LEISURE VS FREE TIME

To understand what the differences between Leisure and Free Time is, it is necessary to
have a clear definition of both words. To begin with, Free Time is: “all-time minus obligations”.
Leisure can be defined: what activities can be done within your Free time. From agent years,
we discover that Leisure had already been given significance from different ancient languages.
One example is in Latin: ´leisir´ which means the freedom to do something. (Groters &
Hoogenboom, 2011, p.1) But also, more developed languages like English or French have
similar meanings of leisure, all generalizing the idea of ´having free obligations and free will to
develop them´. This summary explains the difference between leisure and free time to have a
clear vision and be able to distinguish each type of leisure

To obtain a clear definition, leisure can be divided into two major points of view: a
subjective perspective and an objective perspective. The subjective perspective is based on
experiences, to be more specific, how do you feel about a situation and what can you do about
it. For example, for one individual cooking can be seen as an obligation because you need to
do it for surviving. However, for another, it can be seen as leisure time because he or she
might enjoy cooking for herself or others and already has the experience. The objective
perspective is related to time. It´s what time is left after working, studying, spending time on
your personal care, doing household chores… For a student, it can be doing exercise after
going to the university, his obligation. (Connell, Stephen J. Page & Joanne, 2010)

We can relate leisure with work thanks to three theories called: the spill-over theory, the
compensation, and the no relation. The first theory is related to identifying an individual as a
leader at work, where he or she can develop those qualities in their free time. One example
can be an environmental leader, which uses his behaviour inside a company but also,
influences others to have the same behaviour. The compensation theory happens when you
meet your goals while you are not at work. An example can be when an individual can go
running in his free time, an activity separated from his work schedule. Finally, the no relation
theory is when there is no relation between work and leisure. (Chris Bull, 2003).

Leisure can be also divided into perceive freedom and perceived constraints. Perceived
freedom is a state of mind where the leisure activities are perceived as freedom, and in which
gives an intrinsic or extrinsic reward. Is composed on three categories: pure leisure (going on a
vacation), leisure-work (playing in a band), leisure-job (an activity you do not enjoy doing).
Perceived constraints are a state of mind that sees non-leisure activities as freedom. These
are: pure-work (volunteering), work-job (teaching), pure-job (working for money). ) (Connell,
Stephen J. Page & Joanne, 2010).

Leisure is a word not well defined because it has a different idea for each, it depends on how
an individual understands it or what it represents to him or her. Some theories explained that
it has started from a very young age, and we do not even notice. Our parents more than once
asked us to go outside and spend time playing with our friends. Without any clue, we
discovered the first one main point of the nature of leisure: play.

Playing has helped to develop our physical development, how we became healthier, and
encourage new motor skills. Our cognitive and emotional development, while interacting with
ourselves by experiencing competition, and how to recover from that unpleasant situation.
Finally, being able to develop our social skills, providing cultural values on how to participate
or what others may feel (cooperation and teamwork skills). Thanks to this simple activity we
practiced in our childhood, it has provided us an opportunity to take place in society as an
adult and grow by learning different approaches.

Leisure is defined within four different approaches: time-based, activity-based, attitude-

based and quality-based approaches. Time-based is an approach that focuses on the time left
over, from any type of activity that implies free after obligations have been, like waitressing.
Activity-based is a form of seeing leisure as any activity that is not daily necessary but comes
from our choices from outside professional activities and how to deal with the issue during an
individual free time, for example, dancing. Attitude-based is viewed as a state of mind or a
state of being, it is guided by the motive of an individual. This means that leisure can take
place at any time, in any place, and any form (emotions or feeling). Quality-based is the way of
whether an individual identifies leisure, usually defined with external factors. When an
individual can recuperate from his effort or stress of a working day, freedom, or way of life.
(Chris Bull, 2003). 

There have been many definitions and approaches for the study of leisure, most of them
based on the nature of the subject in areas: Economics, Sociology, Geography, Psychology,
Planning, History, and Politics. Yet it is seen that leisure may mean different things to different
people and are based on the freedom from constraints, the opportunity to choose, the
opposite of work, and the time left over after work. Also, it can be identified a relationship
between leisure and free time where the most common activities are rest, entertainment,
spiritual renewal, and self-realization. (Connell, Stephen J. Page & Joanne, 2010).

In conclusion, there are many perspectives regarding what leisure is, most of them are
debates between leisure as freedom and leisure as control. Each activity whether we consider
it leisure or not gives us a richer and integrated idea or experience of leisure and how we deal
with it. The activity you will chose can influence an individual from having a good day (positive
emotion) to having lack of resources and not being able to perform your leisure activity. To be
able to develop a good leisure activity you not only need to be aware of how complex the
activity is, but which structure takes place in your environment.