.

Is psychology good for our health? What is the effect of class on social behaviour? In this comprehensive and fully up-to-date accoung of the psychology of everyday life, Michael Argyle looks at the most interesting and practically important areas of social psychology. He takes social psychology out of the laboratory into real-life settings and helps us to understand the world in which we live. He covers many of the pressing concerns of the day - conflict and aggression, racial prejudice, social class, relationships, health, happiness - and emphasisies the practical applications of social psychology.

"Leisure is everywhere, but its impact on people's lives is often overlooked. Leisure is more than “doing nothing” or “hanging out.” It has implications for society, affecting economics, politics, business, health, and the environment. On an individual level, it offers multiple opportunities for personal growth and development. And it contributes to a better quality of life for individuals and communities as a whole. With Dimensions of Leisure for Life: Individuals and Society, students will learn to understand and appreciate leisure and explore the ways that their leisure choices can help them lead happier, more balanced lives both now and in the future. ... With contributions from 22 leading professors, the book examines the following: the concept of leisure, including the various ways in which it has been defined and described, the benefits associated with it, the scope of the leisure industry field, and the basis for studying leisure as a social science; the impact of leisure on quality of life, health, physical activity and stress levels, and overall happiness and well-being; the social significance of leisure, including the interaction of leisure with history, contemporary society, technology, the environment, economics, and politics and public policy; the factors that influence each individual's leisure choices and level of involvement in leisure activities, such as awareness of local options, barriers of age, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, or socioeconomic status, geographic distribution of leisure spaces; and maturity level and stage of development."--Publisher.

One of the most important philosophy titles published in the twentieth century, Joseph Pieper's Leisure, the Basis of Culture is more significant, even more crucial than it was when it first appeared fifty years ago. Pieper shows that Greeks understood and valued leisure, as did the medieval Europeans. He points out that religion can be born only in leisure. Leisure that allows time for the contemplation of the nature of God. Leisure has been, and always will be, the first foundation of any culture. He maintains that our bourgeois world of total labor has vanquished leisure, and issues a startling warning: Unless we regain the art of silence and insight, the ability for nonactivity, unless we substitute true leisure for our hectic amusements, we will destroy our cultureCand ourselves. These astonishing essays contradict all our pragmatic and puritanical conceptions about labor and leisure; Joseph Pieper demolishes the twentieth-century cult of Awork as he predicts its destructive consequences.

In The Psychology of Social Class, leading social psychologist Michael Argyle provides a comprehensive account of psychological and other research into social class using data from Britain, the United States and elsewhere. By addressing differences in social class, the book broadens the perspective of social psychological research to examine such topics as the effect of achievement motivation and other personality variables on social mobility and the effect of social class on health. After examining the historical development of class and the attempts to abolish it, Argyle describes the class system currently existing in Britain and compares it with others in the modern world. Included are discussions of psychological models of class, and hierarchies in small groups and social organizations. A detailed account is provided of class differences in behavior and beliefs, covering such aspects as marriage, friendship, speech, style, personality, sexual behavior, crime, religion, and leisure. Finally, Argyle examines the images people have of the class system, the effects of class on well-being, and discusses possible explanations of class differences in terms of genetics, socialization, work experience, differences in lifestyle and the sheer effects of social status.