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Hobbies, Skills and Incentives to Work: The Happy Gardener and the Wealthy Golfer

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  • Sällström, Susanna

Abstract

Two of the earliest inventions of a human capital-intensive technology were for the production of personal internal goods that enabled humans to derive more pleasure out of leisure, namely dance and music. I model the incentives to invent hobbies and to acquire hobby skills, and its implications for the incentives to work and to acquire professional skills. This model explains the economic origins of culture. It was no accident that the intricate steps of tango emerged in the shabby quarters of Buenos Aires, and that the Royal and Ancient Golf Club in St Andrews was the initiative of 22 noble and gentlemen of Fife.

Suggested Citation

  • Sällström, Susanna, 2007. "Hobbies, Skills and Incentives to Work: The Happy Gardener and the Wealthy Golfer," CEPR Discussion Papers 6376, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:6376
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Leisure; Culture; Education; Hobbies; Human capital; Welfare;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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