Lifelong learning as serious leisure: policy, practice and potential

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• The Ž rst issue to address, however, is thefundamental one of economic gain. Serious leisure does not, by its verynature, provide any form of direct economic beneŽ t to the individual.Secondly, it does not necessarily provide direct training for employment(although learning a skill as serious leisure may occasionally provide futureemployment opportunities). Thirdly, in many cases, the outcome will not bein the form of a tangible product or service. Thus, learning as leisure does notseem to Ž t the Government’ s vocationalist policies on adult education, henceits apparent disregard.T o describe the consequences of lifelong learning, then, it is necessary toprogress beyond the concept of vocationalism, and questions of economiccapital, and look towards the beneŽ ts both to the individual and thecommunity.

• Theidealistic purposes of adult education such as personal fulŽ lment and moreradically democratization, civic engagement and participation appear to havetaken something of a backseat. What contemporary Government policyappears to ignore is the potential that lifelong learning has to be regarded asa leisure, and crucially, a serious leisure activity.