DrageBrown1

DanaDrageandCooperBrown
ProfessorDavis
English2089058
22April2015
Leisure:APrincipleofProductivity
ItwasaseeminglytypicaldayatLarabeeSoundStudiosinHollywood,Californiafor
renownedpopartistBrunoMarsandhisteamwhentheystumbledacrosstheinspirationforwhat
wouldbeoneoftheirgreatesthitstodate.Itbeganasamundanecomplaint,towhichwasadded
areggaebeatandafullsetoflyrics,andthus,TheLazySongwasborn.Atitscore,thetrack
detailshowlittlethemeninthestudiowantedtoworkthatdayandtheirdesiretobeentirely
sedentary.Someofthemostcomical,yetwittylinesincludereferencestojustchillinina
snuggie,justwanttolayinmybed,andevendontfeellikepickingupthephone,soleavea
messageafterthetone(Mars).Lessthanayearlater,duringthepeakofitspopularity,theteam
cameoutwithawildlypopularmusicvideoforthesong,whichfeatureddancingprimatesand
Marsinhisundergarments.Thevideo,alongwiththesong,receivednumerousawardsand
accolades(LazySong).Thissongunderscoresthebeliefthatidealrelaxation,specificallyrote
relaxation,inwhichoneissedentaryandnotproductive,isimportanttopeople.
Asoneofthemostprominentcelebritiesonthecurrentpopmusicscene,BrunoMars
embodiesthemajorityoftheAmericanpeople.Ifthiswerenotthecase,hewouldnothavethe
fame,stature,andwealththathedoes.Havingsaidthis,itisimperativetolookatthesongmore
holistically,ratherthanjustasafun,upbeatdancetheme.Sure,itmayfeelgreattojustkickup
onesfeetanddonothingafteralongdayatwork,butifthisnotionischronicallyonourbrains,

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oursocietymaybefacingaverygraveissue.Americanshaveaplethoraoffreetimetodoall
sortsofactivities,andwhileitmaybenicetodevotesomeofittopurelysedentaryactivities,it
isalsoimportantwelookattheprogressoursocietyismaking,orrather,notmaking.Thanksto
theinsightsgainedfromBrunoMarsandhismusic,oneisledtoclaimthatproductiveleisureis
essentialforindividualandoverallsocietalprogression.
Beforeweexpandontheimplicationsofleisureasasocietalcurrent,itmightbehelpful
todetailitshistoryintheUnitedStates.Leisureisdefinedastheuseofpersonaltimespenton
nonrequiredactivitiesinordertoremoveoneselffromonesusualatmosphereforthesakeof
enjoymentorhealth.LawrenceCulver,authorofTheFrontierofLeisure,notesthatas,waysof
experiencingandthinkingaboutnatureandwaysoflivingleisureprove[d]influentialindeed
(241).Intheearly,aristocraticdaysoftheUnitedStates,theallowanceandtypeofleisureone
enjoyedwasadirectcorrelationofsocialclass.AccordingtotheU.S.HistoryOnlineTextbook,
thewealthyconsideredittobeabirthrightandfoundpleasureingolf,cricket,horseracing,
andentertaining(Victorian).ThesepeoplealsomadeitapointtofollowtheBritishVictorian
mindset,particularlyinthefactthattheyabstainedfromoutwardlysecularactivities,suchas
gamblingandexcessivedrinking.Religionplayedalargeroleindailylife.Afterall,thesepeople
werethedescendantsofthefoundersofthisonenationunderGod.Theseidealsfurtheredthe
notionsthattheaforementionedactivitiesofthepoorwereungodlyandrequiredcomplete
abstention.
Onthecontrary,themiddleandlowerclassesrarelyenjoyedtimetothemselves,asmuch
oftheirdaywasdevotedtoworking,householdchores,andevenillness.RobertWhaples,
professorofeconomicsatWakeForestUniversity,foundthat.7hoursofdailylifein1880were

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utilizedforsicknessalone(Whaples).Thoughlifemayhavebeenmorerigorousforthese
people,themiddleandlowerclasseswereleisureaficionadosinthetruestsense.Instarkcontrast
totheprimandproperidealsofthewealthy,thegrowingworkingclassalsobecameincreasingly
dependentonpubsasasourceoffun.InalessonplancreatedbytheNationalEndowmentfor
theHumanities,itwasfoundthattheAmericanpopulationdoubledto60millionfrom1865to
1920(EdSiteMent).Withsuchadrasticalterationindemographics,changesinsocietalnorms
andactivitieswereinevitable.
AmajorshiftinAmericanleisure,regardlessofdemographics,occurredafterthe
IndustrialRevolution.Itentailedanexpansionintoalternativeactivitiesandamovementto
reduceweeklyworkinghours.WheninterviewedbyLisaMastnyofTheCenterfortheNew
AmericanDream,BenjaminHunnicutt,authorofFreeTime:TheForgottenAmericanDream,
dictatedthatsomeinthiserafeltthatleisurewasawaytosupplementthechaosresultingfrom
industrialization(Mastny).Manythoughtworkwastooemphasizedandsoughttocombatthis
throughabalancedlifestyle.FamedwriterWaltWhitmanevennoted,shorterhourswould
leadtomorelife,lesswork,andmoreenergytobeinvestedinhumanrelationships(Mastny).
SimilartoWhitmansviewpoint,HenryDavidThoreau,inWalden,describedleisureasatimeto
identifytheessentialfactsoflife,createharmony,andreflectononesgenius(830838).
Shortlyafter,inthe1920s,manyAmericanscontinuedtofightforthereductionof
weeklyhoursfromfortytothirty(Mastny).However,thoseontheothersidefeltthatifcitizens
weregiventoomuchfreetime,itwouldlenditselftoboredom,whichwouldultimatelymorph
intoseekingoutillegalactivitiesforpleasure.Thus,theageofparksandrecreationcenters
began.RobertA.Stebbins,professorofsociologyattheUniversityofCalgary,believesthat

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leisuredoesnotnecessarilyleadtoidleness,butinsteadallowsforcitizenstobecomeactive
withintheircommunity.Inhisjournal,LeisureReflections,hedetailsthefollowing:
Healthydemocracyneedsactivecitizenparticipation
Leisureunitespeople,legitimizesgovernment,andenhancescommunities
Collectivealtruisticactivityengenderssocialcapitalandcommunity(12)
AsAmericansocietyprogressedthroughthe20thcenturyandintothe21stcentury,many
technologicaladvancesensued.Theinventionofcomputers,cellphones,televisions,andother
formsofcommunicationandentertainmentbroughtawholenewmeansofleisuretothe
Americanpeople.However,withthesenewformsofleisurecamethebattleofhowtobestspend
it.LintonWeeks,acontributortoNationalPublicRadio,describedthisbattleasonebetween
productiveleisureandlazyleisureinhisarticleLazyinAmerica:AnIncompleteSocial
History(Weeks).MonikaFludernikandMiriamNandi,authorsofIdleness,Indolenceand
LeisureinAmericanLiterature,agreedwiththis,commenting,somepeopletodaydonot
merelylongformoreleisuretime,butforsomethinglesstangible:forrepose,rest,innercalmor
quitesimply,foraliberationfromdutiesandresponsibilities,fromschedulesandexpectations
(2).Ontheotherhand,manyAmericansutilizetheirleisuretimetobeproductive,exercise,
socializewithfriends,ortoreadbooks.MeganGilden,CoordinatorofMemberServicesatthe
UniversityofCincinnatiCampusRecreationCenter,definedleisureinaninterviewasany
activitythatbringscomfort.IworkoutattherecreationcenterIamaveryroutineandstructural
person(Gilden).Gildenmakesaninterestingpoint,asshefeelstheneedtobeproductivein
leisure,unlikesomewhoconsiderittobestrictlyforrelaxationpurposes.

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Bearingthishistoryinmind,itisreasonabletoassumethatproductiveleisureisessential
forindividualandoverallsocietalprogression.Thoseinoppositionmaysaythatleisureshould
berelaxing,oritiscounterproductivetoitsverydefinition.Itisunderstandablethatsomepeople
mayseeleisurestrictlyassomethingvegetative,asmanyassociatesuchthingswithleisure.
However,ourcommondefinitionofleisureistheuseofpersonaltimespentvoluntarilyon
nonrequiredactivitiesinordertoremoveoneselffromonesusualatmosphereforthesakeof
enjoymentorhealth.Asthedefinitiondoesnotstateaneedforidleness,productivityinthe
realmofleisureisnotinfactinoppositiontoitsmeaning.
AnotherpotentialcontentiontoournotionofproductiveleisureisthatmanyAmericans
donothavethetimeforleisurelyactivitiesinthefirstplace,andthereforeshouldbeabletouse
ithowtheyplease.PoBronson,journalistforTIMEMagazine,wroteinanarticleaboutleisure,
Americansdon'thavelessleisuretimethanwedid40yearsago.Weactuallyhavemoreleisure
time(Bronson).Contrarytocommonthought,theissueisnotamountoftime,butrathertime
allocation.
AlackofproductivitywithingeneralleisurelyactivityinAmericanculturehinders
societalprogressanddoesnotallowforagreaterprogressiveratecomparablewithothernations.
Stagnantleisurelendsitselftoasenseofindividualstagnancy,whichultimatelyreflectson
society.AsprescribedbyRobertStebbinsinLeisureandCitizenParticipation:ASalutary
Reciprocity,theindividualshouldseekoutproductiveleisure,suchaspoliticalinvolvement
(Stebbins).Involvedandproductiveleisureunitespeople,legitimizesthedemocratic
government,andenhancesthecommunity.

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Asalludedtopreviously,thenotionofusefulleisurehasbeenhistoricallypresentwithin
America,however,ithassignificantlydeclined,especiallysincetheturnofthe21stcentury.
MonikaFludernik,authorandprofessoratUniversityofFreiburg,statedinherbookIdleness,
IndolenceandLeisureinEnglishLiterature,Ifweexaminehowatypicaldaywasspentin
2000,wefindtheaveragesofjust64minutesformenand52minutesforwomenwerebeing
spentonleisureactivitiesvoluntaryworkandhobbies.Incontrast,timespentonpassive
leisure...amountedtoaveragesof267minutesformenand252minutesforwomen(Fludernik
4).Thisnoticeableshiftincommonleisurepursuitsfromproductiveactivitiestopassive
activitiesisnotbeneficialtothecommunityandinhibitscitizenspersonalgrowth.
Inthepast,manyAmericancitizenssoughtoutconstructiveoutletsforleisure,suchas
readingandwriting.Atthesametime,theUnitedStateshadasignificantglobalpresencewhen
thesesortsofleisurewereconsideredtheculturalstandard.InanarticlefromLeisureSciences,
authoredbyToniLiechtyandRebeccaM.Genoe,surveyresultsofmenrangingfrom6070
yearsoldshowedacommondesiretoservetheircommunitiesasapartofleisure(Liechtyand
Genoe).Thisconstructivemindsetisindirectcorrelationtotheagesofthosestudiedandthe
waysofthepast,asopposedtothemodernselfcenterednormality.LawrenceCulver,authorof
TheFrontierofLeisure,notesthis,stating,Overtime,leisureandrecreationpromotesagendas
andpersonaldesires(13).Inordertoreturntosuchstandards,theculturalexpectationsfor
leisureneedtobetailoredtothe21stcentury.
Itwouldbeunrealistictothinkthattheaverage,moderndayAmericanwouldenjoy
activitiessuchaswritingforthesakeofpersonalreflectionorreadingmedievalplaysduring
theirfreetime.AccordingtotheLeisureMarketResearchHandbook,only1%ofadults

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surveyedbymarketingfirmRichardK.MillerandAssociatesrankedwritingastheirfavorite
pastime(U.S.Leisure).Ratherthanpushforacompletesocietalreturninpersonalleisure,it
wouldbemoreeffective,inthisdayandage,foremployerstoconnecttheiremployeeswork
withtheirleisure.
Inordertointegrateleisureintotheworkplace,andultimatelyreturntothesocietal
expectationofproductiveleisure,weproposethatemployersfollowacertainsetofsteps.The
mostbasicoftheseistocreateamarketingcampaignwithintheworkplace,throughuseof
encouragingposters,emails,andreminders.Thesewillstresstheimportanceofproductive
leisureanditsbalancewithwork.Inrepeatedlydoingso,theemployerwillbemoreequippedto
instillabalancedlifestyleintheiremployees.
Asasecondstep,theemployershouldrestructureemployeebenefits.Thesebenefits
couldincludediscountedgymmemberships,which,ifusedproperly,couldresultinhealth
insurancediscountsorcompensation.Forthosewithchildren,employerscouldprovidechildcare
facilitiessothatemployeesmaytakeadvantageofpersonaltimeandpursuerecreationalactivity.
Additionally,itwouldbeofgreatbenefitforemployerstoorganizecompanywidefamilydays.
Employeeswouldgatherandpartakeinleisurelyactivitieswiththeirfamiliessoastopromotea
cultureofproductiveleisurespanningthroughoutallgenerations.MemberServicesCoordinator
attheCampusRecreationCenter,MeganGilden,alludedinafollowupinterviewthatsucha
planwouldnotonlyheightenworkplacehappiness,butalsobetterpeoplesallaroundhealth,
whichrecreationissupposedtodo(Gilden).Notonlywouldthisbalanceemployeelifestyle,
butitwouldalsocreateapositiveexternalityofaconnectedofficeculture,leadingtogreater
productivityandhigheremployeeesteem.

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Forthesereasons,productiveleisureisessentialforindividualandoverallsocietal
progression.WithoutthepresenceofproductiveleisureinAmericansociety,progressis
hindered.Additionally,itwillbenearlyimpossibletoachieve,especiallyiftheUnitedStates
remainsstagnantashighlightedinBrunoMarssTheLazySong.Pastproductiveleisure
activitiesincludedreadingandreflectivewritinghowever,inthemodernage,throughthe
developmentoftechnologyanddiversifiedcustoms,formsofproductiveleisuretodayaremuch
different.InordertotailorproductiveleisuretomoderndayAmerica,weproposethat
companiesofferemploymentincentivessuchasgymmembershipsthatcould,forexample,
resultinhealthinsurancediscounts.Inaddition,companysponsoredchildcarefacilitieswould
allowemployeeswhoareparentstotakepersonaltimeandengageinrecreationalactivities.
Alongwiththis,itwouldbebeneficialforemployerstosponsorcompanywidefamilydays.If
thisproposalweretobeintegrated,societalprogressandcitizenproductivitywouldincrease,
thuscontributingtoabetterAmerica.

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WorksCited
Bronson,Po."HowWeSpendOurLeisureTime."TIMEMagazine.Oct.2006.Web.9Apr.
2015.
ThisarticledictatesthenumericaldifferencesinthefreetimeallowancesofAmericans
todayversusfortyyearsago.WrittenbyseasonedjournalistPoBronson,itfeaturesan
extensivechartoftimespentonspecificleisureactivitiesorganizedbythetimeofday,as
wellasbygender.Thiswasimportanttoourpaperasitprovidedfactualevidenceforour
refutationsection,whichcombatstheideaofmanyAmericansthatwedonothaveas
muchfreetimeasthepast.
Culver,Lawrence.TheFrontierofLeisure.NewYorkCity:OxfordUniversityPress,2010.
Print.
Thisworkisnonfictionbookwrittenbyanavidtravellerandtwoofhiscoworkersat
UCLA.Thoughnotwellknown,itoffersinsightontheemergenceandevolutionof
leisureintheUnitedStates.Itisimportanttousbecauseitprovidesanindepthlookat
thespecifichistoricaleventsthatcausedthesechanges.
EdSiteMent.NationalEndowmentfortheHumanities.Web.6Mar.2015.
ThisisalessonplanfromtheNationalEndowmentfortheHumanitieswrittenfor
teacherswithstudentsingrades68.Itincludesactivities,instructions,guidingquestions,
anassessment,resources,andmostimportantlytous,backgroundinformation.Thissite
wascriticaltousbecauseitprovidedverytangibleactivitiesthatwereconsideredleisure
priortotheaforementionedshift,unlikemanyotherwebsiteswhospokestrictlyin
generalities.

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Fludernik,Monika,andMiriamNandi,eds.Idleness,IndolenceandLeisureinEnglish
Literature.NewYorkCity:PalgraveMacmillan,2014.Print.
Thisbookisacollectionofaccreditedessaysputtogetherbytwoprofessorsfromthe
UniversityofFreiburginGermany.Bothhaveauthorednumerousotherworksofvarious
types,includingmonographs,autobiographies,andcollections.Itisimportanttous
becauseitfocusesonthemorepessimisticsideofleisure,specificallytheideathatit
mightbemakingoursocietylazier.Inaddition,ittalksaboutthelinesofgenderandclass
inthecontextofrecreation.
Gilden,Megan.Personalinterview.5Mar.2015.
Thiswasapersonalinterviewconductedfacetofacebythetwoofusoncampus.Dana
hadMeganasaprofessionalcontactaftergettingajobatthecampusrecreationcenter.
MeganisthecoordinatorofmemberservicesthereandaBearcatherself.Thisinterview
wascriticalbecauseshecouldprovideamoderndayperspectiveonwhatpeople,
specificallyforhergeneration,GenerationZ,thinkofleisureandfreetime.
"TheLazySongbyBrunoMarsHistory."SongFacts.Web.20Apr.2015.
Thisworkisanentryfromanencyclopediathatonlydetailssongs.Ittalksaboutthe
making,inspiration,history,andartistofthesong.Additionally,itprovidessheetmusic
andacondensedaudioclip.Itwasimportanttoourpaper,asweneededtoknowthe
historyandinspirationbehindTheLazySongfortheexordiuminordertotellthefull
narrationofthesongandhowitrepresentsAmericanculturetoday.

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Liechty,ToniandRebeccaM.Genoe."OlderMen'sPerceptionsOfLeisureAndAging."Leisure
Sciences35.5(2013):438454.PsychologyandBehavioralSciencesCollection.Web.31
Mar.2015.
ThispeerreviewedarticleservestounderscorethethoughtsandfearsofolderAmerican
menonleisureandhowithaschangedoverthespanoftheirlifetimes.Theinformation
initwasprimarilycollectedviapersonalinterviewsandfocusgroupsandcompiledfor
thepurposesofthejournal.Thisisimportanttoourpaperbecausetheseideasshapedour
proposalandhowweplantocarryoutourleisurerevival.
Mars,Bruno.TheLazySong.Rec.24Oct.2010.LarrabeeSoundStudios,2010.CD.
Thisisasongfromacompactdisc.ItispartofanalbumtitledDooWopsand
Hooligans,whichwasalsoreleasedin2010byBrunoMars.Itisofthegenrereggae
fusion,whichisamixofpopandtraditionalreggae.Itsoldover65millioncopiesasof
April2015andisimportantasitprovidesexamplesandthebasicthemeoftheexordium
portionofourpaper.
Mastny,Lisa."FreeTime:TheForgottenAmericanDream."TheCenterforaNewAmerican
Dream.20June2013.Web.6Mar.2015.
ThiswasanarticlewrittenfromaninterviewconductedbyLisaMastnywithauthor
BenjaminHunnicuttonhisbookFreeTime:TheForgottenAmericanDream.Atthe
timeoftheinterview,thebookhadyettobepublished.Itdiscussesthefactthatmany
citizensareleaningtowardsacultureofworkingtoomuch,butalsothatthismaychange
againinthenearfuture.Theinterviewwascriticalforusasitprovidedanexperts

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opiniononthelengthoftheworkweekseffectonprogressandpleasure,aswellasrare
picturesfromtheearly1900s.
Stebbins,RobertA."LeisureandCitizenParticipation:ASalutaryReciprocity."LSANewsletter.
July2003,65ed.Web.11Mar.2015.
Thiswasourgroupspecificreadingandisa3rdeditionofanewsletterpublishedby
RobertA.Stebbins,aprofessorofsociologyattheUniversityofCalgary.Hehasspent
overthirtyyearsstudyingleisureandhaswrittenmultiplepiecesonit.Thispieceis
interestingbecauseintalkingabouthisideaofcitizenparticipation,hereferstothe
ideasoffamousthinkerJohnStuartMill.Itwasimportanttoourpaperaswedrewour
bulletsummaryfromthisand helpedusbridgetheideasofparticipationandleisure.
Thoreau,HenryD.WhereILived,andWhatILivedFor.NortonAnthologyofAmerican
Literature.7thed.NewYork:Norton,2007.830839.Print.
InthisexcerptfromTheNortonAnthologyofAmericanLiterature,Thoreauessayshis
timespentattheWaldenPond.Hespentovertwoyearsatthepondstudying,writing,
andreflectingawayfromsociety.Ithasbecomeoneofthemostfamousessaysin
Americanhistoryandisfrequentlyreadinacademicsettings.Thiscommonreadingwas
importanttoourpaperbecauseitprovidedtranscendentalistinsightonhisnotionsof
leisureandhisviewsonsocietyasawhole.
"TheU.S.LeisureMarket."LeisureMarketResearchHandbook(2015):1626.BusinessSource
Complete.Web.31Mar.2015.
Thisarticlediscussesthebusinesssideofleisureandtheentertainmentindustryas
studiedbymarketingfirmRichardK.Miller&Associates.Itoffersextendedanalytical

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ideasontheindustryasawholeanditsgrowth.Itisimportanttoourpaperbecauseit
providesnumbers,specificallymoney,totheexamplesoftypesofleisurethatcanbe
consideredproductiveversusunproductive.
"VictorianValuesinaNewAge."U.S.History:PreColumbiantotheNewMillennium.Web.12
Mar.2015.

ThisisanexcerptfromtheU.S.HistoryOnlineTextbookthatdetailshowtheBritish
VictorianidealslefttheirmarkontheUnitedStates,specificallyinleisure.Itintegrates

illustrationsandtexttogetthisideaacross.Thebookisownedandpublishedbythe
IndependenceHallAssociationinPhiladelphia,whosemissionistoeducatethepublic
aboutAmericanhistory.Itwasimportanttousbecauseittolduswhyleisurewastheway
itwasbeforetheIndustrialRevolution.
Weeks,Linton."LazyinAmerica:AnIncompleteSocialHistory."NPR.1July2011.Web.6
Mar.2015.

ThisisanarticlefoundontheNationalPublicRadioswebsiteregardingtheevolutionof
lazinessinAmerica.ItwaswrittenbylongtimeNPRcontributorandfounderof
SouthernMagazine,LintonWeeks.Itprovidesverymodern,tangibleexamples,suchas
popartistBrunoMars,whichisdifferentfromthemajorityofoursources.Itwas
importanttousbecauseitprovidedastartforourpaper,asitasksalotofopenended
questionsthatprovokedeepthought.

Whaples,Robert."HoursofWorkinU.S.History."EH.net.EconomicHistoryAssociation.
Web. 12Mar.2015.

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ThisisanencyclopediaentrywrittenbyRobertWhaples,aprofessorofeconomicsat
WakeForestUniversity.Hisideasonthistopic,specificallythiswork,wonhimthe
AllenNevins PrizefromtheEconomicHistoryAssociation.Ratherthanleisure,it
discussesatlengththeworkweekandthechangesithasundergoneovertime.Itwas
importanttousbecausewepulledmultipletellingstatisticsfromthechartsofferedinthe
entry.