Leisure as a cross-cultural concept

Leisure is a complex topic that, at times, appears to defy logical explanation. Research that examines and compares leisure cross-culturally can provide important information to aid our understanding of the phenomenon. With an increasing need for such studies, researchers have recognised that common academic definitions of leisure may not directly translate or be usefully applied in such research. In this paper, we re-examine the concept of leisure to develop an operational definition that is applicable across cultures and ensures comparability across study results. To do this, we review and incorporate theories and research from biology, anthropology, psychology, economics and leisure studies to identify key characteristics and develop a definition of leisure. We also discuss potential methodological and theoretical implications of using the proposed definition.