Work/Nonwork Orientations

Abstract

Concern with the impact of work on other areas of life has fosterd empirical and theoretical delineations of work-nonwork and work-leisure relationships (Cheek 1971; Dubin 1956; Kabanoff 1980; Kando and Summers 1971; Kelly 1972; Orzack 1959; Parker 1971). The degree to which work as a central life interest extends into other life areas, however, is not well documented. Much of the nonwork literature is devoted to an examination of occupational prestige and other correlates of participation in leisure activities (Burdge 1969; Clark 1956; Havighurst and Feigenbaum 1959). Although investigation of work and leisure has demonstrated the influence of occupational reference groups on nonoccupational behavior (Bishop and Ikeda 1970; Gerstl 1961), little is known about the work-nonwork orientations of older persons, farmers, or residents of small communities.