Summary
Whereas leisure was once treated as a social service, a business culture has swept through what remains of the voluntary and public sectors today. Ken Roberts explains how and why this has happened, what it means for tourism, sport, the arts and broadcasting, and why events, in particular mega-events, have become prize acquisitions. The Business of Leisure addresses the trend towards commercialisation in the provision of leisure that has not only continued but accelerated since the 2004 publication of The Leisure Industries. This updated second edition reflects how recent developments such as the age of austerity, demographic changes and the rise of digital information technologies have transformed the leisure sector. At the same time, the book demonstrates how voluntary associations and public providers have been able to withstand the ever-growing pressures from big business and commerce. This thought-provoking text provides both a historical overview and an up-to-date introduction to the contemporary study of leisure. It is an invaluable resource for students in areas such as leisure studies and management, sports studies, tourism and events management, as well as those on management, business and sociology courses.
Ken Roberts is Professor of Sociology at the University of Liverpool, UK. He is a past president of the World Leisure Research Commission and the International Sociology Association's Research Committee on Leisure. He is the author of several books, including, most recently, Sociology: An Introduction (2012), Class in Contemporary Britain (2011) and Youth in Transition: Eastern Europe and the West (2009).
