Tentative Contributions to the Study of Leisure Based on the Theory of the Civilizing Process

Abstract

The present paper seeks to analyze some contributions to the studies on leisure based on Norbert Elias’ “theory of the civilizing process”, consolidated in Elias and Eric Dunning’s Sport and leisure in the civilizing process. Emphasis is given to the following points: critique of the traditional analysis of leisure as a practice bound to the “leisure x work” dichotomy; the understanding of leisure as a quest for excitement and pleasure, which cannot be manifested in daily life due to the control imposed on people’s impulses; the distinction between the concepts of “free time” and “leisure”. These contributions are basic for those who study leisure-related issues.