What is the place of leisure in societies where people complain of ‘over-work’? How do personal freedom and choice relate to the inequalities of class, gender, disability and ethnicity? This critical introduction to the field offers a systematic account of the meaning and structure of leisure today. The book situates the student in the field; provides a comprehensive account of the leading approaches to leisure; explores the influence of class, race, gender, ethnicity, disability and age; discusses to role of the sate; examines leisure in the context of changing work relationships; and, locates leisure in the debate around globalization. In short, this is an indispensable, one-stop guide to understanding leisure.