How German citizens imagine their lives after the year 2000

Increasing leisure time is changing the values of Germans. More and more people are seeking to give new meaning and content to their lives beyond work and career through leisure activities. And looking to the future, only 3 per cent of Germans say: "I can't live without a job." This is one of the findings of a new survey conducted by the BAT Leisure Research Institute, in which 2,000 representatively selected people throughout Germany were asked about their ideas on what their lives should be about in the future.
Most Germans already have very specific ideas for life after the year 2000, when they will work considerably less and have more free time. According to the BAT Institute, every second German (51 %) wants to devote more time to their hobbies. They want to spend more time with family (45 %) and friends (41 %), but also find time and leisure for themselves (43 %). However, it was not only the intensification of traditional leisure activities such as travelling, sport or gardening that was mentioned by the respondents. Rather, increased social commitment and a greater willingness to do voluntary work are also expected. And finally, almost one in ten Germans would like to attend university courses in their free time.

The leisure time researchers at BAT identified four areas of life in which a new sense of fulfilment is sought, even with considerably less work: More time for themselves - More time for others - More time for further education - More time to be active.

More time for yourself

20 million German citizens hope to finally find more time and leisure for themselves in the future. This is particularly true for professional groups with a lot of time on their hands, such as the self-employed and freelancers (60 %), executives and senior civil servants (59 %). While every second respondent in the corresponding age group of 35-54-year-olds dreams of leisure, only every third respondent in the younger age group does. Here, hopes for the future are focused on more time for hobbies (63 %) and sport (48 %) as well as the desire to get to know the world on "self-organised trips" (53 %).

More time for others

In the future, social relationships will become increasingly important for the fulfilment of meaning in life. The respondents' wishes continue to be dominated by devotion to family and friends. However, one in six Germans would also like to get involved in helping neighbours, helping the elderly or protecting the environment, more women (21 %) than men (12 %). Almost as many Germans are willing to volunteer in organisations, e.g. in clubs, in the community or with the Red Cross. People living in rural areas are much more open to volunteering (21 %) than people living in large cities (11 %).

More time for further training

The cultural sector could face an expansive development in the future. One in four German citizens would use the extra free time to go to the opera, theatre or museum. The motivational prerequisites for this are created at school. Only 15 per cent of primary and lower secondary school leavers are enthusiastic about such cultural activities, but half of those surveyed with a school-leaving certificate. This is also reflected in the question about personal education. 40 per cent of former school leavers see an opportunity in the future for more "personality training", for the further development of their own personality. Secondary school leavers show significantly less interest in this (15 %).
The future could also belong to new forms of education and educational institutions. One in eight Germans would like to attend seminars in leisure, holiday and summer academies. That would be over 6 million German citizens who would like to be creatively active in the fields of drawing, painting, sculpture or music, especially at weekends and during the holidays. Universities would also be challenged to take on new tasks. More than 4 million Germans would like to attend university courses in their free time in the future.

More time to be active

Germans have never been as active in their free time as they are today. What is already a reality with the "do it yourself" movement, but also moonlighting, will become even more popular in the future. Almost one in three people envisage doing a lot of gardening. Labourers and rural dwellers in particular (22 % each) want to use the extra free time for "do it yourself" and DIY in the future. 9 per cent of the population would like to do DIY work with friends and acquaintances and one in twelve Germans would like to pursue a part-time job in the future (8 %). Senior executives and senior civil servants in particular (19 %) dream of a future that can be filled with a second job. In such leisure activities, people seek and find what has been lost in many professional activities: a sense of purpose, self-activity, self-expression and a sense of achievement.

Meaning of life Leisure time?

In politics and science, the view has largely been held that leisure time cannot help to compensate for the crisis of meaning in gainful employment as a result of structural change in the world of work. However, the results of the new BAT survey clearly show that the overwhelming majority of German citizens can very well imagine finding fulfilment in the non-working part of their lives. For most Germans, life is no longer just about work. Leisure time, which is also perceived as social and educational time, is increasingly moving to the centre of life orientation.
"A reassessment of the meaning of life is emerging," says Prof Dr Horst W. Opaschowski, Director of the BAT Institute. "While politicians are still clinging to the definition of work as the primary purpose of life, citizens are already one step ahead. They want to keep the joy of work, but also have more time for their personal leisure interests. A social policy that sees itself as an active leisure policy should create the conditions for citizens to be able to realise their diverse leisure interests and wishes for the future."