A social history of women’s leisure

Abstract

A historical perspective is essential for those of us who are interested in exploring and understanding women’s lives, given that leisure does not exist in a vacuum, but is shaped by the broader social ]context. As Rojek (1985), among others, has pointed out, leisure should be seen as a part of dynamic relations which change over time. It comes as little surprise, then, to find that the social and economic changes that have taken place in Britain from the eighteenth century on have had clear implications for the way in which leisure is currently shaped and perceived. This applies not only to the leisure ‘choices’ that are possible in terms of the kind of provision and the material resources available to individuals or groups, but also to our broader definitions of leisure and our ideas about what leisure is, or ought to be.