Simmel Sociability Essay -- Sociology

The problem of modern leisure has, throughout the years, been a well-discussed topic among many sociologists. Sociability, in this case, is one of the most universal forms of leisure that will be discussed in this essay. The theoretical framework for this discussion is provided by the sociological insights of Georg Simmel (1858-1918) as he argues that the â€Å"tumult of the metropolis† (cited in Frisby 1989, p80) creates inner barriers between people and suggests that â€Å"sociability† can surpass this problem. According to Frisby (1989), Simmel states that the city life has transformed the struggle with nature for livelihood into a struggle with other human beings for gain. This is further discussed as Frisby (1989) and Giulianotti (2005) describes how sociability can transcend this problem according to Simmel’s sociability theory. Let’s begin by defining what sociability is. According to Simmel, sociability is ‘the pure form, the free-playing interacting interdependence of individuals’ that is ‘freed from substance’ (Simmel as cited in Frisby 1989, p.87). It is therefore oriented complet...