Stanley Parker – författare

In the 1970s the subject of leisure was attracting interest among both social scientists and people concerned with developing recreation policies. A relative newcomer to the sociological scene at the time, leisure was beginning to compete in research effort and theory-building with the more established fields of sociology. As well as making an academic contribution, this book, originally published in 1976, provided practitioners (such as planners, administrators and managers) with an up-to-date and comprehensive review of social research finding over the whole field of leisure.

Part One deals with the cultural context in which leisure, as we knew it, had developed, and includes the history of leisure in industrial society and the variety of ways in which people can experience leisure at various stages of the life cycle. In Part Two leisure is related to other spheres of life – work, the family, education and religion. Part Three relates academic to practical concerns of planning and providing for leisure, including factors in demand and supply. The final chapter examines what the sociology of leisure had to tell us about current trends in society and the directions of probable future change. The illustrative material, drawn from a wide variety of sources, is mainly British but also includes some contributions from the United States and other countries.

In the 1970s the subject of leisure was attracting interest among both social scientists and people concerned with developing recreation policies. A relative newcomer to the sociological scene at the time, leisure was beginning to compete in research effort and theory-building with the more established fields of sociology. As well as making an academic contribution, this book, originally published in 1976, provided practitioners (such as planners, administrators and managers) with an up-to-date and comprehensive review of social research finding over the whole field of leisure.

Part One deals with the cultural context in which leisure, as we knew it, had developed, and includes the history of leisure in industrial society and the variety of ways in which people can experience leisure at various stages of the life cycle. In Part Two leisure is related to other spheres of life – work, the family, education and religion. Part Three relates academic to practical concerns of planning and providing for leisure, including factors in demand and supply. The final chapter examines what the sociology of leisure had to tell us about current trends in society and the directions of probable future change. The illustrative material, drawn from a wide variety of sources, is mainly British but also includes some contributions from the United States and other countries.

In the early 1980s world recession and widespread unemployment had accentuated an existing trend – more people retiring from work early and living longer after doing so. Some were adequately prepared for a life of well-earned ‘leisure’ in retirement, but too many were not. The policies of employers, unions and governments on retirement needed to be challenged in societies where work opportunities were collapsing but where leisure activities and values were not yet strong enough to take their place.

Originally published in 1982, Dr Parker, a sociologist, provides a careful and critical examination of what we knew about retirement and discusses possible alternative answers to the various problems involved at the time. The history of retirement is first considered, followed by a conceptual analysis of types of retirement. There are chapters on preparation for retirement, the capacity of older people to work, and on the varying experiences of retirement. Separate consideration is given to the question of work after retirement age and whether retirement is actually experienced as leisure. The concluding chapter examines various policy alternatives for dealing with the problems raised earlier in the book.

Work and Retirement was intended for students of industrial sociology and industrial psychology, for personnel and human resource professionals, for trade unionists and for all those who had an interest in understanding the developments in the field of retirement and the older working population. Now it can be read in its historical context.

In the early 1980s world recession and widespread unemployment had accentuated an existing trend – more people retiring from work early and living longer after doing so. Some were adequately prepared for a life of well-earned ‘leisure’ in retirement, but too many were not. The policies of employers, unions and governments on retirement needed to be challenged in societies where work opportunities were collapsing but where leisure activities and values were not yet strong enough to take their place.

Originally published in 1982, Dr Parker, a sociologist, provides a careful and critical examination of what we knew about retirement and discusses possible alternative answers to the various problems involved at the time. The history of retirement is first considered, followed by a conceptual analysis of types of retirement. There are chapters on preparation for retirement, the capacity of older people to work, and on the varying experiences of retirement. Separate consideration is given to the question of work after retirement age and whether retirement is actually experienced as leisure. The concluding chapter examines various policy alternatives for dealing with the problems raised earlier in the book.

Work and Retirement was intended for students of industrial sociology and industrial psychology, for personnel and human resource professionals, for trade unionists and for all those who had an interest in understanding the developments in the field of retirement and the older working population. Now it can be read in its historical context.

This book is a dual autobiography, romantic novel about two people that were born on the opposite sides of the world, that God brought together for a lasting relationship.