Disciplined freedom: The productive self and conspicuous busyness in “free” time

Abstract

The current article conceptualizes free time as subjectively experienced and defined, as it explores not only how individuals spend free time, but also how they perceive and interpret it. It challenges established approaches to leisure that relate to it as a realm of freedom distinct from work or duties, suggesting that the discourse of work imbues free time with ideals, which shape, not only how we spend our free time, but also, how we perceive it and utilize it for self-management. My focus is on the relationship between time, freedom, and the self, while taking into account the input of culture. The theoretical concept that I offer here in order to analyze free time is disciplined freedom. I use this term to refer to the ways by which cultural paradigms shape conceptions and actions of free time by promoting a disciplinary gaze that encourages a form of management of time and the self that adheres to authenticity, freedom, and choice. Based on qualitative data from 43 in-depth interviews, the findings revealed the impact of conflicting discourses that competed in shaping meaning and action related to free time. The article brings into question the freedom of individuals in the face of discursive frameworks that were found to operate as powerful, taken for granted dictates in everyday life.