essay on work and leisure

Essay on Work and Leisure

Students are often asked to write an essay on Work and Leisure in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

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100 Words Essay on Work and Leisure

Understanding work and leisure.

Work and leisure are two important aspects of life. Work helps us earn money, gain knowledge, and build careers. Leisure time, on the other hand, allows us to relax, pursue hobbies, and enjoy life.

The Balance

Balancing work and leisure is crucial. Too much work can lead to stress, while too much leisure can lead to laziness. So, it’s important to find a balance.

A good balance of work and leisure contributes to happiness and well-being. It helps in maintaining physical and mental health, fostering creativity, and improving quality of life.

Also check:

• 10 Lines on Work and Leisure

250 Words Essay on Work and Leisure

The dichotomy of work and leisure.

Work and leisure, two contrasting realms of human life, are often examined in isolation. However, understanding their interplay is essential in today’s fast-paced world.

Work: An Essential Component

Work is often associated with responsibility, productivity, and self-fulfillment. It is an integral part of human existence, shaping our identity and contributing to societal development. Work provides us with the means to sustain ourselves and achieve our ambitions.

Leisure: The Unappreciated Aspect

Leisure, on the other hand, is the time spent away from work, often perceived as a period of rest and relaxation. It encompasses activities that rejuvenate us, fostering creativity and mental well-being. Despite its importance, leisure is often undervalued, seen as a luxury rather than a necessity.

The Interplay

The dichotomy between work and leisure is not as clear-cut as it seems. Work can be fulfilling and enjoyable, blurring the lines between obligation and pleasure. Conversely, leisure can involve effort and commitment, such as when pursuing a hobby or personal project.

Striking the Balance

The key lies in achieving a balance between work and leisure. This equilibrium allows for a fulfilling work-life and a rejuvenating leisure time, contributing to overall well-being. It is vital to recognize the importance of both and to integrate them harmoniously into our lives.

In conclusion, work and leisure are not mutually exclusive but rather complementary aspects of life. By finding the right balance, we can enhance our productivity, creativity, and overall quality of life.

500 Words Essay on Work and Leisure

Introduction: the dichotomy of work and leisure.

Work and leisure are two facets of life that often exist in a dichotomous relationship. Work is typically associated with productivity, responsibility, and economic gain, while leisure is linked with relaxation, pleasure, and personal fulfillment. However, the line between work and leisure has blurred significantly in recent times, leading to an interesting dynamic that is worth exploring.

The Traditional View of Work and Leisure

Traditionally, work and leisure were seen as polar opposites. Work was a necessity, a means of earning a livelihood, and was often associated with stress and exertion. Leisure, on the other hand, was a luxury, a time for relaxation and enjoyment, seen as an antidote to the strain of work. This binary view, however, fails to account for the complexities of modern life.

The Modern Perspective: The Convergence of Work and Leisure

In the modern world, the boundaries between work and leisure have become increasingly permeable. This is largely due to the rise of the knowledge economy, where work is not confined to a specific time or place, and the advent of technology, which allows for flexible work arrangements.

Work can now be a source of personal fulfillment and creativity, no longer simply a means to an end. Similarly, leisure is not just about passive consumption of entertainment but can involve active engagement and learning. This convergence of work and leisure has led to the concept of ‘work-life integration,’ where work and personal life are not seen as separate entities but as interconnected aspects of one’s overall life experience.

The Benefits and Challenges of the Convergence

The convergence of work and leisure has significant benefits. It allows for more flexibility, enabling individuals to balance their work and personal life according to their needs and preferences. It also fosters creativity and innovation, as individuals can pursue their passions and interests even within their work.

However, this convergence also poses challenges. The blurring of boundaries can lead to overwork and burnout, as the line between work time and personal time becomes increasingly indistinct. It also raises questions about the nature of work and leisure, and whether the traditional distinction between them is still relevant.

Conclusion: Reimagining Work and Leisure

In conclusion, the relationship between work and leisure is complex and multifaceted. While traditionally seen as opposites, work and leisure have converged in the modern world, leading to new possibilities and challenges. As we navigate this new landscape, it is crucial to reimagine our understanding of work and leisure, considering not just the economic but also the personal, social, and psychological dimensions of these two fundamental aspects of life.

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How many of you feel that you really should be working harder ? At the same time, how many of you wish you had more time to have fun and enjoy yourself ? How do you solve this paradox?

Solving this problem can be difficult. Sometimes really motivating goals and a tight schedule can leave us feeling burnt out and drained. On the other hand, spending most of your time on leisure and fun activities often means you don’t end up getting anything done. It would be nice to live in a world where we only need to do what we want to do, but that isn’t realistic.

So how can we achieve a balance between work and leisure that will allow you to get a maximum amount of work done without feeling burnt out or drained? At the same time, how can we really get the most out of our leisure time without being completely unproductive and lazy?

The first step to this is in improving the quality of the activities we currently spend for both work and leisure. By increasing the quality of these activities, we can get a lot more out of them using less time. I discussed the essence of this philosophy in this article about doing what is important.

Many of our activities are simply not important in terms of either being productive, or allowing us to enjoy ourselves. Too many people watch television shows they have little interest in. Why? Because they don’t want to do work and they don’t have any better leisure activities that they truly enjoy. Spending some time to really connect with what is important in any situation will allow us to rid ourselves of these time wasters and put it back into things that are truly enjoyable or productive (or both!).

The second issue to solving this problem is energy. Having the time to do things simply isn’t enough. Certain tasks require a lot of our focus and energy, usually these tasks are also the same tasks we find most enjoyable or are the most productive. By taking steps to increase our energy levels, through proper diet and exercise, it is easier to focus on these tasks rather than waste time.

This issue of energy levels often extends to work. Whenever I am working hard on a programming problem, it can be easy to feel temporarily drained or low on mental energy. A lot of other programmers I know would take this as a sign that they need a break, so they decide to browse the web or check their e-mail inbox.

Don’t do this! When you are low on energy because you have spent too long focusing on a tough problem, take a break, but take a real break. Whenever I need to recharge, I take off five or ten minutes and grab a piece of fruit. I then eat the piece of fruit, sit back with my eyes closed and take some deep breaths. This type of break allows you to regain some energy and clear your mind so you can get back to work. Taking a break by browsing the web or checking your e-mail only wastes time and distracts you.

By working intelligently, taking actual breaks when you need them instead of just distractions, it will be easier to cut down on the amount of time you spend working. This is because you will be working when you need to work. By cutting down the amount you work, you can increase the amount of time you have to enjoy yourself.

The third issue to resolve is in separating your work and leisure time. When you have really motivating goals or a project that make constant demands of your time, it is easy to sacrifice leisure time to continue working. In these cases you feel burnt out and begin to resent the amount of work you have to do.

My solution to this is to guarantee yourself certain blocks of time to leisure. This way you can give yourself plenty of time to enjoy yourself. This allows you to work incredibly hard and really push yourself when you are working, because you know that, no matter what, your work won’t creep into your leisure time.

If you resent working, you won’t do it. It is very easy to resent working if you feel that it is cutting into your leisure time. By ensuring your work and leisure time stay separate it is easier to work when you need to and enjoy yourself when you need to.

I’ve made it a habit to always give myself one day off per week. While it often impossible to completely devote my day to leisure, by giving myself one day off per week from my major projects, I can ensure I will be able to work at my peak for the other six.

The key is to have balance. If you start to burn out or feel drained, you know that you need to find a way to increase the amount of leisure time you have. If you aren’t getting anywhere with your goals or projects, you know you need to take steps to become more productive when you are working.

There are really three parts to balancing work and leisure.

The first is simply to increase the quality of your activities. By working more productively, and spending your leisure time on truly relaxing or enjoyable activities, it is easier to find the time to do both satisfactorily.

The second part is to monitor and take control of your energy levels. When you begin to feel drained by a difficult problem at work, take breaks that will really help you take control of your energy levels. Taking proper physical care of your body through diet and exercise is the next step. With more energy, it is easier to increase the quality of our activities.

The third part is to ensure that one area of our life doesn’t cannibalize the others. Because there is often a great deal of need and urgency attached to work, it is easy for it to eat away at the leisure time we need to function. In these cases it is often best to guarantee ourselves a certain amount of leisure time in advance.

Achieving the balance between work and leisure can be difficult. Understanding that it is not only nice to achieve balance, but absolutely necessary for both our productivity and enjoyment is the first step. Hopefully you can now find your own balance between work and leisure.

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Definition:

Work is defined as an activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result. Leisure is defined as a freedom provided by the cessation of activities especially : time free from work or duties.

Work and Leisure Relationships

Spillover: Research has found positive relationships between work and leisure, such that people choose leisure activities involving the same psychological, social, and behavioral skills as their work.

Compensation: Other studies argue, negative relationship with individuals sometimes compensating for work deficiencies through leisure activities. For e.g. individuals with low occupational status are more likely to stress the importance of prize-winning in leisure than individuals with high status.

Segmentation: Work and leisure are independent and has no relationship.

Media/Videos:

Links/Documents:

• Why People Play at Work: A Theoretical Examination of Leisure-at-Work. Postmodern perspectives on work and leisure acknowledge the interwoven nature of these domains, an example being the increasing number of organizations intentionally incorporating leisure into the employee experience. Existing research, however, provides no specific theoretical guidance regarding the potential impacts of strategically integrating recreation activities into the work domain. Thus, based on positive organizational scholarship and leisure science theories, we build an individual level model describing the phenomenon of leisure-at-work (LAW). We propose LAW activities have the ability to produce feelings of personal expressiveness at work as moderated by employees' perceptions of the activities. Personal expressiveness then mediates LAW activities' ability to promote the development of organizational commitment, work engagement, and resilience among employees.
• Work and Leisure (eBook) Globalization, economic development and changes in social environments have put the relationships between work, leisure, social structure and quality of life under the spotlight. Profound transformations in the nature and organization of work are occurring, with potentially far-reaching social and economic consequences. Increasingly, organizations demand greater flexibility from their workforces and are introducing new technologies and practices in response to global competitive pressures. At the same time many employees are experiencing long working hours, increasing workloads and job insecurity, along with the challenge of balancing work and domestic responsibilities. These changes threaten long-term gain in leisure time while, simultaneously, the leisure environment is also changing radically, as we see increasing commercialization and professionalization of leisure services and experiences, the influence of the Internet, the rise of gambling and the decline of community-based activity. Exploring all of these issues, this book brings together specially commissioned chapters from international experts in a wide range of disciplines concerned with work, leisure and well-being. Each author takes stock of the current position, identifies core practical and theoretical issues and discusses possible future trends in order to provide an invaluable resource for all policy-makers, educators, employers and researchers in the field.
• Work-Leisure Relations The relationship between work and leisure, with regard to various aspects of work and its meaning, was examined in two groups of people: leisure-oriented and work-oriented. Leisure-to-work spillover characterized the relations between leisure orientation and the following variables: absolute work centrality, interpersonal contacts, intrinsic orientation, obligation norm, and weekly work hours. Compensation for work by leisure characterized the relation between job satisfaction and leisure orientation. The segmentation between leisure and work hypotheses, regarding economic orientation and entidement norm, were supported.
• Work and leisure: exploring a relationship hereas geographers have an established record of research into recreation and tourism, the wider issue of leisure has received less notice. This wider issue of' leisure ' deserves more attention by geographers at a time when both the organization of work and the availability of leisure time are undergoing significant change. These changes have implications in themselves but also raise more sharply the question of relationship between work and leisure. That some relationship exists is clear, less time at work means more time available for leisure, but other qualities of the link are less easily specified. A study of three groups of office workers at one workplace is used to examine the work-leisure relationship and significant differences in attitude to work can be related to contrasted perceptions of the role of leisure, though detailed leisure activities are less easily accommodated in any generalisation.

Audio Clips:

• Time Off: The Future of Work and Leisure on Spotify "Rest is essential. Unplugging in today's busy world is both a skill and a competitive advantage. Is it possible to get more done by working less? On this podcast, we talk to those who have developed a solid "rest ethic." They are people who successfully take time off through sabbaticals, active vacations, more play, fascinating hobbies, and other methods for becoming more interesting without burning out." Check out their Spotify page to stay up-to-date with their episodes.
• Time Off: The Future of Work and Leisure on Apple Listen on Apple Podcasts
• The Accented Philosophy Podcast on Spotify "The relevant philosophy podcast with Dr Ezechiel Thibaud and Dr Andreas Matthias. Two philosophers with cute accents and their guests discuss the intricacies of modern life. Brought to you by daily-philosophy.com. Every Tuesday." Check out their Spotify page to stay up-to-date with their episodes.
• The Accented Philosophy Podcast on Apple Listen on Apple podcasts
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10 Balancing Work and Leisure

• Published: May 2012
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What does it mean to live a balanced life, and in particular to maintain balance between work and leisure? Balance is often celebrated for its contribution to happiness. Yet happiness is also one of the main criteria for telling when lives are balanced. Other criteria include health and moral responsibility. As elsewhere, these criteria are multifaceted and sometimes conflicting in good lives.

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Why Your Leisure Time Is in Danger

Stop treating your time off as a productivity hack.

As Europe was recovering from the Second World War, the philosopher Josef Pieper was wondering about leisure. “A time like the present,” he admitted , “seems, of all times, not to be a time to speak of leisure. We are engaged in the re-building of a house, and our hands are full.” But such periods of recovery, Pieper argued, were also an opportunity for societies to reconsider their collective ends—the type of house they wanted to build together.

Pieper was not the only one to stand up for leisure amid hard times. Shortly after the start of the Great Depression, the economist John Maynard Keynes, who had lost nearly everything in the 1929 crash, suggested that people “devote our further energies to non-economic purposes.” He envisioned a 15-hour workweek for his grandchildren’s generation and looked ahead to a time when the population might “ prefer the good to the useful .”

Much of the world is near the end of another global calamity. And once again, we have an opportunity to rethink the type of house we want to live in.

Read: How much leisure time do the happiest people have?

Over the past few months, a string of pundits and business columnists has been calling for a four-day workweek, paid parental leave, and tighter limits on mandatory overtime. Many of these thinkers rationalize proposals to give us back our time by promising that they will contribute to overall prosperity. A well-rested workforce, the argument goes, is a more productive one, and that’s a “ bounty for bosses .” Iceland recently concluded a much-publicized five-year experiment in which 2,500 workers from more than 100 different firms reduced their working hours from 40 to 35 or 36 a week. Earlier this year, the Spanish government embarked on a similar experiment , cutting work to 32 hours a week. In 2019, Microsoft Japan also tried out a shorter workweek. Companies reported improvements in efficiency and overall productivity; in Microsoft’s case , productivity rose by 40 percent.

These experiments and the well-meaning arguments behind them illustrate a tricky paradox: Leisure is useful —but only insofar as it remains leisure. Once that time is viewed as a means to improve employee morale and higher growth, then leisure loses the very quality that makes it so potent. As Pieper wrote, “Leisure is not there for the sake of work.” Leisure is doing things for their own sake, to pursue what one wants. We should fight the urge to reduce it to a productivity hack.

This proposition is tougher than it seems because leisure time happens to be tremendously fruitful. Pieper and the philosopher Bertrand Russell, who wrote the essay “In Praise of Idleness” in 1932 , did not agree on much—one was a Catholic philosopher, the other an atheist—but they did agree that time off fuels human creativity and innovation. Russell argued that it “contributed nearly the whole of what we call civilization. It cultivated the arts and discovered the sciences; it wrote the books, invented the philosophies, and refined social relations.” Pieper went so far as to attribute to leisure something of the sublime. To be at leisure was, in his words, “at once a human and super-human condition.”

Many of us know this for ourselves: When we are hiking in nature, or under the shower, or simply daydreaming, flashes of inspiration come as if from nowhere. Neuroscientists speak of the “ incubation period ” that often precedes illumination as an absence of task-related thought. Cognitive psychologists have shown that leisure lends itself to the type of “intrinsic motivation” that is uniquely effective for learning .

The private sector sees the value of this time, which is why it is so intent on blurring the line between work and nonwork. Management experts gush about how “ daydreaming at work can fuel creativity .” Forward-thinking firms have responded with office hammocks and foosball tables and happy hours. Given how nearly half of the U.S. labor force is now engaged in some form of knowledge work , the ability to tap the creative potential of leisure has come to have real economic worth.

At the same time that our companies and policy makers are recognizing the value of leisure, employees have decided that they don’t need it. As countries grew richer over the mid-1900s, average working hours decreased and leisure increased. Then, sometime around 1985, the trend reversed: Leisure hours started falling, affecting the most well-off people within wealthy countries —the very people who made up what was once called the “leisure class.” The same pattern now shows up in emerging economies. The richest and the most educated are working more than they did 20 years ago . Income inequality has risen, but as the economist Robert H. Frank observes , “leisure inequality” is “growing as a mirror image, with the low earners gaining leisure and the high earners losing.”

Shortly before the pandemic, a study run jointly by Oxford Economics and Ipsos found that in 2018, more than half of Americans had not used all their vacation days. All told, Americans had failed to use 768 million days of paid time off . That was a 9 percent increase in forgone vacation from the prior year.

Among the handful of studies that examine the quality of our leisure time by reviewing diary records, the findings are even more sobering. “Pure leisure,” which social scientists define as “leisure time that is not ‘contaminated’ by other non-leisure activities,” has fallen across the board , affecting all income and education levels.

Technology usually gets most of the blame. But for all the focus on smartphones as the culprit, a more fundamental factor is at play. We yearn to “make the most of” our free time, so we are constantly giving our evenings, weekends, and vacations over to our self-advancement. Labor-market precarity and the growth of the gig economy have sharpened these incentives. Pure leisure now feels like pure indulgence.

How did people come to view leisure as a means to an end? In a reflection of leisure’s paradoxical quality, calls for its expansion tend to come first from utopians musing about human dignity, before being embraced by hardheaded pragmatists looking at input-output tables. What the social reformer Robert Owen put forward in 1810 as a radical notion, the industrialist Henry Ford advocated a century later as good business. In 1926 , Ford, who had already reduced the number of daily working hours in his factories from 10 to eight, then also shortened the workweek from six to five days.

Derek Thompson: Workism is making Americans miserable

In an interview following his factory reforms, he explained , “It is high time to rid ourselves of the notion that leisure for workmen is either ‘lost time’ or a class privilege.” On the basis of such solemn words, one might almost mistake him for an advocate of the good life. Ford was quick to rectify that impression: “Of course,” he went on , “there is a humanitarian side to the shorter day and the shorter week, but dwelling on that side is likely to get one into trouble, for then leisure may be put before work instead of after work—where it belongs.” Ford found that with their additional day off, his workers showed up “so fresh and keen that they are able to put their minds as well as their hands into their work.” Better yet, they used their time off to buy more things, which Ford argued would increase aggregate demand, fueling growth. Leisure became a means to a means.

This passing of the baton from utopians to pragmatists is a regular occurrence. Consider the odd fortune that has befallen sleep, that primordial cousin of leisure. The number of sleep hours for the average North American went from 10 hours a century ago to 6.5 hours today.

Then, a funny thing happened. Business leaders embraced the fruitfulness of sleep. In a blurb for The Sleep Revolution , a book by the business mogul Arianna Huffington, Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook, explained , “Arianna shows that sleep is not just vital for our health, but also critical to helping us achieve our goals .” Sleep, in other words, has become another means to an end.

Getting by on four hours of sleep is no longer cause for admiration; it’s a sign that you’re a small, stressed-out cog in the machine. The thinking person gets their full eight hours and tracks their REM minutes on a well-designed app. No self-respecting start-up is complete without sleep pods for employees who would like to take an energy nap and return to work, their best selves once more.

What is so bad about a tacit alliance between utopians and pragmatists? If leisure is justified by its contribution to other social ends—innovation, productivity, growth—it stands to lose any perceived worth as soon as it comes into conflict with those goals. An eventual clash between the two will always be settled in favor of work. The result is 768 million hours of unused vacation days. And even when employees take time off, they feel an urge to log in to their work email between dips in the ocean.

As we restart the economy, we must be mindful about this contest between economic means and noneconomic ends. Our reflex might be to put our nose back to the grindstone and make up for lost time. From past recessions, we know that economic shocks tend to be followed by an increase in working hours . The blurring of work and home that took place under lockdown has already lengthened working hours .

Read: The free-time paradox in America

However, we have reason to feel optimistic about this reset. For those lucky enough to have been able to work from home—especially if they were spared additional duties of caring for children or sick parents—the pandemic has been an odd period of imposed leisure. Perhaps these past 18 months, as some took up the ukulele while others spent more time with their family, have served as a corrective, a reminder of what ends people want to pursue, and what means are best suited to attaining them.

Leisure should be aspired to for no other reason than that it is possible. What used to be the preserve of a small elite is now achievable for a greater portion of advanced market societies than ever before. We should ensure that time off is made available to a greater portion still.

Yes, this leisure time might generate untold benefits for our knowledge economy. It might inadvertently lead to some brilliant lines of code, unprecedented levels of innovation, and a flourishing of culture. And policy makers may need to hear about those benefits. But as individuals, we gain from preserving a space for the doing of things for their own sake, a zone free of optimization. As Pieper wrote, “Work is the means of life; leisure the end.”

Work and Leisure

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The study of the relationship between work and leisure has been largely influenced by economic, historical and technological factors. Although some writers (e.g., Wilensky, 1960) have maintained that a sharp distinction between work and leisure only appeared with the advent of the industrial revolution, it is possible to trace the distinction between the two concepts to much earlier periods. Earlier Greek writers, for example, often made it clear that manual work was an unfortunate necessity, while leisure provided opportunities for the pursuit of truth and personal fulfillment. Work was an activity of sorrow, “ponos,” that prevented the contemplation of truth and beauty (Tilgher, 1930). This elevated view of leisure declined in value after classical Greece. With the development of the modern industrialism, leisure even became an activity that was considered relatively unimportant or even inimical to personal development. In modern times, the creative function of leisure has again become a subject for debate. This has been large due to a recognition that many jobs in industrialized societies do not provide much opportunity for personal fulfillment. They do not provide many employees with tasks that fully use valued skills nor do they often provide a means of allowing employees to exert a moderate degree of personal control over their work activities.

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O’Brien, G.E. (1988). Work and Leisure. In: van Raaij, W.F., van Veldhoven, G.M., Wärneryd, KE. (eds) Handbook of Economic Psychology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-7791-5_15

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Work and Leisure

Updated 21 April 2023

Subject Biology ,  Work

Downloads 63

Category Life ,  Science

Topic Happiness ,  Human ,  Work-Life Balance

Work and leisure are essential components of human happiness and fulfillment (Engeser and Baumann 2016). Work provides fulfillment in life, yet total focus on work deprives individuals of enjoyment. Concentration on work might get tedious, thus people should indulge in leisure activities. This essay will concentrate on traveling as a form of recreation. The interpretive theory will guide the researcher. The Interpretive Theory and Travel According to Diaz-Bernardo (2015), there are distinct contrasts between a pleasure traveler and a business traveler.The differences are seen in the way the people will select their transportation means and how they will settle at a visited place. Business travelers go for the fastest means of transport while leisure travelers would be comfortable in luxury means of transport regardless of the time the chosen means would take. Business travelers show less concern on the quality of received services as compared to the amount paid. For business travelers, as long as the service is provided, the quality is not an issue of concern. On the contrary, the quality of a service really matters for a leisure traveler. A leisure traveler want to acquire quality services for the amount paid. They are only satisfied if the value of the service surpasses or equals to the value of the pay (Diaz-Bernardo, 2015, p.95). The suggested variances apply for me. When I travel for leisure, all I want is to have fun. Everything I encounter should add to the pleasure. I should enjoy everything including the means of transport, the place I visit, to the services am offered at the place of visitation. When it comes to business travels, I go for cost efficient means of transport and cheaper, but convenient services. References Diaz-Bernardo, R. (2015). The effect of the economic downturn on the way people travel for leisure and for business: The case of Spain. (International Journal of Management & Information Systems (Online)), 19(2): 95. [Online] (updated 2015) Available at: [Accessed Sep., 2015] Engeser, S., and Baumann, N. (2016). Fluctuation of flow and affect in everyday life : A second look at the paradox of work. (Journal of Happiness Studies), 17(1): 105-124. [Online] (updated 2016) Available at: [Accessed Sep., 2015]

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Essays About Work: 7 Examples and 8 Prompts

If you want to write well-researched essays about work, check out our guide of helpful essay examples and writing prompts for this topic.

Whether employed or self-employed, we all need to work to earn a living. Work could provide a source of purpose for some but also stress for many. The causes of stress could be an unmanageable workload, low pay, slow career development, an incompetent boss, and companies that do not care about your well-being.  Essays about work  can help us understand how to achieve a work/life balance for long-term happiness.

Work can still be a happy place to develop essential skills such as leadership and teamwork. If we adopt the right mindset, we can focus on situations we can improve and avoid stressing ourselves over situations we have no control over. We should also be free to speak up against workplace issues and abuses to defend our labor rights. Check out our  essay writing topics  for more.

5 Examples of Essays About Work

1.  when the future of work means always looking for your next job by bruce horovitz, 2. ‘quiet quitting’ isn’t the solution for burnout by rebecca vidra, 3. the science of why we burn out and don’t have to by joe robinson , 4. how to manage your career in a vuca world by murali murthy, 5. the challenges of regulating the labor market in developing countries by gordon betcherman, 6. creating the best workplace on earth by rob goffee and gareth jones, 7. employees seek personal value and purpose at work. be prepared to deliver by jordan turner, 8 writing prompts on essays about work, 1. a dream work environment, 2. how is school preparing you for work, 3. the importance of teamwork at work, 4. a guide to find work for new graduates, 5. finding happiness at work, 6. motivating people at work, 7. advantages and disadvantages of working from home, 8. critical qualities you need to thrive at work.

“For a host of reasons—some for a higher salary, others for improved benefits, and many in search of better company culture—America’s workforce is constantly looking for its next gig.”

A perennial search for a job that fulfills your sense of purpose has been an emerging trend in the work landscape in recent years. Yet, as human resource managers scramble to minimize employee turnover, some still believe there will still be workers who can exit a company through a happy retirement. You might also be interested in these  essays about unemployment .

“…[L]et’s creatively collaborate on ways to re-establish our own sense of value in our institutions while saying yes only to invitations that nourish us instead of sucking up more of our energy.”

Quiet quitting signals more profound issues underlying work, such as burnout or the bosses themselves. It is undesirable in any workplace, but to have it in school, among faculty members, spells doom as the future of the next generation is put at stake. In this essay, a teacher learns how to keep from burnout and rebuild a sense of community that drew her into the job in the first place.

“We don’t think about managing the demands that are pushing our buttons, we just keep reacting to them on autopilot on a route I call the burnout treadmill. Just keep going until the paramedics arrive.”

Studies have shown the detrimental health effects of stress on our mind, emotions and body. Yet we still willingly take on the treadmill to stress, forgetting our boundaries and wellness. It is time to normalize seeking help from our superiors to resolve burnout and refuse overtime and heavy workloads.

“As we start to emerge from the pandemic, today’s workplace demands a different kind of VUCA career growth. One that’s Versatile, Uplifting, Choice-filled and Active.”

The only thing constant in work is change. However, recent decades have witnessed greater work volatility where tech-oriented people and creative minds flourish the most. The essay provides tips for applying at work daily to survive and even thrive in the VUCA world. You might also be interested in these  essays about motivation .

“Ultimately, the biggest challenge in regulating labor markets in developing countries is what to do about the hundreds of millions of workers (or even more) who are beyond the reach of formal labor market rules and social protections.”

The challenge in regulating work is balancing the interest of employees to have dignified work conditions and for employers to operate at the most reasonable cost. But in developing countries, the difficulties loom larger, with issues going beyond equal pay to universal social protection coverage and monitoring employers’ compliance.

“Suppose you want to design the best company on earth to work for. What would it be like? For three years, we’ve been investigating this question by asking hundreds of executives in surveys and in seminars all over the world to describe their ideal organization.”

If you’ve ever wondered what would make the best workplace, you’re not alone. In this essay, Jones looks at how employers can create a better workplace for employees by using surveys and interviews. The writer found that individuality and a sense of support are key to creating positive workplace environments where employees are comfortable.

“Bottom line: People seek purpose in their lives — and that includes work. The more an employer limits those things that create this sense of purpose, the less likely employees will stay at their positions.”

In this essay, Turner looks at how employees seek value in the workplace. This essay dives into how, as humans, we all need a purpose. If we can find purpose in our work, our overall happiness increases. So, a value and purpose-driven job role can create a positive and fruitful work environment for both workers and employers.

In this essay, talk about how you envision yourself as a professional in the future. You can be as creative as to describe your workplace, your position, and your colleagues’ perception of you. Next, explain why this is the line of work you dream of and what you can contribute to society through this work. Finally, add what learning programs you’ve signed up for to prepare your skills for your dream job. For more, check out our list of simple essays topics for intermediate writers .

For your essay, look deeply into how your school prepares the young generation to be competitive in the future workforce. If you want to go the extra mile, you can interview students who have graduated from your school and are now professionals. Ask them about the programs or practices in your school that they believe have helped mold them better at their current jobs.

In a workplace where colleagues compete against each other, leaders could find it challenging to cultivate a sense of cooperation and teamwork. So, find out what creative activities companies can undertake to encourage teamwork across teams and divisions. For example, regular team-building activities help strengthen professional bonds while assisting workers to recharge their minds.

Finding a job after receiving your undergraduate diploma can be full of stress, pressure, and hard work. Write an essay that handholds graduate students in drafting their resumes and preparing for an interview. You may also recommend the top job market platforms that match them with their dream work. You may also ask recruitment experts for tips on how graduates can make a positive impression in job interviews.

Creating a fun and happy workplace may seem impossible. But there has been a flurry of efforts in the corporate world to keep workers happy. Why? To make them more productive. So, for your essay, gather research on what practices companies and policy-makers should adopt to help workers find meaning in their jobs. For example, how often should salary increases occur? You may also focus on what drives people to quit jobs that raise money. If it’s not the financial package that makes them satisfied, what does? Discuss these questions with your readers for a compelling essay.

Motivation could scale up workers’ productivity, efficiency, and ambition for higher positions and a longer tenure in your company. Knowing which method of motivation best suits your employees requires direct managers to know their people and find their potential source of intrinsic motivation. For example, managers should be able to tell whether employees are having difficulties with their tasks to the point of discouragement or find the task too easy to boredom.

A handful of managers have been worried about working from home for fears of lowering productivity and discouraging collaborative work. Meanwhile, those who embrace work-from-home arrangements are beginning to see the greater value and benefits of giving employees greater flexibility on when and where to work. So first, draw up the pros and cons of working from home. You can also interview professionals working or currently working at home. Finally, provide a conclusion on whether working from home can harm work output or boost it.

Identifying critical skills at work could depend on the work applied. However, there are inherent values and behavioral competencies that recruiters demand highly from employees. List the top five qualities a professional should possess to contribute significantly to the workplace. For example, being proactive is a valuable skill because workers have the initiative to produce without waiting for the boss to prod them.

If you need help with grammar, our guide to  grammar and syntax  is a good start to learning more. We also recommend taking the time to  improve the readability score  of your essays before publishing or submitting them.

Meet Rachael, the editor at Become a Writer Today. With years of experience in the field, she is passionate about language and dedicated to producing high-quality content that engages and informs readers. When she's not editing or writing, you can find her exploring the great outdoors, finding inspiration for her next project.

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Work and Leisure : Summary and Questions

Table of Contents

Work and Leisure by Aldous Huxley

Introduction Aldous Huxley was not only man of intellect, but also a man of vision. He sensed that with rapid industrialization and massive urbanization, the man’s lifestyle is going to change. He could see, in the coming days. the working hours will reduce to six hours per day, providing ample scope for leisure. Considering his contemporary scenario, Huxley is worried about the proper utilization of the leisurely hours. In that sense, the present essay is Huxley’s meditation over the relationship between work and leisure.

Summary At present, leisure is a privilege for very few people. But in the coming days, with efficient social organization and sophisticated machinery, more and more people will enjoy the fruits of leisure. Here, Huxley raises a question that what the people will do with this leisure? Here, he cites three authorities namely, Poincare, G. B. Shaw and H. G. Wells who have tried to find out the possible answers for this question. Surprisingly, everyone comes to the conclusion that the human beings of the future world would fill their long leisures ‘by contemplating the laws of nature’. Different prophets are also hopeful about the proper utilization of leisurely hours.

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In case of poor people also, though they get comparatively brief leisure hours, the picture is not so good. For them, the idea of leisure is restricted to looking at cinema, films, reading newspapers, cheap literature, listening to radio, gramophone records, and going from place to place. Huxley is upset because. of the thought that what will happen when the leisure is prolonged. He predicts that there would be an enormous increase in amorous lifestyle and time killing.

But it would be wrong to assume that Huxley is against the notion of leisure. He refers to Leo Tolstoy, the great Russian writer, who considered leisure as something ‘wicked’ and ‘ absurd’. He regarded leisure lovers as conspirators against the welfare of the race. Whereas, Huxley doesn’t consider leisure as a curse. He opines that in a society where there are active minds, engaged in mental work, leisure would be” ‘an unmixed blessing’. Since leisure is directly related to mental work, some people may pinpoint the loopholes of education system. Huxley agrees with them. His observation is that plenty of people who have received the best education, employ their leisure as though they had never been educated at all. Therefore Huxley believes that if education is made really efficient, only then contemplating the laws of nature would become the leisure of people.

Chief Features ‘Work and Leisure’ is a personal kind of essay. Huxley’s concern was always about the welfare society, a kind of utopian world. But he was merely an idealist. He had the ability to analyse the things objectively. That’s why, while criticizing the world of Monte Carol, he doesn’t forget to mention Florence, where people, though in small number, talk, love, make sketches and read books. Again. he is not an extremist like Tolstoy about the idea of leisure. He doesn’t reject outright leisure in favour of work. With due respect to Tolstoy, he refutes Tolstoy’s ideology of leisure. The essay clearly reveals Huxley as a man of intellect. The essay is packed with a number of references related to literature, science and music. And yet his language is not at all pedantic or unnecessarily complex .

Though serious in tone, Huxley doesn’t make the essay dull and dry. Wherever possible, he gives illustrations to justify his point. With this style, he makes his opinions convincing to the reader. Even his sense of humour is reflected in the essay. Knowledge is a vast ocean. The human mind is helpless to acquire all the fields of knowledge. To exemplify this view, Huxley makes the use of an image of dog. While comparing. with the giants in various disciplines, Huxley says that he is a dog, an insignificant creature. Huxley’s comparison is really amusing. Subjectivity, convincing, style, humoruous tone, learnedness, etc. make the essay Work and Leisure an intellectual feast to the reader.

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A Century of Work and Leisure

Has leisure increased over the last century? Standard measures of hours worked suggest that it has. In this paper, we develop a comprehensive measure of non-leisure hours that includes market work, home production, commuting and schooling for the last 105 years. We also present empirical and theoretical arguments for a definition of "per capita" that encompasses the entire population. The new measures reveal a number of interesting 20th Century trends. First, 70 percent of the decline in hours worked has been offset by an increase in hours spent in school. Second, contrary to conventional wisdom, average hours spent in home production are actually slightly higher now than they were in the early part of the 20th Century. Finally, leisure per capita is approximately the same now as it was in 1900.

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• Where Did All the Leisure Go? Author(s): Valerie A. Ramey Neville Francis While leisure per capita has varied over the last 105 years and has exhibited some low frequency movements, it is the same now as it was...

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Work and Leisure as a Totality: Stanley Parker's Perspective

Society and Leisure – Research Essay According to Stanley Parker (1983), work and leisure should be viewed as a totality, which suggests that it is important to understand the relationship between work and leisure.

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“ Amazing as always, gave her a week to finish a big assignment and came through way ahead of time. ”

Discuss how factors such as work hours, changing work patterns, diversification of occupations, and increased occupational mobility might influence society’s leisure. What will the future workforce look like? Why is it important for leisure professionals to understand the relationship between work and leisure and changing work patterns? Work and Leisure

Dr Stanley Parker views work and leisure as a totality, he believes them to be bound together.

In Parker (1976) he writes ‘It is easy to think of leisure as the opposite of work, or to define it as time left over after work. But the relationship between these two spheres of life goes much deeper than that. ’ Dr Parker continues to support his views by explaining that the distinctions made by some parties are not always made by the society at large, the comparison lies with other societies around the world as many differing trends and a vast array of features connect to leisure and work.

The most important trend Parker demonstrates is the ways that work influences leisure, according to his 1976 study it is not as prominent anymore. He believes that as humans evolve and reshape society and its views, a very different influence being leisure together with work becomes increasingly more evident. Central to Parker’s research, is work carried out by Robert Dubin in 1956. Dubin classified industrial working people into three different categories relating to work and leisure.

Firstly the group of ‘priority of work,’ secondly ‘priority of leisure’ and thirdly ‘equality of work and leisure. ’ He assumed that these three areas related to what he called the ‘central life interest. ’ His study found that at a ratio of three to one, that work was not the most important and underlined it as stating it as not being the ‘central life interest’ of industrial workers (Parker 1976). Dubin’s work is relevant in accordance with Parker’s study as he too agrees with Parkers views on work and leisure. The above study gave Dubin the outcome that it as the beginning of integration between work and leisure as a totality and not as separate factions. This research essay will focus on a number of factors pertinent to the relationship between work and leisure. It will also attempt to demonstrate the influence that work has on societies leisure. Parker clearly demonstrates his idea of work and leisure as a totality by ending a chapter in saying that he tends to discount the notion of a ‘society of leisure’, simply because, he sees a greater value in a ‘society with leisure. ’ (Parker 1983)

Influences on work and leisure Work hours According to Dr Stanley Parker, the major contributing factors related to the effects on leisure pertaining to involved working hours, centers around the prescribed scheduling of specific employers. The scheduling and allocation of shifts or working hours can be described in effect as both detrimental and positive. Excessive amounts of working hours can negatively affect the want and desire to participate in leisure. Another aspect that can attribute to this would be the content within the specific role of employment.

It can be argued that a physically challenging occupation will exasperate energy levels, in turn affecting an individual’s desire to enjoy pleasurable leisure as their commitment to work may require them to rest and recuperate for the following day. (Veal 1983) In both the above-mentioned ideas, fatigue is directly connected. Leisure can, as we know, be in passive forms but Dr Parker states that in manual occupations the fatigue levels are high enough to affect people’s desire not only directly after work but occasionally on the weekend as well.

Changing work patterns A prime example of changing work patterns can be associated with shift work. The irregularity of these work conditions and patterns do affect leisure participation harmfully. Most individuals rely upon routines in order to maintain a sense of normalcy. The effects of rotating shift work on these specific members of society, and their leisure activities, tend to produce less active leisure pursuits and generally conform to simple and passive leisure around the home.

The adjoining repercussions of shift work also relate to the availability of social leisure. Shift workers often find that their own social circles and friends are not able to find the relevant time to enjoy leisure together as the limited opportunities present themselves only rarely. This lack and unavailability of familiar social circles may also contribute to the worker’s low interest in enjoying leisure outside the home and therefore affects the general populations leisure aspirations in society as a whole.

Diversification of occupations The most obvious form of diversification directly involved to work, is the persistent rise of occupational areas in the leisure industry. These industries include occupational situations such as entertainment providers, sports and gambling facilities, holiday amenities, even hospitality in the nightclub or bar sense. All these employment areas and many more contain some sort of leisure element.

The working population now have a greater choice of occupation than they would have had fifty years ago, but the work related and time commitment is much greater also. The significance of this change may be regarded as small on an individual basis, but when the trend of modern day society and the youth pursuit of employment with greater leisure possibilities is taken into account, it indicates a change in attitude to work and leisure. This idea demonstrates that leisure is no longer perceived to be a luxury but more a commodity.

The diversification of employment and expansion into leisure based occupations enables individuals to maintain high levels of employment and commitment to employers as well as their leisure. Whilst not directly participating in leisure these employment opportunities give society a greater choice in career paths and permit them to work in leisurely atmospheres. (Parker 1983) Occupational mobility The mobility of occupations conjoins with diversification as the occupations involved both face the paradox of societies leisure being their own work.

These leisure based occupations enable employees to move easily between different work forces within the leisure industry. This easy movement between career paths facilitates the never-ending prospect of choice. Positively, societies public are also given the opportunity to practice or maintain a regular form of leisure at a time that suits their rotating schedules. What will the future workforce look like? According to Stanley Parker and many other studies that support his philosophies, the future workforce will be, if not already, a ‘workforce of leisure. Parker though, prefers to regard the future more specifically as a ‘workforce with leisure,’ as he believes it to be of more importance than simply work and leisure and more as the way of the future. The plethora of leisure-involved occupations already discussed only covers a mere fraction of the growth areas in which leisure has begun to take over. This is not to suggest that leisure is the direct beneficiary of a decline in work values and involvement, but an evolution in ways of thinking and need (Parker 1983).

An example of this theory in contemporary society’s terms would include the involvement of sports such as golf and tennis at executive levels. The increase of participation and inclusion at the high business end demonstrates how society has embraced leisure in the workforce. Parker (1983), simply concludes that his belief of totality in regards to work and leisure revolves around the idea that the change in outlook from societies view point indicates a larger concentration on an equality based importance of work and leisure.

No longer will we work to live, but work and enjoy leisure to live. References 1. Parker, S. (1976). The sociology of leisure. London: Allen and Unwin Ltd. 2. Veal, A, J. (1983). Using sports centres – A Review of user studies of British sports centers. London: Sports Council. 3. Parker, S. (1983). Leisure and work. London: Boston, Allen and Unwin Ltd. 4. Parker, S. (Ed). (1982). Leisure, work and family. Mexico: World Congress of Sociology.

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• Work and Leisure Pages: 5 (1439 words)
• Jo Goodwin Parker Pages: 2 (337 words)
• Parker Pen Company Strategies Analysis Pages: 10 (2737 words)
• External Pressure By Mark Parker Pages: 2 (524 words)
• Charlie Parker's: 'If you don't live it won't come out of your horn' Pages: 3 (673 words)
• Customer-Centric Approach of Warby Parker Pages: 7 (1861 words)
• Dorothy Parker's Gender Role Story in 1920s Pages: 9 (2588 words)
• Life of Pi's Survival with Richard Parker at Sea Pages: 2 (600 words)
• Stealing, Education for Leisure and Originally Pages: 8 (2316 words)
• Leisure Activities In The Past And Now Pages: 4 (1010 words)

Essay on Work and Leisure

Work is the activity done using mental or physical effort to achieve any purpose. And leisure is the time when one is not working . We can say free time is leisure. There are different types of work done physically and mentally . The physical works involves farming, working as a labour in construction site , gardening , making any products like chair, table and so on . Mental works involves working with computer , studying , making design of any structure and so on.

Table of Contents

Relationship between Work and Leisure

We cannot keep working every hour. If we work continuously, it can effect negatively to our health . We must take rest from our work to relax our mind and body. We must take a leisure to be free from the stress of work. It is very difficult for a person to work without leisure. Our brain and body too need time to rest, to refresh and to start the work again with full of energy. Better output of work can only be achieved if a person is enjoying the leisure as well as work.

Importance of Work and Leisure

Work and leisure are like the two sides of the same coin . One is not complete without the other. Where there is work , there must be leisure. Work is very important in our life. Without working we cannot achieve any thing in life. We cannot survive if we don’t work . Work is very important to run the life, the family and the nation. Development is only possible when we work. We can achieve our dreams only when we work.

In the meantime, leisure is also an important aspect of our life. Leisure disconnects us totally from our work in order to get relaxation which is very good for our health. Our health would be adversely affected if we don’t take leisure while doing work. It is the time when we are away from our work which is stressful. We get indulge with oneself in leisure time. We can see what is going inside us. It is also the time when people discover new things. It is the time when people learn new things. It is the time when one can spend his or time with their family.

Balance between work and leisure

It is not that we should work and work all the time . And it is not that we should enjoy leisure only . There must be a balance between work and Leisure. One must take a break from his or her work after working for sometime. One must make a time table where he or she should mention the time to work and time to take a break. One should move on balancing both the things in life then only he or she can live a healthy and happy life.

Conclusion of work and leisure essay

Work and leisure are very important aspects of our life. They are like the two sides of the same coin . We should move ahead balancing both the factors . For better achievement in any work, leisure plays very important role in life. Balancing both the factors help us to spend time with our family members too and to explore better version of self.

Q. What are the benefits of leisure?

Ans- Leisure helps is to improve our focus and attention towards our work. It gives us relaxation and makes us stress free. It is also the time to explore the better version of the self.

Q. How does leisure effect work?

Ans- There is positive impact of leisure in the work because the performance of the work can be improved if we get leisure.

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Work & Leisure Essay Example

• Pages: 5 (1342 words)
• Published: September 16, 2017
• Type: Essay

Society and Leisure – Research Essay According to Stanley Parker (1983), work and leisure should be viewed as a totality, which suggests that it is important to understand the relationship between work and leisure. Discuss how factors such as work hours, changing work patterns, diversification of occupations, and increased occupational mobility might influence society’s leisure. What will the future workforce look like? Why is it important for leisure professionals to understand the relationship between work and leisure and changing work patterns? Work and LeisureDr Stanley Parker views work and leisure as a totality, he believes them to be bound together.

In Parker (1976) he writes ‘It is easy to think of leisure as the opposite of work, or to define it as time left over after work. But the relationship between these two spheres of life goes muc

h deeper than that. ’ Dr Parker continues to support his views by explaining that the distinctions made by some parties are not always made by the society at large, the comparison lies with other societies around the world as many differing trends and a vast array of features connect to leisure and work.The most important trend Parker demonstrates is the ways that work influences leisure, according to his 1976 study it is not as prominent anymore.

He believes that as humans evolve and reshape society and its views, a very different influence being leisure together with work becomes increasingly more evident. Central to Parker’s research, is work carried out by Robert Dubin in 1956. Dubin classified industrial working people into three different categories relating to work and leisure.Firstly the group of ‘priority of work,’ secondly ‘priority of

leisure’ and thirdly ‘equality of work and leisure.

’ He assumed that these three areas related to what he called the ‘central life interest. ’ His study found that at a ratio of three to one, that work was not the most important and underlined it as stating it as not being the ‘central life interest’ of industrial workers (Parker 1976). Dubin’s work is relevant in accordance with Parker’s study as he too agrees with Parkers views on work and leisure. The above study gave Dubin the outcome that it as the beginning of integration between work and leisure as a totality and not as separate factions.

This research essay will focus on a number of factors pertinent to the relationship between work and leisure. It will also attempt to demonstrate the influence that work has on societies leisure. Parker clearly demonstrates his idea of work and leisure as a totality by ending a chapter in saying that he tends to discount the notion of a ‘society of leisure’, simply because, he sees a greater value in a ‘society with leisure. ’ (Parker 1983)Influences on work and leisure Work hours According to Dr Stanley Parker, the major contributing factors related to the effects on leisure pertaining to involved working hours, centers around the prescribed scheduling of specific employers.

The scheduling and allocation of shifts or working hours can be described in effect as both detrimental and positive. Excessive amounts of working hours can negatively affect the want and desire to participate in leisure. Another aspect that can attribute to this would be the content within the specific role of employment.It can be argued that a

physically challenging occupation will exasperate energy levels, in turn affecting an individual’s desire to enjoy pleasurable leisure as their commitment to work may require them to rest and recuperate for the following day.

(Veal 1983) In both the above-mentioned ideas, fatigue is directly connected. Leisure can, as we know, be in passive forms but Dr Parker states that in manual occupations the fatigue levels are high enough to affect people’s desire not only directly after work but occasionally on the weekend as well.Changing work patterns A prime example of changing work patterns can be associated with shift work. The irregularity of these work conditions and patterns do affect leisure participation harmfully.

Most individuals rely upon routines in order to maintain a sense of normalcy. The effects of rotating shift work on these specific members of society, and their leisure activities, tend to produce less active leisure pursuits and generally conform to simple and passive leisure around the home.The adjoining repercussions of shift work also relate to the availability of social leisure. Shift workers often find that their own social circles and friends are not able to find the relevant time to enjoy leisure together as the limited opportunities present themselves only rarely. This lack and unavailability of familiar social circles may also contribute to the worker’s low interest in enjoying leisure outside the home and therefore affects the general populations leisure aspirations in society as a whole.Diversification of occupations The most obvious form of diversification directly involved to work, is the persistent rise of occupational areas in the leisure industry.

These industries include occupational situations such as entertainment providers, sports and gambling facilities, holiday amenities,

even hospitality in the nightclub or bar sense. All these employment areas and many more contain some sort of leisure element.The working population now have a greater choice of occupation than they would have had fifty years ago, but the work related and time commitment is much greater also. The significance of this change may be regarded as small on an individual basis, but when the trend of modern day society and the youth pursuit of employment with greater leisure possibilities is taken into account, it indicates a change in attitude to work and leisure.

This idea demonstrates that leisure is no longer perceived to be a luxury but more a commodity.The diversification of employment and expansion into leisure based occupations enables individuals to maintain high levels of employment and commitment to employers as well as their leisure. Whilst not directly participating in leisure these employment opportunities give society a greater choice in career paths and permit them to work in leisurely atmospheres. (Parker 1983) Occupational mobility The mobility of occupations conjoins with diversification as the occupations involved both face the paradox of societies leisure being their own work.These leisure based occupations enable employees to move easily between different work forces within the leisure industry.

This easy movement between career paths facilitates the never-ending prospect of choice. Positively, societies public are also given the opportunity to practice or maintain a regular form of leisure at a time that suits their rotating schedules. What will the future workforce look like? According to Stanley Parker and many other studies that support his philosophies, the future workforce will be, if not already, a ‘workforce of leisure. Parker though,

prefers to regard the future more specifically as a ‘workforce with leisure,’ as he believes it to be of more importance than simply work and leisure and more as the way of the future. The plethora of leisure-involved occupations already discussed only covers a mere fraction of the growth areas in which leisure has begun to take over.

This is not to suggest that leisure is the direct beneficiary of a decline in work values and involvement, but an evolution in ways of thinking and need (Parker 1983).An example of this theory in contemporary society’s terms would include the involvement of sports such as golf and tennis at executive levels. The increase of participation and inclusion at the high business end demonstrates how society has embraced leisure in the workforce. Parker (1983), simply concludes that his belief of totality in regards to work and leisure revolves around the idea that the change in outlook from societies view point indicates a larger concentration on an equality based importance of work and leisure.No longer will we work to live, but work and enjoy leisure to live. References 1.

Parker, S. (1976). The sociology of leisure. London: Allen and Unwin Ltd. 2. Veal, A, J.

(1983). Using sports centres – A Review of user studies of British sports centers. London: Sports Council. 3. Parker, S.

(1983). Leisure and work. London: Boston, Allen and Unwin Ltd. 4. Parker, S.

(Ed). (1982). Leisure, work and family. Mexico: World Congress of Sociology.

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Why do we even try?

By ALIZA LI | April 19, 2024

COURTESY OF ALIZA LI

Li reflects on feelings of frustration and ponders finding her calling.

Why do we even try? As a graduating senior, I’ve asked myself this question many times. Sleepless nights spent cramming for Chinese exams and finishing English papers have left me wondering why I bother to put so much effort into my work and whether this effort will be worth it in the end.

Frustrated by these kinds of feelings, I and a few others came together to plan an event called a Veritas Forum that would address and unpack the questions of motivation and effort that many students face.

Started at Harvard in 1992, Veritas Forums are events held at college campuses across the country that host experts from different worldviews to discuss life’s biggest questions. Although the organization is led by Christians, the events are designed to encourage dialogue from all perspectives, in the hopes of cultivating nuanced and intricate ideas. Past forums have covered topics like the intersections between science and faith , the purpose of life and finding meaning in death .

“Why do we even try?” became the title of our forum, held at Maryland 110 on the Monday before spring break. This event — subtitled “A Conversation on Effort, Struggle and the Purpose of Life” — was our attempt to digest the seemingly inevitable feelings of burnout, frustration and confusion that every student experiences at some point in their education.

Even in the process of planning this forum, these feelings of frustration and aimlessness threatened to surface. When scheduling conflicts between our speakers led to multiple changes in our plans, I found it difficult to stifle disappointment and wondered if the event would even happen. Zoom calls and email chains spent hashing out minute details — the wording of questions, marketing strategies, even which restaurant to have our team dinner — often became the focus of our attention, almost overshadowing our original goals for the event.

It was the energy and focus of my teammates, who initially formed the idea for this forum and reached out to me and others to join in planning it, that reminded me why we came together in the first place. We wanted to create an event that would open dialogue about an issue we all cared about, to deepen our collective understanding of our work and lives as students and human beings. When the day of the event came, I was impressed and inspired by the thoughtful conversation between the speakers, both during our team dinner before the forum and during the forum itself.

On the day of the forum, we arrived early to set up. As we tested mics and pulled up the slides, students began to file into the room, filling up the lecture hall to almost full capacity. Members of the audience chatted with each other, placed backpacks on neighboring chairs to save seats for their friends and pulled up the event info to learn more about the speakers. Nearing the start time for our forum, one of our teammates took the stand and announced our speakers and our student moderator.

Professor Lydia Dugdale, a professor of medicine and bioethics from Columbia University, shared an interesting perspective as a physician and educator. She discussed how she didn’t actually like being a physician, and instead, her choice of career was initiated by the strong conviction that God had called her to this path. “Calling” — the idea that our efforts are not just shots in the dark but that we could be working towards something that we’re meant to do — became a point of interest in the conversation.

Professor Anand Pandian, a professor of Anthropology at Hopkins, talked about calling in a slightly different way. As a non-religious person, Pandian framed calling not as the will of a higher being but instead as a way of thinking about life in terms of story. He shared an especially profound observation that people find the most meaning and purpose in their lives when they are guided by a larger story.

As a Writing Seminars major and a writer, I’m especially familiar with the power of narrative. Storytelling is one of our most natural impulses. Our cravings for meaning and plot push us to ask questions like “Why do we even try” and other big questions that form the basis of what it means to be human.

As I near commencement, questions of purpose and meaning feel even more pressing. The pressure to get everything right from the start — to be in the right career, know the right things, meet the right person — can feel overwhelming. I’ve begun to wonder what larger story I might be part of and how I can weave the different parts of my life and personality together to discover my calling. I’ve always loved writing, but I’m also hesitant to say that just because I love something, it must be my calling. I’m drawn to the comments made by the speakers that calling is not always related to a career. My calling might not be any particular job I obtain but instead the impact I have on others through my relationships with them or the joy I spread through my activities outside of work.

I’m also drawn to the reminder from both speakers to always take the time to rest. Stepping back from work and deciding when to stop, is necessary for doing good work and putting good effort into work. Often, a question like “Why do we even try” becomes especially pressing when we’re unable to find time to rest. Without a break, we feel more desperate or hopeless than ever, and that reset button can be just the thing we need to feel more assured and collected.

Figuring out why I try and what I’m working towards isn’t a cut-and-dry affair. I don’t expect to suddenly have all the answers in a semester, but the endeavor of responding to these personal questions is a worthy one, and I hope other students at Hopkins are taking the time to step back and consider these questions as well.

Aliza Li is an alum of Johns Hopkins University. 

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