Leisure Fantasy

Jesse Ernst

3/30/21

GEOG 101

Leisure Fantasy

When we look at the landscape of our life and how we function in and out of the work place environment, we may become increasingly aware that our leisure activities don't satisfy.  There is a good chance that we may feel that something is missing in our life.  The article Work and Leisure in Everyday Life illustrates how not only is this landscape designed by others; mainly capitalistic bourgeois, but it is at its core a fantasy of fulfillments.

The article starts off by explaining how surreal our view of the ideal world is.  Although people know it's not really real, they spend leisure time watching TV shows that aren’t reality.  The author examines leisure activities and how they became a needed part of our society's identity.  The bourgeois and the peasant have complete opposite views on the matter of leisure.  For the peasant “work is not separate from the everyday life of the family” (p. 30).  I have first hand experience on this; I have a friend in a nearby village who just lives life. His family doesn't go on weekend relaxation outings; they just live life.  If he was to join me on an outing, it would be for a purpose like hunting or gathering something useful, not for a needed “break” (p. 33) or craved “relaxation” (p. 34). 

There is no doubt that our society in general has many capitalistic ideas and its ideology informs how we process and make decisions; however, our distinct culture affects to what degree the pattern of work and leisure has taken root.  This ideology has control over many aspects of life from films to sports. There is no shortage of activities whose imagery portrays a better life, and a life of joy, for those who have an excess of money and leisure.