Affect of Unemployment on Leisure:a Study of Pregnant Women in Kanpur City

The promotion of social cohesion and social inclusion has been the central strategic goal of almost all the nations now. Monitoring the progress of such a policy requires the development of appropriate modes of measurement.

Elements of exclusion from social participation, or to term it as leisure, are many. Among the potential necessities which may be described as aspects of social exclusion are a hobby or leisure activity, a holiday away from home once a year, celebrations and gifts for special occasions, and having friends and family – or children’s friends – round for a meal.

This is a study of a case of twenty five pregnant women from the City of Kanpur, India, less than thirty five years of age, employed prior to their conceiving. After almost a year, these women find it hard to regain employment, and this employment was treated both as a leisured activity and financially productive. 

Study reveals, social exclusion due to unemployment is seen as multi-dimensional. “Lack of income, access to good-quality health, and the quality of the local environment all affect people’s well-being”. These are seen in the light of leisurely activities which kept them both socially and financially inclusive.

Unemployment results into social exclusion, which occurs where different factors including a shut down of their leisured acts combine to trap individuals. The prevailing social norms make unemployment illegitimate for these categories of women, which could have been legitimate for higher ages of women, as their leisure times and activities are restricted.

Exclusion in terms of social interaction is assessed by whether an individual lacks support in terms of: someone to listen, comfort, help in a crisis, relax with, who really appreciates them. However, due to this unemployment, the leisurely activities are coupled with a cohort of social exclusion and financial exclusion.