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Serious Leisure
Abstract
Serious Leisure offers a comprehensive view and analysis of the current state of the sociology of leisure. Defining and differentiating the way people use their free time, Stebbins divides such activity into categories of serious, casual, and project-based leisure that he further separates into a variety of types and subtypes. Together they comprise what he calls serious leisure.In this perspective, serious leisure constitutes systematic pursuit of an amateur, hobbyist, or volunteer activity sufficiently substantial and interesting in nature and requiring special skills, knowledge, and experience. Casual leisure, though immediately, intrinsically rewarding, is by contrast a relatively short-lived pleasurable activity, requiring little or no special training to enjoy it. Project-based leisure is a short-term, reasonably complicated, occasional creative undertaking carried out in free time. Stebbins sets out the basic concepts and propositions that make up the three forms, focusing on their essential elements. He takes stock of the serious leisure literature as well as that for casual and project-based leisure.Stebbins sees serious leisure realized by way of a set of foundational concepts--organization, community, history, lifestyle, and culture--and several of their component areas. He reviews the history and background of the concept of serious leisure and then adds historical commentary on, first, casual leisure and, then, project-based leisure. Finally, he examines the futu…
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In the citing paper
“'Elite' bridge players participate in a unique leisure world which hitherto has been understood as a form of serious leisure.”
From Blurring the Boundaries between Leisure and Work: Professionals as Devotees in the Mind-Sport Bridge (2022) · cites this paper as Stebbins, 2017a
In the citing paper
“The devotees must work in a physical and social milieu that encourages them to pursue often and without significant constraint the core activities.This includes avoidance of excessive paperwork, caseloads, class sizes, market demands and the like.”
From Blurring the Boundaries between Leisure and Work: Professionals as Devotees in the Mind-Sport Bridge (2022) · cites this paper as Stebbins (2017a)
In the citing paper
“Stebbins (2017a, p.15) notes that dissatisfaction and disassociation within devotee work is linked to the distance the individual 'devotee' is from the 'core tasks' of the activity:”
From Blurring the Boundaries between Leisure and Work: Professionals as Devotees in the Mind-Sport Bridge (2022) · cites this paper as Stebbins (2017a)
In the citing paper
“In terms of scales of involvement, devotee work is at the opposite end of the continuum from casual leisure and the 'dabbler' in a pursuit and goes beyond serious leisure into a new space (Stebbins, 2017a).”
From Blurring the Boundaries between Leisure and Work: Professionals as Devotees in the Mind-Sport Bridge (2022) · cites this paper as Stebbins, 2017a
In the citing paper
“Discussing professionals and amateurs in serious leisure, Stebbins (2017a) suggests that whilst professionals were first amateurs, many amateurs never consider, and indeed reject, the possibility of making a living from their pursuit.”
From Blurring the Boundaries between Leisure and Work: Professionals as Devotees in the Mind-Sport Bridge (2022) · cites this paper as Stebbins (2017a)
In the citing paper
“That being said, the maintenance stage of careers in client-oriented professions is potentially 'the greatest expression of skill, knowledge, and experience combined with the highest level of remuneration' (Stebbins, 2017a, p.138).”
From Blurring the Boundaries between Leisure and Work: Professionals as Devotees in the Mind-Sport Bridge (2022) · cites this paper as Stebbins, 2017a
In the citing paper
“For those that do undertake the transition from leisure through to paid work this process is fraught with specific structural and cultural contingencies (ibid).”
From Blurring the Boundaries between Leisure and Work: Professionals as Devotees in the Mind-Sport Bridge (2022) · cites this paper as Stebbins, 2017a
Citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Blurring the Boundaries between Leisure and Work: Professionals as Devotees in the Mind-Sport Bridge
Russell, Z., Punch, S., & McIntosh, I. (2022) · International Journal of the Sociology of Leisure · doi:10.1007/s41978-021-00099-y · Cited by 17
Metadata
- Authors
- Stebbins, R. A.
- Corresponding author
- Stebbins, Robert A.
- Venue
- Routledge eBooks
- Publisher
- Routledge
- Published
- 2017-07-28
- OpenAlex
- W4233418902
- Cited by
- 36
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 1 · 2018: 2
- FWCI
- 0.77
- Type
- book
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Routledge eBooks (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management › Recreation, Leisure, Wilderness Management
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Sociology, History and Politics of Sport
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering
- Keywords
- serious leisure, casual leisure, leisure, hobbyists, volunteers, leisure organization, leisure culture, lifestyle, third sector, preventive medicine, globalization
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- Stebbins, R. A. (2017). Serious Leisure. Routledge eBooks. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315129174
