Given, Taken And Self Made. The Leisure Time of Young People in Contemporary Finland

Mirja Määttä & Tarja Tolonen (eds.)

(In Finnish: Annettu, otettu, itse tehty – Nuorten vapaa-aika tänään)

The book deals with the leisure time practices and the meanings, spaces and institutions of leisure time of today’s youth. The practices of leisure time are looked at from the viewpoints of both the young people and the institutions governing them. Leisure time activities are meaningful to young people especially when the activities are spontaneous and experimental. Friendships are important whether formed face-to-face or in virtual reality. Young people’s leisure time can also be seen as dangerous or bad, and adult supervision is provided for the sake of education and national wellbeing. At the same time the municipal and national services aimed do not always meet the needs of young people in everyday life and leisure time. Gender, ethnicity, class and the place of residence influence the leisure time activities and participation possibilities of young people. Young people’s leisure time is also not separate from the social structures and inequalities.