Social class and leisure during recent recessions in Britain

Abstract

This paper assembles time series data on leisure participation rates and expenditure to assess the impact of recessions in the UK during and since the 1980s, and the widening of social class disparities in income since then. It shows that in both cases there have been clear impacts on leisure spending, but to a lesser and variable extent on participation in leisure activities. The conclusions that are drawn highlight weaknesses in the data currently available to leisure scholars, specifically the limited time series and the absence of a limited number of key indicators of leisure use. An important feature of leisure itself is also highlighted: specifically the stability of participation rates over extended periods of time. The failure of leisure scholars to address this feature of their subject matter is attributed to its invisibility before time series are constructed and examined.

本文收集休闲参与率和开支的时间序列数据，以评估20世纪80年代经济衰退在英国的影响，在这之后社会阶层收入差距不断扩大。这表明经济衰退对休闲消费有明确影响，但在 参与度和参与种类方面的影响较小。结论表明了在当前休闲研究中数据的不足之处，特别存在有限时间序列和缺乏关键指标的问题。休闲本身就是一项重要功能， 特别是随着时间发展，参与率的稳定性。之前休闲学者没有关注这一点的原因是时间序列的无形性和难以构建与监测。

Keywords:

• expenditure
• leisure
• recessions
• social class
• time series
• time use
• unemployment

关键词:

• 消费
• 休闲
• 衰退
• 社会阶层
• 时间序列
• 时间使用
• 失业