Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Escapism vs. extension of everyday life



Robert and Helen Lynd comment near the end of Chapter XIX of Middletown that “leisure pursuits are frequently either extensions of customary occupations to which they contribute or contrasts to the more habitual pursuits.”  Can we separate the subjects we’ve studied so far into these two categories, or do the lines blur?  How?

11 comments:

  1. It is hard to say if these two categories can be separated or if the lines blur between the two. In Middletown, leisure was due to new technology that allowed for more time to be spent doing recreational activities. If we consider leisure time an extension of everyday life, then it is an extension of a life that is more desirable. And escapism is a leisure activity that allows someone to escape or break away from the tedious routine of everyday life. The same recreational activity, for instance in Middletown they used taking drives in cars, could be used by one family to escape from the everyday life they lead by taking a vacation but another family would use it as an extension of their life enough to make them give up other things like clothing and food to afford a car. But there are other leisure activities that were clearly used for escapism like Coney Island -- a place where normal, everyday rules didn't apply in various aspects -- and Central park which was literally created as an escape from the fast pace, urban life of the city.

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  2. While there is a certain level of blurriness when examining the topics discussed in class, there are many things that can be cleanly separated into these two categories. For example, the early Saloons are clearly a point of escapism. Saloons were not meant to enhance ones life, but rather to get away from it while they can. Another escapist institution would be Coney island, build to be so different than the typical drudgery of everyday life in New York City.

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  3. It does appear that some people's idea of leisure activities are extensions of their occupation. For example, people who worked in factories joined unions and clubs for people who also work in factories. These clubs and unions turned into other clubs and lodges. On the other hand, there is more evidence that their leisure activities are opposite from their everyday life, which is escapism. In Middletown, the people with automobiles used their time off of work to get away from their lives and the town. Also, the invention and instant popularity of the radio and the movies allowed for people to live the adventurous lives from the comfort of their homes.

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  4. I think that we can separate escapism vs extension of everyday life into two categories. We talk about this is class when we were learning about Central Park and Coney Island, where both were places that people went to escape their working lives, that were very different from normal days in their lives. Both of those places were parts of escapism, where as people who were in higher social classes joining elite clubs would be an example of an extension of everyday life.

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  5. I think when describing leisure activities, the categories escapism and extension of everyday life tend to overlap. For instance, in Middletown, students were active in clubs because they were encouraged to do so by their high schools. So where this would be considered an extension of everyday life, these clubs also became a tool for the kids to escape the daily boring routine and have fun with their friends. So the line does become blurry and we cannot place leisure activities strictly in just one of these categories.

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  6. After considering everyone else's post, I see that there are more activities that are extensions of everyday life than I had previously considered, such as the union clubs and lodges. Still, while the lines separating escapism and everyday life are only a little blurry in my mind. Lots of the recreation institutions make a clear and concious effort to separate themselves from everyday life. Although this escapism may be artificially encouraged, I feel that it is well defined and present throughout American history.

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  7. I didn't consider the examples that other's used in their posts and am now swayed to consider these two things separate from each other. While we might consider these two things separate or blurred depending on your own opinion, who is to say how a leisure activity is used. I still believe that the same activity can be used as both escapism or extension. I think these two categories of leisure time can be separated into two distinct categories. This can be demonstrated by looking at the example of after school clubs, an extension of a child's job of a student and the example of Central park or Coney island which I consider an escape from everyday life.

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  8. I agree with Jordan when she says that others' posts have swayed her into thinking that these two things are separate from one another, however it depends on perspective. The difference between escapism and extension of everyday life really boils down to how exactly one lives his or her life. For example, one could consider the saloon to be both escapism and extension because on one hand, the saloon became popular because work days were shorter and people needed something to fill their time, but on the other people turned to alcohol to escape their hardworking lives. For me, it entirely depends on the specific person's use for these activities. Central park is an extension of life for the elite because it is where they went to parade around their wealth, however it was designed to be an escape from the harsh city life.

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  9. The many examples provided so far shows that there are various leisure pursuits that can be categorized into either the extension or the escapism headings. These leisure activities are being chosen, not because they fall into one of these categories, but because those are the activities that are the most accessible. Central Park is considered leisure escapism, but it might also be one of the few well-known activities by the people in the city. The people that join clubs and organizations might be joining them because those are what they hear of at work and at school and they are comfortable enjoying an activity where they are surrounded by people they know. This would be considered an extension of everyday life. So I do not think they are both mutually exclusive concepts. An organization at school might plan a trip to Central Park. In that case, I think it would fall into both of the categories and the line separating them becomes a blur again.

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  10. After reading everyone's posts, I don't think there is a correct answer to the question because I can see both sides of the argument. I agree with those who say that it all depends on perspective, because some activities definitely fall into their own categories such as Coney Island being escapism and clubs being an extension of their life, but then there are places such as saloons that could be considered both, depending on who you are talking too. Once again, I don't think there is one right answer to this question because of the examples that I have listed.

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  11. Some very good points have been brought up. Like the example of Coney Island as an escape for the upper-classes to enjoy nature and life away from the city. I agree that there is a strong overlap between escapism and extension of everyday life in leisure activities of the 1890's and early 1900's. However, I don't believe that from only hearing about Middletown and lectures about New York City citizens that a conclusion about the entire population can be drawn. If I had to pick between escapism and extensions of life I would say that there is more of a trend of extension. I've noticed that the rise in social clubs and class systems can translate into people extending their lives and their occupations into what they enjoy during leisure time.

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