Where Has All Our Leisure Gone? The Case of the UK, 1950s-2020s

This paper compares leisure trends between the 1950s and 1970s with subsequent developments. It shows that in the earlier period the growth in leisure time and expenditure was either shared experiences or equalising. Subsequent gains in leisure time and spending have been focused and divisive. Gains in leisure time have been concentrated among the retired, and gains in income and spending among the higher socio-economic strata. These trends have been accompanied by commerce becoming the increasingly dominant leisure provider, huge increases in time spent watching a small screen and spending on hardware and content. It is argued that leisure studies need to focus on the outcomes of these 21st century trends for the everyday lives of the various socio-demographic groups.