Abstract
The chapter discusses Max Weber’s theories on leisure, how his ideas have affected contemporary leisure studies, and how his insights could inform future research. We focus on three aspects of Weber’s rich sociological legacy: (1) the Protestant Ethic and the absence of leisure, focusing on the relationship between religion and consumption, (2) bureaucracy and rationalization of leisure, discussing McDonaldization and re-enchantment, and (3) social inequality and leisure: class, status, party, discussing how status—vis-à-vis class—matters for lifestyle studies. Exploring the Weberian influence on leisure theory, we suggest future research might focus on the renewed importance of religion, online leisure activities as enchantment, and changes in the legitimacy of leisure practices.
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Berkers, P., van Eijck, K. (2017). Max Weber and Leisure. In: Spracklen, K., Lashua, B., Sharpe, E., Swain, S. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Leisure Theory. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56479-5_23
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56479-5_23
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