In America Today, It Seems That People Do Not Understand... Essay - 1,827 words

In America today, it seems that people do not understand the separation of work and leisure. Weekends present many choices regarding the potential use of leisure time. It is interesting that many Americans choose to pursue activities that ultimately require the most exertion. The intensive, demanding work environment that most people are subjected to for a dominant portion of their waking life has fueled Americans work mentality on and off the job. The time that should be occupied by quiet restful activities are instead used to engage in vigorous recreational pursuits, and household chores. Americans also use their free time to buy material goods. Acquiring more work is vital to this consumption.


The concept of leisure in the mind of a moderate American is firstly influenced by the education a person gets. The educational system that we have come to know and suffer under in this modern day has been a topic of discussion and debate since its creation. Aside from the boundaries of language, culture, or the political spectrum, the development of modern education has been witnessed throughout the world over. While the methods and practices of education vary as much as the people who enjoy it, the historical flow of education have led most societies along a similar path: the refinement of the human worker. The educational system that we are presented with today has been a progression spanning several centuries of human development. It is true that perhaps the focus and means of education has manifested itself into forms that teachers and students of last century or even within the last decade would find absurd, but modern education has become the human standard, or perhaps more accurately, an industry standard.


The ways and means of education has changed as quickly as the world around us, bending to the inertia of our societies. And so it is of no great surprise that the modern educational system has adapted so well to the post-industrial society we have made for ourselves. The pursuit of education for the sake of knowledge or personal betterment now seems like a novel idea, but in todays world it is not your personal character that lies at the heart of the matter, but rather your future position in the job market. In Common Culture, Witold Rybczynski and Juliet Schor both agree that Americans work more for greater consumption power, while using their limited leisure time to create more work for themselves. They both agree that great thing could be accomplish if more leisure time was available to the public. For many, free time is viewed as an opportunity to consume materialistic products for entertainment purposes, recreational endeavors and self fulfillment. Time away from work that is intended for relaxation, is converted in consumption time.


Both authors contend that Americans have invested designated leisure time and hard earned cash into expensive forms of entertainment and recreation. Costly types of entertainment include luxurious vacations, movies, and habitual shopping trips to the mall. For recreational fulfillment most Americans resort to the most expensive pastimes such as skiing and canoeing. Schor suggested alternatives to expensive entertainment such as trips to the park or adult education. She believed that excessive spending is often used as a means of filling a void, or fulfilling an identity. Rybczynski revealed that Americans spend over 13 billion dollars on sports clothing a year.


It is apparent that many people use fashion as a means to create a, fantasy self or improve self esteem. In order to live life more simply one must change their expectations which involves, understanding the psychological and cultural functions that material goods fulfill. In order to break away from the misleading notion that possessions determine self-worth, one must obtain an identity that is independent from possessions and assets. If this can be accomplished, less time could be spent working to consume and more time can be used toward leisureliness. Americans spend leisure time consuming. Because more consumption requires more work time, citizens are in effect defeating the purpose of leisure time and creating a paradox.


In a frenzied rush to aquire more material possessions, Americans are working more leaving little time for simple leisurely activities. Rybczynski claims that if given a choice, most people would choose the ability to consume over an increase in free time. For example in the sixties many women traded their quiet leisurely home life from more spending power. Today families in which both parents work full time jobs are more common than ever. Schor contends that, escaping the trap of overwork will also entail stepping off the consumer treadmill. In order to make time for leisure, one must cut back on working hours and settle for the fundamentals of living. In one case an environmental planner who lived a moderately comfortable life decided to cut back on working hours and make time for leisure.


To successfully achieve this goal, he had to accept a life without credit cards and high car payments. He found that living more simply entailed acquiring a different perspective on the role money played in his life. Many Americans use the weekend away from their job to create more work for themselves. While some Americans use designated leisure time to work overtime, others exert themselves by completing household chores. Schor contends that, work itself has been eroding the ability to benefit from leisure time. It seems Americans can no longer ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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Essay Tags: leisure, american, more work, most american, new york

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