Hobby

Hobby: Collecting Seashells
The origin of the word hobby in Tristram Shandy, a characters' "hobby-horses", or particular obsessions

A hobby is a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during one's leisure time. Hobbies can include collecting themed items and objects, engaging in creative and artistic pursuits, playing sports, or pursuing other amusements. A list of hobbies is lengthy and always changing as interests and fashions change. By continually participating in a particular hobby, one can acquire substantial skill and knowledge in that area. Engagement in hobbies has increased since the late nineteenth century as workers have more leisure time and advancing production and technology have provided more support for leisure activities. As some hobbies have become less popular, like stamp collecting, others have been created following technological advances, like video games.

Hobbyists are a part of a wider group of people engaged in leisure pursuits where the boundaries of each group overlap to some extent. The Serious Leisure Perspective[1] groups hobbyists with amateurs and volunteers and identifies three broad groups of leisure activity with hobbies being found mainly in the Serious leisure category.

a. Casual leisure is intrinsically rewarding, short-lived, pleasurable activity requiring little or no preparation

b. Serious leisure is the systematic pursuit of an amateur, hobbyist, or volunteer that is substantial, rewarding and results in a sense of accomplishment.

c. Project-based leisure is a short-term often a one-off project that is rewarding.[2]

Etymology

Writing articles for Wikipedia is a hobby for some people.

In the 16th century, the term "hobyn " had the meaning of "small horse and pony ". The term "hobby horse" was documented in a 1557 payment confirmation for a "Hobbyhorse" from Reading, England.[3] The item, originally called a "Tourney Horse", was made of a wooden or basketwork frame with an artificial tail and head. It was designed for a child to mimic riding a real horse. By 1816 the derivative, "hobby", was introduced into the vocabulary of a number of English people.[4] Over the course of subsequent centuries, the term came to be associated with recreation and leisure. In the 17th century, the term was used in a pejorative sense by suggesting that a hobby was a childish pursuit, however in the 18th century with a more industrial society and more leisure time, hobbies took on greater respectability[5] A hobby is also called a pastime, derived from the use of hobbies to pass the time. A hobby became an activity that is practised regularly and usually with some worthwhile purpose.[6] Hobbies are usually, but not always, practised primarily for interest and enjoyment, rather than financial reward.

History

The origins pursuits that others thought somewhat childish or trivial. However, as early as 1676 Sir Matthew Hale, in Contemplations Moral and Divine, wrote "Almost every person hath some hobby horse or other wherein he prides himself."[7] He was acknowledging that a "hobby horse" produces a legitimate sense of pride. By the mid 18th century there was a flourishing of hobbies as working people had more regular hours of work and greater leisure time. They spent more time to pursue interests that brought them satisfaction.[8] However, there was concern that these working people might not use their leisure time in worthwhile pursuits. "The hope of weaning people away from bad habits by the provision of counter-attractions came to the fore in the 1830s, and has rarely waned since. Initially the bad habits were perceived to be of a sensual and physical nature, and the counter attractions, or perhaps more accurately alternatives, deliberately cultivated rationality and the intellect."[9] The flourishing book and magazine trade of the day encouraged worthwhile hobbies and pursuits. The burgeoning manufacturing trade made materials used in hobbies cheap and was responsive to the changing interests of hobbyists.

The English have been identified as enthusiastic hobbyists, as George Orwell observed. "[A]nother English characteristic which is so much a part of us that we barely notice it … is the addiction to hobbies and spare-time occupations, the privateness of English life. We are a nation of flower-lovers, but also a nation of stamp-collectors, pigeon-fanciers, amateur carpenters, coupon-snippers, darts-players, crossword-puzzle fans. All the culture that is most truly native centres round things which even when they are communal are not official—the pub, the football match, the back garden, the fireside and the ‘nice cup of tea’."[10]

Deciding what to include in a list of hobbies provokes debate because it is difficult to decide which pleasurable pass-times can also be described as hobbies. During the 20th century the term hobby usually brought to mind activities such as stamp collecting, embroidery, knitting, painting, woodwork, photography, but not activities like listening to music, watching television or reading. These latter activities bring pleasure but lack the sense of achievement that is usually associated with a hobby. They are usually not structured, organised pursuits, as are most hobbies. The pleasure of a hobby is usually associated with making something of value or achieving something of value. "Such leisure is socially valorised precisely because it produces feelings of satisfaction with something that looks very much like work but that is done of its own sake."[6] "Hobbies are a contradiction: they take work and turn it into leisure, and take leisure and turn it into work."[11]

The terms amateur and hobbyist are often used interchangeably. Stebbins[1] has a framework which distinguishes the terms has a useful categorisation of leisure in which he separates casual leisure from serious Leisure. He describes serious leisure as that undertaken by amateurs, hobbyists and volunteers. Amateurs engage in pursuits that have a professional counterpart, such as playing an instrument or astronomy. Hobbyists engage in five broad types of activity: collecting, making and tinkering (like embroidery and car restoration), activity participation (like fishing and singing), sports and games, and liberal-arts hobbies (like languages, cuisine, literature). Volunteers commit to organisations where they work as guides, counsellors, gardeners and so on. The separation of the amateur from the hobbyist is because the amateur has the ethos of the professional practitioner as a guide to practice. An amateur clarinetist is conscious of the role and procedures of a professional clarinetist.

A large proportion of hobbies are mainly solitary in nature.[12] However, individual pursuit of a hobby often includes club membership, organised sharing of products and regular communication between participants. For many hobbies there is an important role in being in touch with fellow hobbyists. Some hobbies of course are communal in nature, like choral singing and volunteering.

During the 20th century there was extensive research into the important role that play has in human development. While most evident in childhood, play continues throughout life for many adults in the form of games, hobbies, and sport.[13]

The type of hobbies that people engage in changes as the world changes. In the 21st century the video game industry is very large hobby involving millions of kids and adults in various forms of 'play'. Stamp collecting has declined along with the decline in the importance of the postal system. Woodwork and knitting have declined as hobbies as manufactured goods provide cheap alternatives for handmade goods. Through the internet an online community has become a hobby for many people, sharing advice, information and support, and in some cases, allowing a traditional hobby, such as collecting, to flourish and support trading in a new environment .

People who engage in hobbies are those who have an interests and time to pursue them. Children have long been an important group of hobbyists because they often having enthusiasms for collecting, making and exploring and they tend to have plenty of leisure time. The growth in hobbies occurred following industrialisation which gave workers set time for leisure. During the Depression there was an increase in participation in hobbies, because unemployed had time and a desire to be purposefully occupied.[14] Hobbies are often pursued with increased interest by retired people because they have time and seek the intellectual and physical stimulation of a hobby. Studies of ageing and society support the value of hobbies in healthy ageing.

Types of hobbies

Hobbies are a diverse set of activities and it is difficult to categorize them in a logical manner. The following categorization of hobbies was developed by Stebbins.[2]

Collecting

Collecting includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying and storing. Collecting is appealing to many people due to their interest in a particular subject and a desire to categorise and make order out of complexity. Some collectors are generalists, accumulating items from countries of the world. Others focus on a subtopic within their area of interest, perhaps 19th century postage stamps, milk bottle labels from Sussex, or Mongolian harnesses and tack.

text
A stamp album used in stamp collecting.

Collecting is an ancient hobby, with the list of coin collectors showing Caesar Augustus as an early coin collector. Sometimes collectors have turned their hobby into a business, becoming commercial dealers that trade in the items being collected.

An alternative to collecting physical objects is collecting records of events of a particular kind. Examples include train spotting, bird-watching, aircraft spotting, railfans, and any other form of systematic recording a particular phenomenon. The recording form can be written, photographic, online, or any combination of forms.

Making and tinkering

Scale modeling is making a replica of a real object in a smaller scale goes back to prehistoric times with small clay "dolls" and other children's toys having been found near known populated areas. The Persians, Greeks, and Romans took the form to a greater depth during their years of world domination, using scale replicas of enemy fortifications, coastal defense lines, and other geographic fixtures to plan battles.

At the turn of the Industrial Age and on through the 1920s, families could often afford things such as electric trains, wind-up toys (typically boats or cars) and the increasingly valuable tin toy soldiers.

Model engineering refers to building functioning machinery in metal, such as internal combustion motors and live steam models or locomotives. This is a demanding hobby, requiring a multitude of large and expensive tools, such as lathes and mills. This hobby originated in the United Kingdom in the late 19th century, later spreading and flourishing in the mid-20th century. Due to the expense and space required, it is becoming rare.

Scale modeling as we know it today became popular shortly after World War II. Before 1946, children as well as adults were content in carving and shaping wooden replicas from block wood kits, often depicting enemy aircraft to help with identification in case of an invasion.

A coffee-table sized model railroad

With the advent of modern plastics, the amount of skill required to get the basic shape accurately shown for any given subject was lessened, making it easier for people of all ages to begin assembling replicas in varying scales. Superheroes, aeroplanes, boats, cars, tanks, artillery, and even figures of soldiers became quite popular subjects to build, paint and display. Although almost any subject can be found in almost any scale, there are common scales for such miniatures which remain constant today.

3D Printing is a relatively new technology and is already a major hobby as the cost of printers has fallen sharply. It is a good example of how hobbyists quickly engage with new technologies, communicate with one another and become producers related to their former hobby. 3D Modeling is the process of making mathematical representations of three dimensional items and is an aspect of 3D printing.

Dressmaking has been a major hobby up until the late 20th century, partly in order to make cheap clothes, but also as a creative design and craft challenge. It has been reduced by the low cost of manufactured clothes.

Cooking is for some people an interest, a hobby, a challenge and a source of significant satisfaction. For many other people it is a job, a chore, a necessary duty, like cleaning. In the early 21st century the importance of cooking as a hobby is demonstrated by the high popularity of competitive television cooking programs.

Tinkering

Tinkering is 'dabbling' with the making process, often applied to the major hobby of tinkering with car repairs, and various kinds of restoration: of furniture, antique cars etc. It also applies to household tinkering: repairing a wall, laying a pathway etc.

Activity Participation

Outdoor recreation

Outdoor pursuits are the group of activities which occur outdoors. These hobbies include gardening, hill walking, hiking, backpacking, cycling, canoeing, climbing, caving, fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing (as birdwatching) and engaging in watersports and snowsports.

Depending on an individual's desired level of adrenaline, outdoors experiences are considered one type of hobby. While many enjoy an adrenaline rush or just an escape from reality, outdoor recreational activities can also be an extremely effective medium in education and team building.

As interest increases, so has the desire for commercial outdoor pursuits. Outdoor recreational supply stores have opened in large numbers and are thriving, as have outdoor pursuit journalism and magazines, both on paper and the Internet.

The increased accessibility of outdoor pursuit resources has been the source of some negative publicity over the years, with complaints of the destruction of landscape. An example is the destruction of hillsides as footpaths are eroded due to an excessive number of visitors.

Gardening

Gardening

Residential gardening most often takes place in or about one's own residence, in a space referred to as the garden. Although a garden typically is located on the land near a residence, it may also be located on a roof, in an atrium, on a balcony, in a windowbox, or on a patio or vivarium.

Gardening also takes place in non-residential green areas, such as parks, public or semi-public gardens (botanical gardens or zoological gardens), amusement and theme parks, along transportation corridors, and around tourist attractions and hotels. In these situations, a staff of gardeners or groundskeepers maintains the gardens.

A variety of flowers and vegetables in an indoor garden.

Indoor gardening is growing houseplants within a residence or building, in a conservatory, or in a greenhouse. Indoor gardens are sometimes incorporated into air conditioning or heating systems.

Water gardening is growing plants that have adapted to pools and ponds. Bog gardens are also considered a type of water garden. These all require special conditions and considerations. A simple water garden may consist solely of a tub containing the water and plant(s).

Container gardening is concerned with growing plants in containers that are placed above the ground.

Liberal arts pursuits

An amateur magician performing.

Many hobbies involve performances by the hobbyist, such as singing, acting, juggling, magic, dancing, playing a musical instrument, martial arts and other performing arts.

Some hobbies result in an end product. Examples of this would be woodworking, photography, moviemaking, jewelry making, software projects such as Photoshopping and home music or video production, making bracelets, artistic projects such as drawing, painting, writing, etc., The design, creation, and wearing a costume based on an already existing creative property - Cosplay, creating models out of card stock or paper – called papercraft. Hobbies also include higher-end projects like building or restoring a car, or building a computer from scratch.

For computer savvy do-it-yourself hobbyists, CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machining is also popular. A CNC machine can be assembled and programmed to make different parts from wood or metal.[15]

Reading, books, ebooks, magazines, comics, or newspapers, along with browsing the internet is a common hobby, and one that can trace its origins back hundreds of years. A love of literature, later in life, may be sparked by an interest in reading children's literature as a child.

Sports and games

Stebbins[2] makes a distinction between an amateur sports person playing a sport that has a professional equivalent such as football or tennis and a hobbyist playing a less formal sport or game that are rule bound but have no professional equivalent like deck tennis and long distance trekking. Amateur sport ranges from very informal play to highly competitive practice.

Evidence suggests that playing sports helps improve physical and mental health.[16]

Significant achievements by hobbyists and amateurs

There have been many instances where hobbyists and amateurs have achieved significant discoveries and developments. These are a small sample.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "The Serious Leisure Perspective (SLP)". The Serious Leisure Perspective (SLP). Retrieved 2016-02-18.
  2. 1 2 3 Stebbins, Robert (2015). Serious Leisure - A Perspective for Our Time, Transaction Publishers, 2015,. New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers.
  3. ↑ The Phrase Finder (1996–2012). "Hobby-horse". The Phrase Finder. Gary Martin. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  4. ↑ Douglas Harper (2001–2012). "hobby". Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  5. ↑ Gelber S M. ‘’Hobbies: leisure and the Culture of Work in America’’ Columbia University Press, 1999, p. 11.
  6. 1 2 Gelber S M. ‘’Hobbies: leisure and the Culture of Work in America’’ Columbia University Press, 1999, p. 12.
  7. ↑ Sir Matthew Hale (1676). Contemplations moral and divine. Printed by William Godbid, for William Shrowbury at the Bible in Duke-Lane, and John Leigh at the Blew Bell Fleet Street near Chancery-lane. p. 201.
  8. ↑ Gelber S M. ‘’Hobbies: leisure and the Culture of Work in America’’ Columbia University Press, 1999, p. 3.
  9. ↑ Thomson F M L. ‘’The Cambridge Social History of Britain, 1750-1950 Vol 2’’. Cambridge University Press, 1990, p. 327
  10. ↑ Orwell, George (28 February 1941). "The Lion and the Unicorn: Socialism and the English Genius.". England Your England.
  11. ↑ Gelber S M. ‘’Hobbies: leisure and the Culture of Work in America’’ Columbia University Press, 1999, p. 23.
  12. ↑ Gelber S M. ‘’Hobbies: leisure and the Culture of Work in America’’ Columbia University Press, 1999, p. 28.
  13. ↑ Carlisle R P Ed, ‘’Encyclopedia of Play in Today’s Society Vol 1’’, SAGE Publications, 2009 page x
  14. ↑ Gelber, Steven. "A Job You Can't Lose: Work and Hobbies in the Great Depression". Oxford University Press. JSTOR 3788855.
  15. ↑ "CNC Builder's Guide". HobbyMilling. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  16. ↑ "Analysis of health and educational benefits of sport and culture". gov.uk. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  17. ↑ "Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier". Chemical Heritage Foundation. 2013-12-14. Retrieved 2014-08-24.
  18. ↑ Turner 2014, p. 233.
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