The Leisure-Time project ran from 1948 until 1953, and attempted to analyze the leisure time activities of workers in industrial society through a series of comprehensive surveys and questionnaires. Contained herein are correspondence, financial records, interview and questionnaire materials; time record forms and analyses; proposals, progress reports, and drafts of various area studies and sections. The study made use of Alexander Ringer's survey materials and sample population at CCNY, which he used as part of his musicology studies, ultimately incorporating his study into the larger research project. The project studies were largely based on detailed interviews, questionnaires, and time record analyses from a sample comprising mainly City College of New York students; millinery workers; and nurses. The project involved both conceptual/methodological questions as well as those related directly to the subject. As the study progressed, methodological concerns arose for the researchers, including the "area of concern" and the concept of "choice" within life activities. Included herein are various writings on these topics. The Leisure-Time study continued even as the IWA transitioned into the Research Division. Materials relating to the study during this latter period, circa 1953, will be found herein in the Lewis Lorwin subseries.

Faculty and researchers directly involved in the project include: Marie Macario Bestul; Phyllis Poses; Gerda Golder; Elizabeth Todd; Hans Staudinger; Paul Heurath; Seigfried Kracauer; Hilda Weiss; and Laura Himovitch. Because the project produced so few publications, the results of the study were disappointing to many of the researchers involved, as well as to the independent evaluator Lewis Lorwin. Some folders containing survey, interview, and questionnaire material have been restricted. Contact archivist@newschool.edu for details.