Northampton Electronic Collection of Theses and Research

Leisure, luxury and urban specialization in the eighteenth century

Stobart, J. and Schwarz, L. (2008) Leisure, luxury and urban specialization in the eighteenth century. Urban History. 35(2), pp. 216-236. 0963-9268.

Item Type: Article
Abstract: This article forms a contribution to the ongoing debate about the nature of an English urban renaissance. We draw on Schwarz's designation of residential leisure towns to explore the spread of leisure and luxury through a broad range of towns. Our analysis reveals that leisure facilities and luxury service and retail provision were widespread, but that residential leisure towns appear as qualitatively different places, the status of which was contingent upon social profile and cultural-economy, rather than demographic, political or socio-economic make up. We conclude by arguing that urban typologies based on specialization should be tempered with older-established and more subjective categorizations based on the status of the town
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races > HT101 Urban groups. The city. Urban sociology
H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions > HC94 By region or country > HC257 Great Britain > HC260.C6 Consumerism
Creators: Stobart, Jon and Schwarz, Leonard
Faculties, Divisions and Institutes: University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Faculty of Education & Humanities > History
Faculties > Faculty of Education & Humanities > History
Date: 2008
Date Type: Publication
Page Range: pp. 216-236
Journal or Publication Title: Urban History
Volume: 35
Number: 2
Language: English
ISSN: 0963-9268
Status: Published / Disseminated
URI: http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/id/eprint/1460

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