{"product_id":"the-march-of-spare-time-the-problem-and-promise-of-leisure-in-the-great-depression-paperback","title":"The March of Spare Time: The Problem and Promise of Leisure in the Great Depression - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eSusan Currell\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe March of Spare Time The Problem and Promise of Leisure in the Great Depression Susan Currell \"A groundbreaking book.\"--\u003ci\u003eStudies in American Culture\u003c\/i\u003e \"Clearly written and tightly argued. . . . \u003ci\u003eThe March of Spare Time\u003c\/i\u003e provides an in-depth analysis of why the leisure question was 'such an intense object of interest, concern, and surveillance by national policy makers, experts, and intellectuals alike in the 1930s.'\"--\u003ci\u003eJournal of American History\u003c\/i\u003e \"Susan Currell has written a worthy book that focuses our attention on Depression-era debates among New Deal policy makers over what she identifies as 'the problem of leisure.'\"--David Nasaw, \u003ci\u003eAmerican Historical Review\u003c\/i\u003e In \u003ci\u003eThe March of Spare Time\u003c\/i\u003e, Susan Currell explores how and why leisure became an object of such intense interest, concern, and surveillance during the Great Depression. As Americans experienced record high levels of unemployment, leisure was thought by reformers, policy makers, social scientists, physicians, labor unions, and even artists to be both a cause of and a solution to society's most entrenched ills. Of all the problems that faced America in the 1930s, only leisure seemed to offer a panacea for the rest. The problem centered on divided opinions over what constituted proper versus improper use of leisure time. On the one hand, sociologists and reformers excoriated as improper such leisure activities as gambling, loafing, and drinking. On the other, the Works Progress Administration and the newly professionalized recreation experts promoted proper leisure activities such as reading, sports, and arts and crafts. Such attention gave rise to new ideas about how Americans should spend their free time to better themselves and their nation. These ideas were propagated in social science publications and proliferated into the wider cultural sphere. Films, fiction, and radio also engaged with new ideas about leisure, more extensively than has previously been recognized. In examining this wide spectrum of opinion, Currell offers the first full-scale account of the fears and hopes surrounding leisure in the 1930s, one that will be an important addition to the cultural history of the period. \u003cb\u003eSusan Currell\u003c\/b\u003e is Senior Lecturer in American Literature at the University of Sussex. 2005 248 pages 6 x 9 26 illus. ISBN 978-0-8122-3859-4 Cloth $45.00s  29.50 ISBN 978-0-8122-2125-1 Paper $22.50s  15.00 World Rights American History, Public Policy Short copy: Explores how and why leisure became an object of such intense interest, concern, and surveillance during the Great Depression.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eSusan Currell is Senior Lecturer in American Literature at the University of Sussex.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 248\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.8 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e July 23, 2010\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51817413476640,"sku":"9780812221251","price":40.43,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/98ffd61c53caf25d115043eddfb67308.webp?v=1781102811","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/the-march-of-spare-time-the-problem-and-promise-of-leisure-in-the-great-depression-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}