XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology (July 15-21, 2018)

256

Contemporary Social, Political and Environmental Unrest: Impacts on Leisure

RC13 Sociology of Leisure (host committee)

Language: English

The world has changed significantly since 2000. The balance of world power is evolving. The post 1945 competition between the Capitalist and Communist Worlds has evolved and expanded. Social and political changes have created new a set of urgencies including the expansion of Third World economies, the global financial crisis, the unfolding unrest in the Middle East and the global acknowledgement of accelerating climate change. Changing technology has also had a major impact on contemporary lifestyles in both work and leisure. Social transformations have occurred in many countries that have included the expansion of the middle classes and the expansion of consumerism. Rising standards of living have expanded the leisure options available in contemporary life for those living in politically secure countries, while for the increasing numbers of displaced people leisure options have diminished as they struggle for survival. Travel and tourism are popular leisure activities for people with disposable income, but wider geopolitical concerns also impact on these activities. Europe and the US have been popular tourist destinations but their attractiveness may well be diminished by terrorist attacks, the influx of refugees, financial instability, and natural disasters and political events. This panel invites papers that explore facets of the contemporary geopolitical situation that impact on leisure choices and activities.