Between Work and Leisure aims to debunk the prevailing myth that work and leisure are separate and mutually antagonistic spheres of life. Stebbins shows that a close relationship between leisure and work is positive, offering people the possibility of finding joy in work just as they do in leisure. Occupational devotion, as Stebbins defines it, is a strong and positive attachment to a form of self-enhancing work, where the sense of achievement is high and the core activity, or set of tasks, is endowed with such intense appeal that the line between work and leisure is virtually erased. This volume examines conditions that attract people to their work in this profound way, and the many exceptional values and intrinsic rewards they realize there. Stebbins frames occupational devotion in four broad social contexts—history, religion, work, and leisure—and then considers the further subdivisions of gender, social class, and social character. The heart of the book uses research findings on leisure to develop a powerful critique of those who describe deeply felt commitment to work as "workaholic" behavior. He also examines what happens when money becomes a dominant factor in work and the social implications of the compatibility of work and serious leisure using exploratory research to identify their shared motivational factors.

This book brings together specially commissioned chapters from international experts in a wide range of disciplines concerned with work, leisure and well-being to discuss key, topical issues.

Although it is now well established that unemployment is detrimental to health and well being, most of us assume that a well structured, rewarding leisure activity would be preferable to paid work. John Haworth challenges these assumptions and shows that the very constriction of work, like having to perform a task we wouldn't otherwise choose, are often the most rewarding in the end. Work, Leisure and Well Being reviews the current literature and complements it with the findings of the most recent research to provide a serious and fascinating study of the most important areas of adult life. It raises as many questions as it answers; for instance, if paid work is better than a leisure activity, what's the use of looking forward to retirement? Work, Leisure and Well Being will be of interest not only to psychologists, but also to a wide range of professionals involved in social policy and the leisure industry.

It is a platitude that most people, as they say, 'work to live' rather than 'live to work.' And in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, work weeks have expanded and the divide between work time and personal time has significantly blurred due to innovations in such things as electronic communications. Concerns over the value of work in our lives, as well as with the balance or use of time between work and leisure, confront most people in contemporary society. Discussions over the values of time, leisure, and work are directly related to the time-honored question of what makes a life good. And this question is of particular interest to philosophers, especially ethicists. In this volume, leading scholars address a range of value considerations related to peoples' thoughts and practices around time utilization, leisure, and work with masterful insight. In addressing various practical issues, these scholars demonstrate the timeless relevance and practical import of Philosophy to human lived experience.

The three volumes of the radical sociologist's magnum opus—in a boxed set: a monumental exploration of contemporary society, by one of the twentieth century's great intellectuals. The Critique of Everyday Lifeis perhaps the richest, most prescient work by one of the twentieth century's greatest philosophers. The trilogy which provided the philosophy behind the 1968 student revolution in France, it is considered to be the founding text of what we now know as cultural studies. Whether discussing sport, household gadgets, the countryside, surrealism, Charlie Chaplin or religion, Lefebvre always concentrates on the minutiae of lived experience in work and leisure, daydreams, and festivities. Denounced by both the right and left when it was first published in France in 1947, today this text is recognized as a path-breaking, radical, and hugely influential book.

Occupational devotion, as defined by Robert A. Stebbins, is a strong and positive attachment to a form of self-enhancing work, where the sense of achievement is high and the core activity, or set of tasks, is endowed with such intense appeal that the line between work and leisure is virtually erased. This volume examines conditions that attract people to their work in this profound way, and the many exceptional values and intrinsic rewards they realize there. The author sets out by discussing people who are devoted to their occupations, and describes the kinds of occupations in which such people are found, the nature of their commitment to their work, and the kind of values they strive to realize through work. Stebbins frames occupational devotion in four broad social contexts--history, religion, work, and leisure--then considers the further subdivisions of gender, social class, and social character. The heart of the book uses research findings on leisure to develop a powerful critique of the "workaholic" model. Stebbins shows instead that deeply felt worker enthusiasm is devoid of addictive or coerced behavior. Stebbins also explores the role of money. How important is it? What happens when money becomes a major if not dominant value, as has happened, for example, in the realm of professional sports? Finally, he examines the social implications of the compatibility of work and serious leisure, using exploratory research to identify their shared motivational factors. Between Work and Leisure aims to debunk the prevailing myth that work and leisure are wholly separate and, often as not, mutually antagonistic spheres of life. Stebbins shows that a close relationship between leisure and work offers the opportunity for people to find joy in work just as they do in leisure. This volume will be of interest to those interested in work and occupations, as well as those interested in the quality of their own lives.