This is the first handbook devoted entirely to leisure theory, charting the history and philosophy of leisure, theories in religion and culture, and rational theories of leisure in the Western philosophical tradition, as well as a range of socio-cultural theories from thinkers such as Adorno, Bauman, Weber and Marx.

Introduction to the Handbook; Karl Spracklen, Brett Lashua, Erin Sharpe and Spencer Swain.- Part One: Traditional Theories of Leisure.- Section One Introduction; Erin Sharpe.- 1. Islam and Leisure; Kirsten Walseth and Mahfoud Amara.- 2. Centring Leisure: A Hindu View of Leisure; Veena Sharma.- 3. Listening to 19th Century Kanaka ʻŌiwi Voices; Re-Imagining the Possibilities for Leisure; Karen M. Fox    and Lisa McDermott.- 4. Leisure in Latin America: A Conceptual Analysis; Christianne Gomes.- 5. The Sabbath as the Ideal Manifestation of Leisure in Traditional Jewish Thought; Nitza Davidovitch.- 6. Leisure Activities in Southeast Asia, from Pre-Colonial Times to the Present; Sarah Moser, Esther Clinton and Jeremy Wallach.- 7. Sport, Leisure and Culture in Māori Society;Phillip Borrell  and Hamuera Kahi.- 8. Leisure Experience and Engaged Buddhism: Mindfulness as a Path to Freedom and Justice in Leisure Studies; Susan M. Arai.- 9. Traditional Sport in Japan; Minoru Matsunami.- 10. Leisure and the Dao; Steve Simpson  and Samuel Cocks.- 11. “Have Leisure and Know That I am God”: Christianity and Leisure; Paul Heintzman.- Part Two: Rational Theories of Leisure.- Section Two Introduction; Karl Spracklen.- 12. Leisure in Classical Greek Philosophy; Thanassis Samaras.- 13. John Locke: Recreation, Morality and Paternalism in Leisure Policy; Ian Lamond.- 14. Rebuking the Enlightenment Establishments, Bourgeois and Aristocratic: Rousseau’s Ambivalence about Leisure; Matthew D. Mendham.- 15. Contracting the Right to Roam; Wallace McNeish and Steve Olivier.- 26. Leisure and Radical Jacobinism; Karl Spracklen.- 27. John Stuart Mill and Leisure; Robert Snape.- 18. Unproductive Leisure and resented work – a brief incursion in Hegel (and in Nietzsche); Maria Manuel Baptista and Larissa Latif.- 19. John Dewey: Purposeful Play as Leisure; Mary C. Breunig.- 20. Durkheim and Leisure; Stratos Georgoulas.- 21. Why Veblen Matters: The Role of Status Seeking in Contemporary Leisure David Scott.- 22. Max Weber and Leisure; Pauwke Berkers and Koen van Eijck.-23.- Flow Theory and Leisure; Sam Elkington.- 24. Serious Leisure: Past, Present and Possibilities; Karen Gallant.- Part Three: Structural Theories of Leisure.- Section Three Introduction; Spencer Swain.- 25. Marx, Alienation and Dialectics within Leisure; Bruce Erickson.- 26. The Dialectics of Work and Leisure in Marx, Lukács and Lefebvre; Paul Blackledg.- 27.  “Let’s murder the moonlight!” Futurism, Anti-Humanism and Leisure; Brett Lashua.- 28. The Frankfurt School, Leisure and Consumption; Gabby Skeldon.- 29. Leisure, Instrumentality and Communicative Actio; Karl Spracklen.- 30. Hegemony and Leisure; Robert Cassar.- 31. Reclaiming the “F-word”: Structural Feminist Theories of Leisure; Bronwen Valtchanov and Diana Parry.- 32. A Critical Expansion of Theories on Race and Ethnicity in Leisure Studies; Rasul Mowatt.- 33. Spasticus Auticus: Thinking About Disability, Culture and Leisure beyond the “Walkie Talkies”;Viji Kuppan.- 34. Leisure, Media, and Consumption: the Flavour of Rock in Rio; Ricardo Ferreira Freitas and Flavio Lin.- 35. Leisure and ‘The Civilising Process’; Stephen Wagg.- 36. The Politics of Leisure in Totalitarian Societies; Vassil Girginov/- 37. Leisure, Community and the StrangerElie Cohen-Gewerc.- Part Four: Post-Structural Theories of Leisure.- Section Four Introduction; Brett Lashua.- 38. Postmodernism and Leisure; Mira Malick.- 39. Leisure, Risk and Reflexivity; Ken Roberts.- 40. Thinking through Poststructuralism in Leisure Studies: A Detour around “Proper” Humanist Knowledges; Lisbeth Berbary.- 41. Who should inhabit leisure? Disability, Embodiment and Access to Leisure; Mary Ann Devine and Ken Mobily.- 41. Leisure and Diaspora; Dan Burdsey.- 43. You Make Me Feel Mighty Real: Hyperreality and Leisure Theory; Steve Redhead.- 44. Leisure in the Current Interregnum: Exploring the Social Theories of Anthony Giddens and Zygmunt Bauman; Spencer Swain.- 45. The Politics of Leisure Mobilities: Borders and Rebordering Processes in Europe; Kevin Hannam and Basagaitz Guereño-Omil.- 46. “Obligations and Entitlements”: Neoliberalism, Governmentality and Community Parks; Trent Newmeyer.- 47. Disneyization and the Provision of Leisure Experiences; Simon Beames and Mike Brown.- 48. Leisure, Social Space and Belonging; Troy Glover.- 49. Subversive Imagination: Smoothing Space for Leisure, Identity and Politics; Brian E. Kumm and Corey W. Johnson.- 50 Against Limits: A Post-Structural Theorizing of Resistance in Leisure; Erin Sharpe.

This is the first handbook devoted entirely to leisure theory, charting the history and philosophy of leisure, theories in religion and culture, and rational theories of leisure in the Western philosophical tradition, as well as  a range of socio-cultural theories from thinkers such as Adorno, Bauman, Weber and Marx. Drawing on contributions from experts in leisure studies from around the world, the four sections cover: traditional theories of leisure; rational theories of leisure; structural theories of leisure; and post-structural theories of leisure. The Palgrave Handbook of Leisure Theory is essential reading for students and scholars working in leisure studies, social theory as well as those working on the problem of leisure in the wider humanities and social sciences.

“This review has highlighted the depth and breadth of leisure theory presented in this volume. The book will appeal to leisure scholars from postgraduates to professors who are interested in new and different perspectives on leisure. … I congratulate both the editors and the authors, who should all be proud of their contribution to the study of leisure … .” (Trudie Walters, Annals of Leisure Research, August, 2017) 

“The Palgrave Handbook of Leisure Theory screams to the reader about the vibrancy, the theoretical richness, and the diversity of leisure and leisure studies. This handbook should appeal to all those interested in the broad concept of leisure.” (Neil Carr, University of Otago, New Zealand)

"The Palgrave Handbook of Leisure Theory screams to the reader about the vibrancy, the theoretical richness, and the diversity of leisure and leisure studies. This handbook should appeal to all those interested in the broad concept of leisure." (Neil Carr, University of Otago, New Zealand)

Provides a truly comprehensive and interdisciplinary overview of the evolution of leisure studies theory Discusses a range of issues including race, class, liminality, nationhood and religion Considers major thinkers such as Locke, Marx, Weber and Kant