Book reviews

with a topic which deserves to receive more attention in non-architectural courses.

Graham Hallett Centre/or Housing Management,

and Development UWCC

Cardiff, UK

The Politics of Leisure Policy Ian P Henry Macmillan Press Macmillan Basing- stoke (1994) 235 pp £11.99 paperback ISBN 0 333 47385 X

Politics and leisure are two amorphous subjects and any attempt to write a book linking the two is indeed a chal- lenge. This book succeeds in tracing the role of leisure in the political life of the UK, set against a growth in the avail- ability of leisure time and more import- antly, the increasing institutionalization of leisure provision as we move away from small-scale self-produced leisure activities towards greater use of ex- ternally produced services.

The book succeeds in presenting a historical perspective on the political significance of leisure, beginning with the time during the early industrial revolution when leisure was seen by governments as an evil which offered scope for popular subversion. In so far as government had a leisure policy, it was directed at ensuring social con- trol, for example by restricting large gatherings of people. By the middle of this century, a more paternalistic wel- fare approach to leisure had emerged, which for example saw the creation of National Parks as a leisure resource for all to enjoy. With the advent of the Thatcher government, welfare pater- nalism gave way to the pragmatic eco- nomic calculus of New Right thinking. In this political environment, the re- turns from public expenditure on lei- sure were increasingly measured in terms of regional development and lower costs associated with crime.

Viewed in this way, it becomes less of a surprise to note that, despite being considered to be at the luxury end of public service provision and an easy target for public expenditure cuts, government spending on leisure

was relatively unaffected during the Thatcher years. Nevertheless, the manner in which this money is spent has changed significantly, and the book devotes some time to analysing the impact of privatization, Compul- sory Competitive Tendering and the on-going argument between central and local government over expendi- ture plans as they affect the provision of leisure services.

The great strength of this book is that it analyses the role of leisure within a political economy framework. In doing so, contemporary New Right interpretations of leisure are con- trasted with the frameworks afforded by Marxist, socialist and liberal think- ing. Politics does not of course exist in a vacuum, and a good analysis is offered of the underlying social, eco- nomic and technological develop- ments which have helped to shape political thinking.

The changing role of leisure is re- flected in an analysis of the increasing professionalism of the subject, reflect- ing a shift from a relatively simple society in which leisure services are produced largely by participants them- selves, to one where we buy in services which are produced by a combination of private and public sector providers. Within the public sector, the emerg- ence of a new class of leisure profes- sionals is noted, increasingly confident in its relations with elected members. In this respect, leisure services have followed the pattern of social serices, evidenced by the creation of profes- sional associations to advance the cause of the profession. The book also takes a close look at the role of the voluntary sector as an instrument of government leisure policy.

This is a well-researched and read- able analysis of the politics of leisure. Inevitably, the amorphous nature of both politics and leisure has resulted in many potentially important subjects within their domain being touched upon only very briefly. For example, leisure is defined narrowly in a tradi- tional way which focuses on sports, entertainment and cultural activities. Consequently, the book does not real- ly come to terms with the political implications of two of the most perva- sive leisure activities today - watching

television and shopping. Along the political dimension, the politics of gender is touched upon briefly, although to some, differences in the genders' access to leisure could be seen as an important subject in its own right.

Henry highlights the previous lack of well developed frameworks for understanding the politics of leisure. While the text does a good job of analysing the past, there have to be doubts about whether it is possible to develop a framework which can help us in predicting the future. What, for instance, are likely to be the political implications of current demographic changes in which an increasingly large and leisure-rich group is supported by a proportionately diminishing group of the economically active? Also, to what extent can we develop a univer- sal framework for analysing the poli- tics of leisure? Although the book draws on a number of case studies from western Europe and concludes that similar forces are at work, a very different framework for understand- ing leisure would be needed to study countries such as Japan which have a very different culture.

In a period of rapid political change, writing a book about the role of gov- ernment in the provision of leisure services is like hitting a moving target. The book is up to date and has tried to anticipate some future changes, such as the extension of Compulsory Com- petitive Tendering, although it has to be admitted that some of the detail could soon look like historical in- formation. This is no great harm, as a great strength of the book is to pro- vide a rigorous historical analysis of the leisure sector. An interesting case study provides empirical evidence of the current tensions within the public provision of leisure services.

Overall, this is an invaluable book not only for the student of leisure, but also the leisure professional for whom the analysis comes as a refreshing re- minder of the diverse and changing role of leisure within our society.

Adrian Palmer De Mon~Cort University

Leicester Business School Leicester LE1 9BH, UK

124 Cities 1995 Volume 12 Number 2