Sociale determinanten van het vrijetijdsgedrag.

The significance of increasing leisure time in modern society has generated an awareness amongst the social scientists of the importance of this phenomenon. This study deals with two basic problems in the field of leisure behavior research. The first problem concerns the treatment of the numerous and heterogeneous leisure activities under general headings: can dimensions of leisure behavior be empirically determined? What instruments can be developed for the measuring of these dimensions? The second problem deals with the social factors which determine the nature of leisure behavior: which variables explain the most of the observed variance in the dimensions of leisure behavior that have been distinguished? In view of the aims of this investigation, the concept of leisure has been deflned with considerable latitude (see also LUNDBERG, KOMAROVSKY & McInerny 1934; WHITE 1955). 'Leisure' is defined as the total period of time which is not used for regular professional employment or other regular daily occupations, going to and returning from work, sleeping, eating and care of the person. The term 'leisure behavior', therefore, includes all activities taking place in the leisure time. This broad definition prevents certain groups of the population (e.g. housewives, the unemployed, the sick) or certain activities (e.g. doing nothing, practical activities) from being excluded prior to the investigation...