In our modern society,leisure and leisure choices are abundant.Some scholars,therefore,argue that there is an expansion of freedom in leisure.Individual desires give rise to a flourishing leisure industry and various leisure opportunities,and leisure means freedom.Others contend that one cannot escape the constraints of social structures.Factors such as class,economic status,and race firmly differentiate individual leisure choices and leisure remains a socially constructed symbol in the modern society.These two views represent the debate of the modern"leisure paradox"of whether leisure is free or constrained.It should be noted though:in the former case,the prevalence of consumerism has transformed the freedom of leisure into the freedom of consumption;in the latter case,the power of individual agency has been largely ignored.At the same time,with social psychology and positivism leading the way in leisure studies since the 1960s,a purely subjective sense of"perceived freedom"was increasingly accepted as the understanding of freedom in leisure.But this purely subjective sense of freedom tends to reduce leisure to an individualized private sphere and reduce the possibilities of the communal benefits that leisure could achieve at a larger and higher level.It is argued in this paper that in the modern society leisure remains inextricably linked to the production-based essentialism of labor.Therefore,the first dimension of freedom in leisure is that of escape(free from).The second dimension of freedom in leisure as a choice is the result of the entry of free time into consumption,free to leisure in one's free time.The third dimension of freedom in leisure is the process towards being human,the extent to which one can accomplish this is based on the highest possibility of personal development offered by the development of the level of productivity in the modern society.It is at this level that the human being as a person can break through the limitations of the times.Freedom in leisure is achieved through the sharing of freedom as a whole,a process of becoming.Freedom in leisure points to the transcendence of external constraints,to the transcendence of the self rather than to arbitrariness,and the actualization of individual agency largely determines where it can be reached.In this sense,the exercise of freedom in leisure is linked to the formation of personality,beginning with an increased awareness of what constitutes leisure,i.e.,leisure enlightenment.Differences in social systems,classes,literacy levels,habits,etc.can lead to individual differences in the acquisition of freedom in leisure,but these differences are not simply differentiated by level,and any journey toward personal liberation is a worthwhile one.The concept of"freedom"in leisure has been one of the main points of debate among leisure scholars,and there is no systematic discussion of it in China yet,so this review provides a reference for the future expansion of the topic in China.The emphasis on leisure enlightenment and individual agency contributes to the interpretation of generating power with leisure.
leisure in modern societyfreedomconstraintperceived freedomagencyleisure enlightenment
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