Time Use Research in the Social Sciences

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xvi

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2. Introduction

   1. Time Use Research

      • Andrew S. Harvey, Wendy E. Pentland

      Pages 3-18

   2. Guidelines for Time Use Data Collection and Analysis

      • Andrew S. Harvey

      Pages 19-46

   3. The Time-Diary Method

      • John P. Robinson

      Pages 47-89

   4. Analysis and Exploration of Meaning and Outcomes in Connection with Time Use Data

      • William Michelson

      Pages 91-104

3. Using Time Use Research to Examine Lifestyle Variables

   1. Methods and Concepts for Time-Budget Research on Elders

      • M. Powell Lawton

      Pages 107-125

   2. Life-Cycle and Across-the-Week Allocation of Time to Daily Activities

      • Jiri Zuzanek, Brian J. A. Smale

      Pages 127-153

   3. Variance in the Meaning of Time by Family Cycle, Period, Social Context, and Ethnicity

      • Joseph A. Tindale

      Pages 155-168

   4. Application of Time Use Research to the Study of Life with a Disability

      • Wendy E. Pentland, Mary Ann McColl

      Pages 169-188

   5. Biological and Sociocultural Perspectives on Time Use Studies

      • Ann Wilcock

      Pages 189-210

   6. Te Ao Hurihuri

      • Gail Whiteford, Mike Barns

      Pages 211-230

   7. Time Budget Methodology in Social Science Research

      • K. Victor Ujimoto

      Pages 231-242

4. Conclusion

   1. Lessons from Leisure-Time Budget Research

      • Jerome F. Singleton

      Pages 245-258

   2. Future Directions

      • Wendy E. Pentland, Andrew S. Harvey

      Pages 259-268

5. Back Matter

   Pages 269-281

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Despite the fact that, for most of us, time is a central focus of our lives, the examination of what we do with our time and why has received limited attention as a method for understanding human behavior in the social sciences. Humans' view and use of time shows tremendous variation, including across cultures and with age, lifestyle, and gender. For many of us, a sense of time is ever-present. We speak of time as a commodity, a resource, an ally, an enemy, and a gift. It maybe on our side, on our hands, with us, or against us. We perceive it to change speeds (dragging vs. flying vs. standing still) and lest it get away on us, we attempt to harness and control it with clocks, schedules, and deadlines. We describe our use of time in a myriad ofways: we spend it, save it, waste it, kill it, give it, take it, and grab it. The impetus for this book grew from a three-day research symposium where established time use researchers from a variety of disciplines from Canada, the United States, Finland, Australia, and New Zealand gathered together to merge their knowledge and resources to collaborate in exam- ing the relationship between human time utilization and health and we- being. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support for the sym- sium received from the Government of Canada's Program for Inter- tional Research Linkages and M. Powell Lawton, without whose support and encouragement this book would likely not exist.

• Nation
• gender
• knowledge
• quality of life
• sociology

"Overall, the book is a mine of information and should be seen as the essential reference on the topic of time-use studies."
(Annals of Leisure Research, 3, 2000)

• Queens University, Kingston, Canada

  Wendy E. Pentland, Mary Ann McColl

• St. Mary’s University, Halifax, Canada

  Andrew S. Harvey

• Philadelphia Geriatric Center, Philadelphia

  M. Powell Lawton

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