Economics of Leisure

Abstract

Economists were among the first to analyse leisure, foremost among them being Thorstein Veblen, whose Theory of the Leisure Class, published in 1899, was subtitled An Economic Study of Institutions. It is one measure of Veblen’s originality that it was another 60 years before the economics of leisure was substantially addressed again, with the beginning of the modern era of leisure studies and the publication of the seminal Economics of Outdoor Recreation, by Marion Clawson and Jack Knetsch, in 1966. However, it is arguable that Veblen’s was both the first and last book published in English on the economics of leisure since subsequent books have typically focused on just one sector of leisure only. Table 9.1 lists the major books in the field arranged according to major focus and date of publication. It can be seen that, since the 1980s, there has been a drift towards books on specific sectors, notably the arts, sport and tourism. Of course books do not represent the totality of intellectual activity in a field of study; journals and conference papers are also relevant. In the social sciences, however, books are a useful indicator and frequently consist of consolidating statements and/or reprinting of research which has previously been promulgated in other media.