Time use research in Canada – History,critique, perspectives

The article examines methodological and substantial problems faced by Canadian time use research. It assesses the gains and the limitations of this research from a historical and comparative perspectives.Canada, time use research, methodology, history, perspectives

Da “Unidade de Ideias” na Sociologia do Lazer

It has been said that the concepts of leisure and labor have sociological meaning only vis-a-vis each other. Robert Nisbet’s notion of “unit ideas,” referring to common historical concerns, is used in this article to examine changing assessments of the role assigned to leisure and labor throughout history. What role has been attributed to leisure and labor in the past and is attributed to them today in forming human identity, stimulating social change, enforcing social integration, raising social equality, and contributing to well-being? Two other controversial issues examined in the article are associated with the alienating effects of the division of labor on leisure and the conflicting views with regard to the coming of the “society of leisure.”  The article attempts to demonstrate that the relationships between labor and leisure are not “unilineal” and the well-being borderline runs not between labor and leisure, but within them. Key words: Leisure; Labor; Social integration; Well-being; Leisure society.Ya se ha dicho que los conceptos de ocio y trabajo sólo tienen un significado sociológico entre sí. La noción de "ideas elementares" de Robert Nisbet, que se refiere a preocupaciones históricas comunes, se utiliza en este artículo para examinar los cambios en las evaluaciones del papel atribuido al ocio y al trabajo a lo largo de la historia. ¿Qué papel se atribuyó al ocio y al trabajo en el pasado y se le atribuye hoy en día en la formación de la identidad humana, estimulando el cambio social, reforzando la integración social, elevando la igualdad social y contribuyendo al bienestar? Otras dos cuestiones controvertidas que se examinan en el artículo están asociadas a los efectos alienantes de la división del trabajo en el ocio y a las visiones conflictivas sobre la llegada de la "sociedad del ocio". El artículo intenta demostrar que las relaciones entre el trabajo y el ocio no son "unilineales" y que el límite del bienestar no está entre el trabajo y el ocio, sino dentro de ellos. Palabras clave: Ócio; Trabajo; Integración Social; Bienestar; Sociedad del Ocio.Já foi dito que os conceitos de lazer e trabalho têm significado sociológico apenas vis-à-vis uns aos outros. A noção de “unidade de idéias” (ou “ideias elementares”), de Robert Nisbet, referindo-se a preocupações históricas comuns, é usada neste artigo para examinar as mudanças nas avaliações do papel atribuído ao lazer e ao trabalho ao longo da história. Que papel foi atribuído ao lazer e ao trabalho no passado e é atribuído a eles hoje na formação da identidade humana, estimulando a mudança social, reforçando a integração social, elevando a igualdade social e contribuindo para o bem-estar? Duas outras questões controversas examinadas no artigo estão associadas aos efeitos alienantes da divisão do trabalho sobre o lazer e as visões conflitantes em relação à chegada da “sociedade do lazer”. O artigo tenta demonstrar que as relações entre trabalho e lazer não são “uni-lineares” e o limite de bem-estar não é entre trabalho e lazer, mas dentro deles. Palavras-chave: Lazer; Trabalho; Integração Social; Bem-estar; Sociedade do Lazer

Tributo a Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1934-2021)

The text pays tribute to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, mentioning the main points of his work. It highlights the author's importance to the field of leisure, and the relevance of the Second World War as a key point in his career. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's main contribution to leisure studies is the creation of a model through which leisure activities were classified in terms of their costs and benefits, from a systemic perspective, identifying the effects that a particular form of leisure has on the society that practices it. He attributes Mike's generation to one that seeks a balance between personal development and social solidarity, fulfillment and social justice, leading to a realistic assessment of the difficulties faced by humanity.El texto rinde homenaje a Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, mencionando los puntos principales de su obra. Destaca la importancia del autor para el campo del ocio y la relevancia de la Segunda Guerra Mundial como punto fundamental en su carrera. La principal contribución de Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi a los estudios sobre el ocio es la creación de un modelo mediante el cual se clasificaron las actividades de ocio en función de sus costes y beneficios, desde una perspectiva sistémica, identificando los efectos que una determinada forma de ocio tiene en la sociedad que la practica. Atribuye a la generación de Mike la búsqueda de un equilibrio entre el desarrollo personal y la solidaridad social, la realización personal y la justicia social, lo que conduce a una evaluación realista de las dificultades enfrentadas por la humanidad.O texto faz uma homenagem à Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, mencionando os principais pontos da sua obra. Ressalta a importância do autor para o campo do lazer, e a relevância da Segunda Guerra mundial como ponto fundamental na sua trajetória. A principal contribuição de Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi nos estudos no lazer é criação de um modelo através do qual as atividades de lazer eram classificadas em termos dos seus custos e benefícios, numa perspetiva sistêmica, identificando os efeitos que uma determinada forma de lazer tem na sociedade que a prática. Atribui a geração de Mike, com aquela que procura o equilíbrio entre o desenvolvimento pessoal e a solidariedade social, a realização pessoal e a justiça social, conduzindo a uma avaliação realista das dificuldades enfrentadas pela humanidade

O Que Aconteceu com a Sociedade de Lazer?

Abstract: This text presents the book Veal, A.J. (2019). Whatever Happened to the Leisure Society? London: Routledge, 296 p. It shows the previous studies on leisure field, makes a balance of the area and an assessment of the book reviewed.  Keywords: Leisure; History; Social Change; Society.Resumen:  Este texto presenta el libro Veal, A.J. (2019). Whatever Happened to the Leisure Society? London: Routledge, 296 p., exponen los estúdios anteriores relacionado con el tema, realiza um balance del campo de estúdios y hace uma evaluación del libro bajo análisis.  Palabras clave: Ocio; Historia; Cambio Social; Sociedad.Resumo: Este texto apresenta a obra de Veal, A.J. (2019). Whatever Happened to the Leisure Society? London: Routledge, 296 p., expondo os estudos anteriores relacionados ao tema, realizando um balanço do campo e uma avaliação da obra em questão. Palavras-chave: Lazer; História; Mudança Social; Sociedade

Quando as fileiras se reduzem... Rolf Meyersohn (1926-2022)

The text pays tribute to Rolf Meyersohn, an important author in the sociological study of leisure between the 1950s and 1970s. His great contribution was to analyze leisure as a social challenge and not as a permanent promise.El texto rinde homenaje a Rolf Meyersohn, un autor importante en el estudio sociológico del ocio entre las décadas de 1950 y 1970. Su gran aportación fue analizar el ocio como un reto social y no como una promesa permanente.O texto faz uma homenagem a Rolf Meyersohn, importante autor no estudo sociológico do lazer entres as décadas de 1950 a 1970. Sua grande contribuição foi analisar o lazer como um desafio social e não como uma promessa permanente

Affect Recognition using Psychophysiological Correlates in High Intensity VR Exergaming

User experience estimation of VR exergame players by recognising their affective state could enable us to personalise and optimise their experience. Affect recognition based on psychophysiological measurements has been successful for moderate intensity activities. High intensity VR exergames pose challenges as the effects of exercise and VR headsets interfere with those measurements. We present two experiments that investigate the use of different sensors for affect recognition in a VR exergame. The first experiment compares the impact of physical exertion and gamification on psychophysiological measurements during rest, conventional exercise, VR exergaming, and sedentary VR gaming. The second experiment compares underwhelming, overwhelming and optimal VR exergaming scenarios. We identify gaze fixations, eye blinks, pupil diameter and skin conductivity as psychophysiological measures suitable for affect recognition in VR exergaming and analyse their utility in determining affective valence and arousal. Our findings provide guidelines for researchers of affective VR exergames.This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 665992 </p

Of the Unit Ideas in the Sociology of Leisure

Robert Nisbet, in The Sociological Tradition (1966), used the concept of unit-ideas in analyzing the sociological thought of the past and present. Unit-ideas are focal social concerns that generated and continue to invite conflicting interpretations, giving sociological thought its continuity and coherence. As examples of unit-ideas in the 19th century sociology, Nisbet listed alienation, the role of the community, relationship between the sacred and the secular. Several criteria need to be met, according to Nisbet, to qualify as unit-ideas. These ideas must have generality, be relevant to the present and the past, and be discernable in the works of the towering minds of an age.  As well, unit-ideas must be specific for the given area of study and combine insight with observation (p. 5). In this article, an attempt will be made to apply Nisbet’s notion of unit-ideas to the historical study of leisure and labor, the two concepts that, in Bennett Berger’s words, “have sociological meaning only vis-à-vis each other.” (p. 28)Analysis of issues dominating the study of leisure and labor shows that discussion involving these phenomena centered historically upon several  key and controversial issues such as: (1) the role of leisure and labor in forming  human identity; (2) leisure and labor as stimuli of social change; (3) leisure’s and play’s role as sources of social stability; (4) leisure’s impact on the deepening or toning down of social inequalities; (5) division of labor and its alienating effects on leisure (spillover or compensation?); (6) future trends in the allocation of leisure time (will we live in a ‘society of leisure’ or of the ‘harried leisure class”?), and (7) leisure’s and labor’s contribution to subjective well-being (swb). While most of these issues fall predominantly into the domain of sociological inquiry, the interest in the relationship between leisure and swb is shared by sociology and social psychology.The first three unit-ideas (leisure as a source of human identity, social stability and a stimulus of change), have been examined in the literature mostly from the historical and anthropological perspectives. The conflicting views about the alienating effects of labor, the stratification implications of leisure, the direction of leisure trends, and the well-being corelates of leisure have been subject of conceptual discourse as well as empirical examination.My motivation for examining work-leisure relationships from the unit-ideas perspective is two-fold. I intend to show that these relationships are multifaceted and change with historical circumstances. I will refrain from the role of an arbiter, while discussing controversies surrounding the unit-ideas of leisure,’ and will leave their overall assessment to the concluding part of the article, showing there how these ideas reflect the “l’esprit du temps” (Zeitgeist), as well as ideological positioning of individual authors within it. In the concluding part, I will also address my second concern - the ‘partisan” or ‘lobbying’ position with regard to leisure often taken by leisure researchers. Leisure, to me, is a formidable challenge, but not necessarily a universal cure. The dividing line of the pros and the cons does not run between leisure and labor but within them. This is what this article will try to demonstrate.

Of the Unit Ideas in the Sociology of Leisure

Robert Nisbet, in The Sociological Tradition (1966), used the concept of unit-ideas in analyzing the sociological thought of the past and present. Unit-ideas are focal social concerns that generated and continue to invite conflicting interpretations, giving sociological thought its continuity and coherence. As examples of unit-ideas in the 19th century sociology, Nisbet listed alienation, the role of the community, relationship between the sacred and the secular. Several criteria need to be met, according to Nisbet, to qualify as unit-ideas. These ideas must have generality, be relevant to the present and the past, and be discernable in the works of the towering minds of an age.  As well, unit-ideas must be specific for the given area of study and combine insight with observation (p. 5). In this article, an attempt will be made to apply Nisbet’s notion of unit-ideas to the historical study of leisure and labor, the two concepts that, in Bennett Berger’s words, “have sociological meaning only vis-à-vis each other.” (p. 28)Analysis of issues dominating the study of leisure and labor shows that discussion involving these phenomena centered historically upon several  key and controversial issues such as: (1) the role of leisure and labor in forming  human identity; (2) leisure and labor as stimuli of social change; (3) leisure’s and play’s role as sources of social stability; (4) leisure’s impact on the deepening or toning down of social inequalities; (5) division of labor and its alienating effects on leisure (spillover or compensation?); (6) future trends in the allocation of leisure time (will we live in a ‘society of leisure’ or of the ‘harried leisure class”?), and (7) leisure’s and labor’s contribution to subjective well-being (swb). While most of these issues fall predominantly into the domain of sociological inquiry, the interest in the relationship between leisure and swb is shared by sociology and social psychology.The first three unit-ideas (leisure as a source of human identity, social stability and a stimulus of change), have been examined in the literature mostly from the historical and anthropological perspectives. The conflicting views about the alienating effects of labor, the stratification implications of leisure, the direction of leisure trends, and the well-being corelates of leisure have been subject of conceptual discourse as well as empirical examination.My motivation for examining work-leisure relationships from the unit-ideas perspective is two-fold. I intend to show that these relationships are multifaceted and change with historical circumstances. I will refrain from the role of an arbiter, while discussing controversies surrounding the unit-ideas of leisure,’ and will leave their overall assessment to the concluding part of the article, showing there how these ideas reflect the “l’esprit du temps” (Zeitgeist), as well as ideological positioning of individual authors within it. In the concluding part, I will also address my second concern - the ‘partisan” or ‘lobbying’ position with regard to leisure often taken by leisure researchers. Leisure, to me, is a formidable challenge, but not necessarily a universal cure. The dividing line of the pros and the cons does not run between leisure and labor but within them. This is what this article will try to demonstrate.

O Que Aconteceu com a Sociedade de Lazer?

Abstract: This text presents the book Veal, A.J. (2019). Whatever Happened to the Leisure Society? London: Routledge, 296 p. It shows the previous studies on leisure field, makes a balance of the area and an assessment of the book reviewed. &nbsp;Keywords: Leisure; History; Social Change; Society.Resumen:&nbsp; Este texto presenta el libro Veal, A.J. (2019). Whatever Happened to the Leisure Society? London: Routledge, 296 p., exponen los estúdios anteriores relacionado con el tema, realiza um balance del campo de estúdios y hace uma evaluación del libro bajo análisis. &nbsp;Palabras clave: Ocio; Historia; Cambio Social; Sociedad.Resumo: Este texto apresenta a obra de Veal, A.J. (2019). Whatever Happened to the Leisure Society? London: Routledge, 296 p., expondo os estudos anteriores relacionados ao tema, realizando um balanço do campo e uma avaliação da obra em questão. Palavras-chave: Lazer; História; Mudança Social; Sociedade