Provides a student-friendly guide to the key debates in leisure studies.

Leisure studies encompasses the broadest range of leisure and sports pursuits and marries management, administration and sports, as well as customer service. Key Concepts in Leisure presents an indispensable guide to the key themes and concepts in this rapidly developing, fast-paced and demanding industry.

No single introductory book has until now captured the range of thought appropriate for scrutinizing the ambivalent idea of leisure. After analyzing key definitions, concepts and theories, Blackshaw offers his own theory of liquid leisure, which asks some demanding questions about the present and the future of the idea in people’s lives and its role in civil society.

The "Serious Leisure Perspective" (SLP) is a theoretical framework that can help us understand the complexities of modern leisure as both an activity and an experience. Bringing together the study of serious leisure, casual leisure and project-based leisure, it is an essential component of the Leisure Studies curriculum and an invaluable tool for exploring the significance of leisure in contemporary society. This book is the first of offer a comprehensive introduction to the Serious Leisure Perspective, from fundamental principles and key concepts to in-depth and wide-ranging case studies of serious leisure pursuits. The book introduces the history of the SLP and its position alongside other social theories that attempt to explain the nature and function of leisure. It explores important themes such as consumption, gender relations, social capital and quality of life, and delves deeply into the leisure of amateurs, hobbyists, career volunteers and occupational devotees. Every chapter includes a range of useful pedagogical features, such as review questions and group exercises, to help the student to grasp the importance of understanding leisure as a way of understanding contemporary social life and society. Combining cutting-edge theory and method with an engaging and practical interface, this is an essential text for all Leisure Studies courses and illuminating reading for any student working in Tourism, Events, Sport, Recreation, Sociology or Cultural Studies.

What is the place of leisure in societies where people complain of ′over-work′? How do personal freedom and choice relate to the inequalities of class, gender, disability and ethnicity? This critical introduction to the field offers a systematic account of the meaning and structure of leisure today. The book: • situates the student in the field • provides a comprehensive account of the leading approaches to leisure • explores the influence of class, race, gender, ethnicity, disability and age • discusses to role of the sate • examines leisure in the context of changing work relationships • locates leisure in the debate around globalization In short, this is an indispensable, one-stop guide to understanding leisure.

This book walks students through the selection and application of research methods within Tourism. Experienced authors introduce the relevant language and theory of key methodologies and then develop them using strategic literature review and the inclusion of international examples which relate directly to tourism. Each concept sets the historical and philosophical context of a method alongside the practical application of the technique and provides: • authoritative and reliable data • informative cross-referencing • detailed discussion of theories and their critics • suggestions for further reading The book is a vital resource for all students of tourism, leisure and management.

Written by experienced academics used to teaching the subject this book will help students and researchers find their way within the diverse field of sport studies. Clear, well researched entries explain the key concepts in the debates surrounding the social significance and social dynamics of sport. Each entry provides: • Clear Definitions • Relevant Examples • Up-to-date Suggestions for Further Reading • Informative Cross-Referencing Valuable in its parts and indispensable as a whole this book will provide a stimulating, practical guide to the relationship between sport and society. Stephen Wagg is Professor of Sport and Society at Leeds Metropolitan University. Carlton Brick lectures in the School of Sciences at the University of the West of Scotland in Paisley. Belinda Wheaton is a Senior Research Fellow in the Chelsea School, University of Brighton. Jayne Caudwell is a Senior Lecturer in the Chelsea School, University of Brighton.