John Neulinger
Encyclopedia
John Neulinger was a noted German-American psychologist
and Professor Emeritus of psychology at City College of New York
. Neulinger is best known for contributing a social psychological theory of leisure
to the field of leisure studies
. Neulinger's theory of leisure is defined by a psychological state of mind
that requires two criteria for leisure: perceived freedom and intrinsic motivation. In Neulinger's theory, individuals can be said to be in a state of leisure if they simply perceive that they have the freedom to choose activities and are motivated by an activity for its own sake, not just for its consequences. Neulinger first popularized his ideas in the 1974 book, The Psychology of Leisure.
, Czechoslovakia
as a child, but was taken to a Nazi concentration camp during World War II
. His experience in Nazi Germany
influenced his psychological theories regarding the connection between freedom and leisure in the same way as psychologist Viktor Frankl
.
Having survived the war, Neulinger moved to the United States and became a naturalized citizen. Neulinger attended Hunter College
and graduated in 1960. He received his doctorate in psychology from New York University
in 1965. Neulinger married Josephine Levitus on July 22, 1950, and later had one child, a son named Ronald. In 1970, the marriage ended in divorce, and he later married fellow psychologist Gabrielle Stutman.
in New York City. After 1967, he spent the rest of his life working at the City College of the City University of New York: first as an assistant professor from 1967–1971; an associate professor from 1972–1976; and finally as a professor of psychology from 1977-1986. Neulinger was a member of the International Sociological Association
, the American Psychological Association
, the Gerontological Society
, and Phi Beta Kappa. He helped found the Academy of Leisure Sciences and was president of the Academy from 1982-1983. Neulinger was also Director of the Leisure Institute in his home town of Dolgeville, New York
, and he helped found the Society for the Reduction of Human Labor and acted as its Chair.
Neulinger's theory of leisure shows that intrinsic motivation and perceived freedom can directly change the perception of leisure. But, like other social psychological theories of leisure, Neulinger's theory has been criticized for its lack of "discriminant power". The criterion of perceived freedom is not exclusive to leisure activities, and the failure of the theory to account for the differences between real freedom and the illusion of freedom is often challenged. Nevertheless, Neulinger's theory has exerted considerable influence on social psychology and leisure, and perceived freedom is still a popular concept in leisure studies.
Neulinger believed that human civilization could one day look forward to a society based on leisure, a leisure society where modern technology and science frees the average person from focusing on providing merely for subsistence needs and the worry associated with meeting those needs. Neulinger envisioned a world where the very concept of a "job" was no longer plausible, where work would be leisure-oriented. Unlike the past, Neulinger's vision was of a society where non-leisure activities form a minimum part of our day, where work would be carried out with meaning and without coercion, freely chosen, self-rewarding, and intrinsically motivating. In his last publication before his death, Neulinger advocated for a societal transformation to that of a "universal leisure society instead of more centuries of useless destruction and worldwide conflicts".
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
and Professor Emeritus of psychology at City College of New York
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
. Neulinger is best known for contributing a social psychological theory of leisure
Leisure
Leisure, or free time, is time spent away from business, work, and domestic chores. It is also the periods of time before or after necessary activities such as eating, sleeping and, where it is compulsory, education....
to the field of leisure studies
Leisure studies
Leisure studies is a branch of the social sciences that focuses on understanding and analyzing leisure. Tourism and recreation are common topics of leisure research....
. Neulinger's theory of leisure is defined by a psychological state of mind
State of Mind
State of mind is a term meaning "mood" or "outlook" . It can also mean:-Music:*State of Mind , New Zealand drum and bass duo*A State of Mind , American punk band*State of Mind , 2003...
that requires two criteria for leisure: perceived freedom and intrinsic motivation. In Neulinger's theory, individuals can be said to be in a state of leisure if they simply perceive that they have the freedom to choose activities and are motivated by an activity for its own sake, not just for its consequences. Neulinger first popularized his ideas in the 1974 book, The Psychology of Leisure.
Early life
Neulinger was born in Dresden, Germany to Rudolf and Julie Neulinger née Konirsch. At least two siblings are known, a brother named Kurt and a sister, Liselotte. Neulinger attended the Staatsoberrealgymnasium in DěčínDecín
Děčín is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region in the north of the Czech Republic. It is the largest town and administrative seat of the Děčín District.-Geography:...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
as a child, but was taken to a Nazi concentration camp during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. His experience in Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
influenced his psychological theories regarding the connection between freedom and leisure in the same way as psychologist Viktor Frankl
Viktor Frankl
Viktor Emil Frankl M.D., Ph.D. was an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist as well as a Holocaust survivor. Frankl was the founder of logotherapy, which is a form of Existential Analysis, the "Third Viennese School of Psychotherapy"...
.
Having survived the war, Neulinger moved to the United States and became a naturalized citizen. Neulinger attended Hunter College
Hunter College
Hunter College, established in 1870, is a public university and one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Hunter grants undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degrees in more than one hundred fields of study, and is recognized...
and graduated in 1960. He received his doctorate in psychology from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
in 1965. Neulinger married Josephine Levitus on July 22, 1950, and later had one child, a son named Ronald. In 1970, the marriage ended in divorce, and he later married fellow psychologist Gabrielle Stutman.
Career
From 1964-1965, Neulinger was a research associate for the Russell Sage FoundationRussell Sage Foundation
The Russell Sage Foundation is the principal American foundation devoted exclusively to research in the social sciences. Founded in 1907 and headquartered in New York City, the foundation is a research center, a funding source for studies by scholars at other institutions, and a key member of the...
in New York City. After 1967, he spent the rest of his life working at the City College of the City University of New York: first as an assistant professor from 1967–1971; an associate professor from 1972–1976; and finally as a professor of psychology from 1977-1986. Neulinger was a member of the International Sociological Association
International Sociological Association
International Sociological Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to scientific purposes in the field of sociology and social sciences...
, the American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...
, the Gerontological Society
The Gerontological Society of America
The Gerontological Society of America is a multidisciplinary organization devoted to research and education in all aspects of gerontology: medical, biological, psychological and social...
, and Phi Beta Kappa. He helped found the Academy of Leisure Sciences and was president of the Academy from 1982-1983. Neulinger was also Director of the Leisure Institute in his home town of Dolgeville, New York
Dolgeville, New York
Dolgeville is a village in Herkimer County, New York, United States. The population was 2,166 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Alfred Dolge , industrialist....
, and he helped found the Society for the Reduction of Human Labor and acted as its Chair.
Leisure theory
Neulinger's leisure theory, sometimes referred to as the Neulinger paradigm, was first published in the 1974 book, The Psychology of Leisure. The theory is a continuum model of leisure, with the criterion a condition Neulinger calls perceived freedom. This perceived freedom is a state of mind where one freely chooses to perform an activity—any activity—because one "wants to do it". If an individual is involved in an activity where there is only intrinsic reward and perceived freedom, that person is said to be engaged in leisure. However, if the activity involves only extrinsic reward and the absence of perceived freedom, an individual is said to be in a state of non-leisure. There are six stages from one extreme to the other: Pure leisure, leisure-work, leisure-job, pure work, work-job, and pure job.Neulinger's theory of leisure shows that intrinsic motivation and perceived freedom can directly change the perception of leisure. But, like other social psychological theories of leisure, Neulinger's theory has been criticized for its lack of "discriminant power". The criterion of perceived freedom is not exclusive to leisure activities, and the failure of the theory to account for the differences between real freedom and the illusion of freedom is often challenged. Nevertheless, Neulinger's theory has exerted considerable influence on social psychology and leisure, and perceived freedom is still a popular concept in leisure studies.
Neulinger believed that human civilization could one day look forward to a society based on leisure, a leisure society where modern technology and science frees the average person from focusing on providing merely for subsistence needs and the worry associated with meeting those needs. Neulinger envisioned a world where the very concept of a "job" was no longer plausible, where work would be leisure-oriented. Unlike the past, Neulinger's vision was of a society where non-leisure activities form a minimum part of our day, where work would be carried out with meaning and without coercion, freely chosen, self-rewarding, and intrinsically motivating. In his last publication before his death, Neulinger advocated for a societal transformation to that of a "universal leisure society instead of more centuries of useless destruction and worldwide conflicts".
Death
Neulinger died at home of a heart attack at the age of 67 on June 20, 1991, in Dolgeville, New York. Since his death, colleagues in the field of leisure studies have referred to Neulinger as a "leisure visionary".See also
- Sebastian de GraziaSebastian de GraziaSebastian de Grazia was a Pulitzer prize winning author. Born in Chicago, de Grazia received his bachelor's degree and a doctorate in political science from the University of Chicago. During World War II, he served in the Office of Strategic Services, predecessor to the Central Intelligence...
, (contemplationContemplationThe word contemplation comes from the Latin word contemplatio. Its root is also that of the Latin word templum, a piece of ground consecrated for the taking of auspices, or a building for worship, derived either from Proto-Indo-European base *tem- "to cut", and so a "place reserved or cut out" or...
theory of leisure) - Seppo Iso-Ahola, (optimal arousal theory of leisure)
- Mihaly CsikszentmihalyiMihaly CsikszentmihalyiMihaly Csikszentmihalyi is a Hungarian psychology professor, who emigrated to the United States at the age of 22. Now at Claremont Graduate University, he is the former head of the department of psychology at the University of Chicago and of the department of sociology and anthropology at Lake...
, (flowFlow (psychology)Flow is the mental state of operation in which a person in an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity. Proposed by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, the positive psychology concept has been widely referenced across a variety of...
theory of leisure)