Entertainment, Leisure and IdentitiesThis wide-ranging collection of essays seeks to challenge the ‘common-sense'assumption that entertainment activities have no function but to fill up otherwise empty moments. As such it builds on the term – coined by the Victorians – ‘Recreation', and argues that in the entertainments people pursue they do not simply divert themselves, but actively create and re-create their identities.
Mapping Leisure Across BordersAs a result of social construction and the different social conditions existing at a certain historical moment in different societies, the borders among the various aspects of leisure are becoming more and more blurred; as is the case, for instance, with the borders between leisure and work activities.Such border-crossing is the leitmotif of this book. Although focusing on sociological research, it has in fact a multidisciplinary scope and will appeal to a variety of scholars and students interested in the study of leisure in contemporary society as a fundamental dimension of everyday sociality and sociability with very important effects on social cohesion as a whole. After an introductory section, offering general frames on key definitions of leisure and leisure issues, five other sections follow which concentrate on more specific aspects of leisure practices and forms in contemporary society.
Pathways to Excessive Gambling : A Societal Perspective on Youth and Adult Gambling PursuitsPathways to Excessive Gambling draws upon extensive empirical research amongst young people and problem gamblers in Australia, comparing it with situations in other territories, to shed light on social, recreational gambling and the ways in which this can lead to excessive gambling. It highlights the relationship between the local community, sports clubs, governments, social recreation, economy and regulation of gambling venues, identifying the social indicators that typify situations which commonly lead to excessive gambling.
Violent Night : Urban Leisure and Contemporary CultureWhy do our night-time cities seem to mix pleasure with violence? This is the time and place when cities are taken over by young men in search of alcohol, drugs, another club or a fight. Current public policy has patently failed to keep on top of the new trends in both consumption and destruction which make urban centres simultaneously seductive and dangerous. Violent Night uses powerful insider accounts to uncover the underlying causes and meanings of violence.
Who's Buying EntertainmentThe tenth edition of Who's Buying Entertainment is based on unpublished data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics'2012 Consumer Expenditure Survey—you can't get these data online. It examines how much Americans spend on amusing themselves by the demographics that count: age, income, high-income households, household type, race and Hispanic origin, region of residence, and education.
Related Subjects
See also Education and Sports in this Subject Guide