Gender studies relating to free time (1)

To develop a lifestyle:

Cultural, social and political variations at the time being, including overall effect on different communities and their cultural and social situations caused more other changes, too. Globalization, growing urbanization, technology and communication development, full viewer Medias and especial situation of knowledge improvement in natural and humanistic science, every day increase of goods and services and Etc are subjects which is associated with modernity and provided opportunities for human and caused such changes in to his life. Henceforth, scholars and social experts planned some issues in their agenda which has not been important up to now, such as identity, cultural assets, lifestyle and consuming society which was carefully studied, so in current writing, by focusing on lifestyle, we want to consider free time as one of indicators of lifestyle and distinguishing between gender differences of this prominent issue. Therefore, apart from importance of lifestyle in this era and necessity of regarding it, we regard gender by planning free time as the most tangible indicator as well as determinant factor on gender studies. Studies displaying close relation between concepts such as cultural identity of capital and lifestyle. We will discuss more than everything about identity relation with current world, Antony Gidenz, one of advocates of modernism , says in postmodernism system " personal identity becomes a revising project it means a project which we are continuously working on it, in fact in modern society men are regularly correcting their identity and always review this question that who they are? And how became this? Gidenze views modernism its developing nature, world development and growing nature of changing traditions and customs and he believes that people must get ride of any decisions which tradition made for him. "This kind of people follow such subsidiary decisions which do not offer beneficial help to him in his own options" These options are not accidental and bring a pattern which only part of it relates to consumption.
.This targeted collection is a guide to action and save the man out of this obsession which is permanently forced to decide wisely henceforth, any lifestyle is required a collection of habits and decisions and thus have a kind of unity which a part from its importance provides an association between subsidiary options in a more or less regular pattern so, Gidenz highlights such a study which focuses on the way personal identity has been formed by lifestyles ,on the other side studies regarding social classifications found lifestyles as a suitable solution to the their topic sets . Bogenhold, in his article names" social inequality and sociology of lifestyle" indicates that factors such as age, gender, nationality, race, political dispositions and variety of opportunities have had growing importance henceforth, discussions relating to class are less considered and in fact this concept is no longer suitable for community to discuss. As a result Proletarian Marxist Bourg ova division is easy enough to express characteristics of a society which is getting more and more complicated. This interpretation which is associated with topics such as individualism and variety of styles discusses concept of lifestyle as substitution. This kind of lifestyle concept is a relation between social order and social action. In fact, Geiger more than all was monitoring changings related to this concept ,therefore he writes in his article, titling " classes in boiling pot" in 1949 : economical and occupational distinctions are numerous enough to be analyzed by a current unit variable . In fact that kind of stratification which is directly beyond Marxism is called horizontal stratification. Historical studies show that production and consumption have usually been changing but average life standards during twenty century has been increased. In fact, along with growing social welfare, we are dealing with mass production, growing leisure industry for free time, consumption as an action for manifestation, advertisement and marketing, customer's right and guaranteeing it
Because of broad markets availability and respecting consumer's right and induction of freedom and person's taste, today consumption is an action associated with culture and it plays such decisive role in modern life which you can find it's important effects on daily life. Bogen Hold says contemporary topics related to growing consumption and variety of lifestyles confirms this truth that level of horizontal distinctions regarding economical resources is not connected to cultural manifestation as personal lifestyles therefore, here that lifestyle is manifested as focus of economical factor as well as consumption. Consumption was merely an economical category by late nineteen century and then respected by sociology. Kar Veber , attracted our eyes to the importance of a cultural factor in determining and setting an economical and social issue and opened a new window regarding social studies. After the Second World War, sociologist cared more about consumption and finally, as Ballack says, at the end of twenty century consumption was not just a socio-economical trend and has turned into trends which we can infer it as a new era in history of western countries under the influences of community and smaller group. A new era that because of ending to previous era, modernism, Balack called it postmodernism (Balack 8,1381 ). One of Balack's reasons in calling it as post modern is dependency of most people sense of identity to their consuming habits while in modern era occupation was central focus of people identity (balack-164:1381) and here is that lifestyle works in the form of two feature. One is identity and the other is indicator of stratification therefore, generally we can say lifestyle as a concept derived from modernism era along with definition of human social life content which can be used in analysis of class too, simultaneously, it can create identity for the man. Lifestyle due to its cultural context by general and cultural systems causes cultural improvement and coherence while having potential of resistance and tendency toward cultural change. But what is lifestyle and what are its indicators.

Lifestyle definition:

Lyser defined lifestyle based on the shopping patterns of goods. Lifestyle is the reason for distinct lifestyle of a community and society, it means a way in which consumer buys and purchases goods and the way that good is consumed so, this method is reflection of customer's lifestyle in society (Fazeli 1382:68)
Sobel defines lifestyle, based on consuming pattern, as something observable and inductive. Lamount and his colleagues, including implication on organizing a personal life, consider entertainment and use as the best indicators of lifestyle. David chini , calls lifestyles as social organization of consumption he adds : lifestyle as the best way of consumption is understanding or promoting cultural and material productions and a way of using goods, places and specific situations . Rab Shieldez ,Eizki and Bouserman define lifestyle based on general basis of life, and according to Chresman ,the spectra of activities in which person or community take part is known as lifestyle on the other side, Gliplites views lifestyle as equal to individual activities, Gidenze considers lifestyles as activities such as wearing clouds, eating, living and a favorable environment, considering Gidenz's emphasis as reflection of individual identity, Eshpagaron views activities as indicator of lifestyle which himself is present in it, because most of treatments is only happen for satisfactions of basic needs . The second indicator of lifestyle is its alternative nature when we take control of physical and material conditions while, there is possibility of changing them. Some of these definitions, along with a psychological approach, concerns about lifestyle as a theory of human character and is mostly used for marketing so, is not our concern in sociological studies (Fazeli,1382 -27-68) .
In total, lifestyle means spectra of treatment which follow a whole unity and covers an era of life while is observable only by a specific group of society and all people can not distinguish it . Considering above definitions ,it seems that variety of factors help making a lifestyle such as, level of material prosperity ,values and dispositions, educations, age, gender, occupation, person's social role, religious obligations, social environment , living condition and body ,ethnic ties , group standing and etc are affairs related to lifestyle. In the current job we discuss gender dimension.

Gender and lifestyle 2

Studies regarding woman has been improving in two or three decades ago. In this studies regarding lifestyle, such phenomena can be observed. Two faces of this phenomenon are investigating the impacts of gender variable in traditional lifestyles and appearance of those which their main feature is gender assignment. The second goal of surveying lifestyle is those styles which are specific to men and woman, of course in current studies regarding second types of surveys is much less. The important groups of such studies are outcome of changing which by19950-1990 has happened. Women, during this era, are considered as the main user of, perfume, jewelries, cloth, kid's material, home appliances and needs, and prepared foods. Investigating lifestyles which are related to this kind of production has been main concern of surveys and as result role of gender.
Some of studies have just considered influences of gender on differences of pattern activities but other studies discussed life of men and woman (Wynne,1990:p.24) . Katz- Grro points out to job division of men and woman at home and their roles, on the other side Bihegen and Katz-Grro have shown that Swedish women, because of education in courses associated with high culture, co-operate more in cultural and artistic activities in addition they believe that these woman's activities are challenging men's power . High culture has usually been a reason for achieving obligation for them and women defend it by this method. Roberts &Fagan have attempted to provide a solution for some of determined treatments of women in Eastern Europe after soviet's fall revolution. According to them luxurious lifestyle and women's more participation in public life is a kind of getting ride of old culture. Women have more tendencies to have a sort of showing life rather than men (Roberts &Fagan 1999:p.11). Providing a safe city for women as well as different structural features causes different patterns of behavior for them. Meanwhile he has shown that urban geography can be a different pattern of behavior for men and woman, finally he discusses reproduction of power relation within frameworks of male and female activities and discusses how women's life style analysis is a way of power unequal manifestation. One of survey methods regarding lifestyle and daily pattern activities of people of community which is derived from feministic thoughts of social science is shopping category. Following rise of consumer society, building great places which expose products of this society is quite natural and usually these places are called shopping center. Part of sociological value of such centers are due to their role in shaping identity of those who are hanging around these centers , shopping and taking control of their activities. The collection of authors whose articles gathered in popular book of "shopping lifestyle" , believe that communicative and interactive distance of women behavior in shopping centers has put economic dimension in fringes therefor, some people believe that this phenomena is a new cultural revolution in the west.(Oswald1996:p.62). As before , in surveying about gender influence on lifestyle we are facing the problem that most of researches focus on cultural lifestyle and entertainment henceforth, by review it is evident that gender more than before is influential in shaping lifestyle and different social construct even among developed countries, this effect ups and downs gender agent. As result, providing general factors regarding gender becomes impossible because , even in situation with similar outcomes this effect often differ, and may be the most important point is that gender works as a meta-class element. Especially we can see that women with different base class, co-operate in similar activities and gender has been turned into an element which gives identity to women's lifestyle. Also, studding of gender influence on lifestyle has turned to a means for investigating cultural changes and is important from this view, too

3- Entertainment and planning concept of lifestyle:

One of the most touching indicator of lifestyle is spending free time. In fact we can say that studies regarding free time are product of a society in which spending free time is an effective agent in shaping daily life, individual's free time and determining their identity (Parker , 1995) . According to traditional patterns individual are assumed as doers of free time behavior. But gradually, some evidences and even doubt obtained in order to reject this comment and weather age, gender and social class variables are effective or no. John Keli , points to updating idea of lifestyle and says that studies done in 1970 -1980 have shown that analyzing multi-variables by using variables like age, gender and income can determine variance of activities about 5-10 percent therefore, this idea appeared that people have visible patterns in their daily life that one of its era is free time behavior and this pattern shapes personal options thus, by recognition of these patterns and knowing type of individuals' co-operation in activity of free time we can predict other activities. Activities individuals do in their free time are symbol of cultural values, person's intensive, and one of life style indicators (Marsden& Reed p.). In studies, free time has changed into a political challenge among advocates of stratification, capitalism, pluralism, rising individuals' authority for choosing free time behavior and determining patterns (Bourdieu,1984,Critcher,1989) . Neo Marxists claimed that class belonging and people economical assets determine behavioral pattern of free time but pluralists determine these patterns based on individual's alternative category and rise of accessible choices of individuals. Big cities have requirement for their citizens so, anonymity of individuals in these environments are one of requirements. This kind of anonymity allows them to scape those indicators which, in traditional community, determine people position based on economical basis and types of occupation. But what is free time basically? International groups of sociologist define free time as "set of engagements in which person willingly rests and entertains aiming at developing of his understanding or social co-operation after giving up occupational and familial requirements. (Kouhestani,1378, 51). According to this definition, we can name following features for free time for example, separation of free time from occupation and other responsibilities, willingness, freedom of choice and finally lack of motivation and economical benefits. Free time and related activities providing rest, entertainment, reducing boredom, growing identity and providing psychical health, which develop sensory, cognitive and motor skills while offering creations which brings about culture spread. As lifestyle definition shows there are many instances for that such as set of behaviors, in fact visual and measurable ones which represent choosing of action. Along with this, cultural use which means using cultural goods,have specific position including leisure activities, of course ,body management, shopping patterns, naming babies, parental behavior and food consumption patterns are accounted as indicators of lifestyles. It is natural that sometime cultural use is part of their leisure activities. But any kind of leisure activity is not called cultural consumption and cultural consumption is not necessarily happen in leisure time. Some of leisure activities which have been used as indicators of lifestyles are resting, attending to sports and play, religious activities, travel and leisure( Bihagen&Katz-Gerro,p334( in domain of political activities such as commuting with friends off the home, co-operating in socio-optional activities, watching sport events and visiting exhibitions and so on( kats-Gerro& Sulivam ,2002).
As category of cultural consumption, here any activity related to leisure can have different dimensions and shapes. For instance the person can co-operate in policy through level of political talks up to co-operation in advertising parties. Therefore, by considering shapes and different levels of above mentioned leisure activities, we can see that what spectra of indicators we are facing (Fazeli, 1382:138) . Not only spending leisure activities as indicator of lifestyle brings about distinguishing lines in classifying people, but also highlights cultural consumption as well.
As Ketez-Grro and Savez note individual tastes in cultural consumption including leisure activities and consuming patterns are main indicators useable in studies of lifestyle. Activities such as going to the movie and theater, listening to the music, reading books, newspapers and magazines, watching TV, listening to radio, website hobbies (on line chats, making weblogs,) visiting museum and taking part in variety of artworks all and all are issues either values personal options or put his financial resources and social basis in the same position as those of his rivals
Gender and spending leisure time by an approach to lifestyle:
Parker's definition of leisure time as one of sociological pioneers of leisure time is as follow: "leisure time is a reward as a free time for outside requirements which causes person to spend his time optionally"
Deriving from this definition , Green writes: such definition caused sever focus on theoretical and practical books related to class positions of white-skinned male workers , culture of work and related leisure activities on the other side , women were ignored in such studies(Green 1990:11) . Finally ,Green concludes that all researches done in seventy decade prove life as an era without any problem with growing entertainment in home, however, this one sided model of family , ignores its role as social organ in capitalist community which concentrate on production and reproduction, class inequality, race and gender. Henceforth, the patriarchy concept of capitalism is important indicator which attempts to clarify improving vice versa, restriction of entertainment opportunities. Up to recent years women didn’t have any position in arena of free time sociology. Green believes that, in works of persons such as Parker, free time and white workers considered as the first studding and researching samples. He, in his book under the name of "women's entertainment what entertainment? "Writes : poverty of free time and women's accessibility to entertainment should not ascribed as social problem therefore, must be solved by a specific movement or social policies because, this problem refers to gender aspect and must be put in the realms of patriarchy features of capitalism. Parker, in his work (1976) thinks of different habits of leisure time spending among men and women therefore, he says women's leisure time in comparison to men are less so, the spectra of their leisure activities are more limit, too. It is may be because women exercise less than men. Green says the concept of patriarchy, in our analysis of gender relation have special place therefore, in a more literal meaning power of father is an expression that we have used it in reference to the system of social relations which is, in a broader sense, defined as men superiority over women. Controlling women's leisure time by men, is done in a more private sense. Studies have confirmed that men take control of the time their wives, girlfriends and even their daughters spend moreover, studies give accounts of husband's violence toward their wives so, as a result women afraid to go out alone (Hargreaves,1989:137). Habsen, (1981), Shefield, (10)(1990), Bien, Marth and Wimbush showed that after dating and romantic relationship not only women tend to give leisure activities but also, men after their certainty of women's attachment may refuse to take women on the dance floors therefore, This pattern continues until marriage. There are evidences which reason women's conformity with traditional patterns of after marriage so, part of this trend is attending in good fun. After children birth recreational indicators due to leisure restrictions and financial resources disappear. Even if women do not feel that their entertainment has been restricted for marriage, reducing numbers of their independent friends is a serious limit by itself. Hay's comment has shown that (1986) men's attempt regarding this issue is rather effective and women to have independent entertainment of their husbands can create struggle, especially if this entertainment is supposed to happen outdoor. If men are not agree with their wives' activities, they would behave differently and would induce their patriarchal norms. Here patriarchal ideology of wife and the mother work. If such problem in control of behavior does not cause cancellation of women then, men would have used their male authority and easily prohibit their exit. Henceforth, such problem may be associated with threats, physical violence and prohibiting women's free time out of home (Green, 1990: 129-131). Taking a sexual outlook in surveying patriarchal relation and spending free time not only was not limited to studding challenges , obstacles and patriarchal actions but also, recognizing what is said provided ways to deal with patriarchy. Roujeck writes: " feminists' outlook concerning women's free time suggest two ways: first commitment to the cause of action and second Commitment to one sort of mentality therefore, such commitments are predictable through emancipatory politics, in fact such policies which is associated with vulnerability of women versus rules of men, but women who are working together organically are in a position that not only can challenge rules of men but also, can offer alternative forms of identity, community ,organization and a picture of Idea of emancipatory politics, as well. So, it can happen by women as assumption of oppression and trying to emancipate it. Elaborating such rules as rules of men or masculine rules is something very easy. As Wimbush&Talbot: write patriarchal relation like class relation are reproduced culturally and even are broadly displayed in the domain of entertainment and leisure time. These relations are legitimated by a set of ideological forces which help shaping our social institutions (such as family, media, educational system and the law). Policy, procurement and technical activities which is promoted to help sport and entertainment institutions are the main parts of these forms (Wimbush&Talbot:1988,xvi).(Rojeck,1995:33).
Through studies conducted regarding lifestyle and the impact of gender on it, surveys of Shila Scraton has special position. She has considered a series of factors which finally accompanied with women's participation or non-participation in some factors so, gender influence and lifespan is one of these factors. She, simultaneously, regarded age and gender impact and measured their impact on leisure time behavior. She believes that the past nostology makes women remind main part of their time reviewing memoirs and this process has changed into a behavioral pattern for them (Scraton&Watson, 1998:p.130). Some other studies regarding lifestyle which considered impact of gender variable benefited searching aboat women's lifestyle evolution. Katz-Gerro & Sullivan have surveyed evolution of English women's free time pattern, entertainment and cultural consumption in 1960-1990. They have also shown that lifestyle regarding leisure time and participation in non-traditional activities has been a patriarchal type of challenging gender division of job. They have also studied socialization and intergenerational differences on women's lifestyles, in fact the main achievement of this study was showing different logic of women's activities, on the other hand, all activities of men and women, which differ, is not done by the same logic, therefore some of these differences are determined by Bourdio's district theory. For instance, men's more using of computer games and emails occur based on this logic of distinction, too. Thus, to this reason men separate themselves out of women but women's more participation in sport is typical of imitation which is more related to Zimel's theory of consumption. Katz-Gerro & Sullivan's theories contain new points because noticed the logic of men and women's activities. Considering the role of men and women, their mental , psychical, spiritual abilities and their responsibilities have made researchers to conclude that not only leisure time of these two opposite sex are different but also, the problem of caring about leisure activities is different, too. Appearance of feminism and imposing their approaches on different cognitive domains benefited sociology field of leisure time. As result, studies was not just limited to distinction of free time or ways of spending it between two sex which is maybe, according to Green, one of achievements of feministic theory and experimental information, but is contains women's leisure time, too. Such studies inspired by daily experiences of women challenges male oriented sociology. The next works was not just limited to sociology of leisure time and as result, surveyed sociology of female sport. The attempts of these authors in displays of free time and sport, as a political issue, fallen effective and this subject was highly welcomed by women revolutions. As mentioned in last chapter, although social class has retractable effects on measuring leisure activities, feminists considered social and racial inequalities very important. According to them, in addition to studding social class of women, we must consider minor role of women in terms of public and private domain as well as sexual division of related to their duty. Nowadays it seems that feministic theories have been successful in their goals and could have successfully reminded the importance of sexual differences to researchers and the intelligence of social science. Therefore concentrating on the works written about free time help us to reach conclusions as follow

- Women have common experiences regarding free time and their free times are so less and unimportant (Green1990:84) as result Parker emphasis on matriarchal relation , unfair division of housework and free time inequality of both sex
- Women's free time is mostly spent at home (Green,1990:24 )
- Leisure time for women is a vague concept
- Women's free time is directly related to indoor activities. Some of these indoor activities favored by women as leisure time is such as listening to radio, designing a decoration, artworks like needle working, crocheting and so on. By concluding comments of bileschki, Hindruson and Rabverts' idea who calls women as second-class citizens, all these comments providing deep sub- tension of women in private and public area. As we remarked before, taking such a role has faced controversy over this relation. For instance, Wibring in surveying concept of power, reject mere idea of patriarchy but other feminists insisted on that decisive power. Women's recreational activities are those activities that can easily be dropped or postponed to another time. Such activities are coordinated with the housework and childcare therefore, there are obstacles to women leisure time such as, lack of energy to exercise, women's housework and the lack of money for access to a satisfactory leisure are some of these obstacles. What society considers appropriate for women are social regulations, fear of violence, whether inside the home, on the pretext of obedience, or outside the home due to security constraints which is due to being a second class group. Firstly, woman must have off time in her house works, enough energy or money in the pocket which can be presented in the public domain and follows her appropriate recreational activities. Sport as a recreational activity has seen fewer women than men. Although women are now more than ever in their spare time sports, and sports that have attracted them have become more diverse, still plenty of men than women are present in sport fields. Plans and ideas for recreation and exercise is the result of men's comments and analysis and women are virtually ignored, as they are less important.