British Sociological Association
Leisure and Recreation Study Group
Theorising Leisure: The Consumer Experience
Centre for Scientific & Cultural Research in Sport
Roehampton University, UK
26th May 2006
Call for Papers
The sociological concepts of “leisure” and “consumption” have frequently
been examined separately, with Leisure Studies emerging as an academic
subject in its own right, and consumption emerging as one of sociology’s
key themes. Although both leisure and consumption represent key aspects of
contemporary British society, it is interesting to note that most sociology
text books, undergraduate courses and key sociological journals, such as
Sociology and The British Journal of Sociology have featured very little to
do with leisure, but have been central to promoting debates surrounding
consumption. This lack of emphasis on leisure within contemporary sociology
is surprising given that much of the sociological theory that has recently
been adopted to examine aspects of consumer society (for example Veblen,
Bourdieu, Campbell etc.) is, we argue, ideally placed to examine the role
of leisure in society. This study group seeks to bridge some of the gaps
that currently exist between sociologies of leisure and sociologies of
consumption. In particular, it will seek to examine how leisure is consumed
and produced. Possible themes include pleasure, class, gender, ethnicity,
taste, cultural capital, daydream etc. We anticipate that the study group
will bring together sociologists who are researching leisure consumption,
and that it will work towards re-building and re-invigorating the Leisure
and Recreation Study Group. It is also hoped that the study group will act
as a useful precursor to the 2007 Leisure Studies Association Annual
Conference, ‘Whatever Happened to the Leisure Society?’ Critical &
Multidisciplinary (Retro)spectives. Finally, we aim to offer participants
at the Study Group the opportunity to publish their papers as part of an
edited collection.
We invite researchers (both academics and postgraduates) to submit a short
abstract of 500 words maximum to the organisers below before 6th January
2005. If you would like to chat about your abstract before submitting it,
please feel free to contact us.
Dr Emma Casey, Department of Sociology, Kingston University, Penrhyn Road
Kingston-upon-Thames, KT1 2EE
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Dr Eileen Kennedy & Helen Pussard, Centre for Scientific & Cultural
Research in Sport, Roehampton University, Parkstead House, Holybourne Avenue
London, SW15 4JD
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