Leisure – free or “non-working” time – has historically been both a prerequisite for, as well as the motivator of, many of the working-class movements in the industrializing world over the past two centuries. It has provided the conditions for political movements, community development, and thus democracy to flourish, making it of primordial importance for politics today.
The Origins of the Fight for Leisure
The modern idea of leisure has its roots in the labor movement of the Industrial Revolution. The transition in the 19th century from a predominantly agricultural economy – with a seasonal work schedule – to one of manufacturing gradually introduced a new distinction between work and leisure.
This was brought about by managerial movements such as Taylorism, which sought to make workers more efficient by timing the completion of their tasks among other activities. The very act of “clocking-in” and “clocking-out” solidified the idea of work and leisure as being “on the clock” and “off the clock” respectively, although this was less true of working-class women who often faced a double work burden.
The fight for leisure primarily began with the formation of labor unions. The right to unionize, let alone to strike or to not be discriminated against due to union membership, wouldn’t be granted, however, until 1871 in the United Kingdom, 1884 in France, but only 1935 in the United States. This is not to say that the labor movement was less concentrated in the US than elsewhere.
In fact, International Workers’ Day was chosen to be the 1st of May in many parts of the world – except, ironically, the US – in order to commemorate a series of strikes across the country beginning on May 1, 1886. These strikes would culminate 3 days later in Chicago in the Haymarket Massacre in which a bomb explosion and its ensuing chaos killed both police officers and civilians.
The 8-hour Workday
One of the most reiterated demands of labor unions in the industrializing world – aside from improved safety conditions, child labor laws, and an end to employer and police brutality – was the 8-hour workday. Indeed, the strikes on May 1, 1886, originally began as an attempt to enforce the 8-hour workday on manufacturers across the US.
The very act of “clocking-in” and “clocking-out” solidified the idea of work and leisure as being “on the clock” and “off the clock” respectively, although this was less true of working-class women who often faced a double work burden.
The eight-hour workday was first proposed in 1817 by utopian socialist Robert Owen who coined the expression “eight hours labor, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest.” The movement eventually spread throughout many parts of Europe and the US, no doubt due to the efforts of transnational labor activists through organizations such as the International.
In some cases, it was capitalists themselves who helped to improve working conditions. Henry Ford, for example, began paying workers a shocking $5 a day in 1914 before implementing the 40-hour, five-day workweek in 1926. However, this was motivated by Ford’s understanding that workers needed not only disposable income but leisure time in order to fuel capitalism. More importantly, it was an attempt to dissuade workers from unionizing.
Labor protections more generally wouldn’t significantly advance until after World War II, although the interwar period did see the passing of the 8-hour day and other workers’ rights. This was most notable in countries such as the US and France during the New Deal and the Front Populaire, respectively. Nonetheless, many of the workers’ protections provided by the modern welfare state were only passed after WWII, partly as compensation for the atrocities suffered during the war.
The Right to Leisure
It is thus through the sacrifices of these workers that many of us are currently able to exercise a kind of “right to leisure”, as proclaimed by the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We enjoy the 8-hour day, the weekend, and different forms of paid leave, most notably vacation time. Whereas working hours in industrializing countries could be anywhere from 60 to 90 hours per week within a six-day period in the 19th century, today they make up about 40 hours per week within a five-day period.
Not all employees are guaranteed the same protections, of course. This is true of workers both within countries – as exemplified, for example, by the discrepancy between fixed-term and open-ended work contracts – and of those between countries. The United States, for example, does not legally require employers to provide paid vacation time, paid sick leave, or paid maternity leave to employees, whereas these rights are guaranteed by law in all EU countries.
Fortunately, though, it looks as if the right to leisure might be expanded further. Trials of the four-day workweek in the UK and elsewhere have been overwhelmingly successful, leading to either no drop or in some cases even an increase in workers’ productivity. So, what could workers do with that additional free time?
Whereas working hours in industrializing countries could be anywhere from 60 to 90 hours per week within a six-day period in the 19th century, today they make up about 40 hours per week within a five-day period.
Beyond the obvious need to recuperate physically and mentally from work, as well as maintain a stable work-life balance through healthy boundaries with one’s employer, leisure is needed for political means. Clearly, it has been both a condition for, as well as the fruit of, political activism, wherein lies its importance.
Why Leisure Matters
Indeed, how can any political organization – whether it be a non-profit, a labor union, or a political party – hope to get off the ground without the dedication of its members who devote their free time to its advancement? Even politicization – a prerequisite for becoming politically engaged – requires the time not only to learn and reflect about politics, but to converse with others on the matter.
This explains why the fight for leisure has been so consequential historically. Workers in the industrializing world understood that their sacrifices might not only result in their own betterment, but would establish one of the key conditions for political participation on the long-term, providing the opportunity for future gains.
Even if you don’t recognize the value of joining a political organization, you should at least see the value in civic engagement. Being a “good citizen” requires not only a civics education, but the free time to volunteer for one’s community. This is not only important for community wellbeing, and, accordingly, for individuals’ happiness, but for shaping the priorities of local government.
Almost every notable political act – whether it is protesting, campaigning, or petitioning – depends on leisure. Even what has come to be the most basic democratic right, namely the vote, cannot be exercised without it.
However, this requires some kind of public space where community members can engage with one another, which some suburban communities – at least in car-dependent North America – are sorely lacking. No attempt by Elon Musk to make Twitter the “town square” can ever replace in-person, grassroots initiatives.
This is because local organizations – regardless of whether they are political or non-political in their stated mission – can more accurately gage the concerns of community members. At the national level, this “compounding” of community interests is essential for representation. At its core, a functioning democracy thus depends on the free time its citizens are accorded.
Almost every notable political act – whether it is protesting, campaigning, or petitioning – depends on leisure. Even what has come to be the most basic democratic right, namely the vote, cannot be exercised without it. While most countries have chosen to make election day either a holiday, a Saturday, or a Sunday, the US continues to put it on a workday, hindering many Americans’ ability to vote.
In a time where natural resources are being depleted, social bonds are deteriorating, and mental health is suffering due to the stress and anxiety caused by additional work, perhaps the solution to many of society’s problems is simpler than we think: more leisure.