IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/reveho/v15y2017i4d10.1007_s11150-017-9365-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A note on Chinese couples’ time synchronization

Author

Listed:
  • Liangshu Qi

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Haojie Li

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Lan Liu

    (Peking University)

Abstract

Using 2008 China Time Use Survey data, this paper provides empirical evidence on whether and how Chinese couples synchronize their time use. The main findings are: (1) Chinese couples do deliberately coordinate their time use to gain more synchronous time in household work and leisure. (2) Non-couples also synchronize their activities if they live in the same household, but their time synchronization is much weaker than that of couples. (3) Couples’ synchronous time is significantly correlated to the husband’s and the wife’s labor supply and job characteristics, including wage rates, employment status, and occupation, as well as other personal characteristics and household demographics. This correlation differs between urban and rural couples. Generally speaking, urban couples are more similar to their Western counterparts. This paper is the first to provide a profile of couples’ coordination of time allocation in the socioeconomic context of a developing country, and it deepens the understanding of couples’ joint time allocation.

Suggested Citation

  • Liangshu Qi & Haojie Li & Lan Liu, 2017. "A note on Chinese couples’ time synchronization," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 1249-1262, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:reveho:v:15:y:2017:i:4:d:10.1007_s11150-017-9365-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s11150-017-9365-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11150-017-9365-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11150-017-9365-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Daniel S. Hamermesh, 2002. "Timing, togetherness and time windfalls," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 15(4), pages 601-623.
    2. Daniel S. Hamermesh, 2000. "Togetherness: Spouses' Synchronous Leisure, and the Impact of Children," NBER Working Papers 7455, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. P. Jenkins, Stephen & Osberg, Lars, 2003. "Nobody to play with? The implications of leisure coordination," ISER Working Paper Series 2003-19, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    4. C. Barnet-Verzat & A. Pailhé & A. Solaz, 2011. "Spending time together: the impact of children on couples’ leisure synchronization," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 9(4), pages 465-486, December.
    5. Ignace Glorieux & Joeri Minnen & Theun Tienoven, 2011. "Spouse “Together Time”: Quality Time Within the Household," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 101(2), pages 281-287, April.
    6. Stewart, Jay, 2013. "Tobit or not Tobit?," Journal of Economic and Social Measurement, IOS Press, issue 3, pages 263-290.
    7. Hani Mansour & Terra McKinnish, 2014. "Couples’ time together: complementarities in production versus complementarities in consumption," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 27(4), pages 1127-1144, October.
    8. Hallberg, Daniel, 2003. "Synchronous leisure, jointness and household labor supply," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 185-203, April.
    9. Melinda Morrill & Sabrina Pabilonia, 2015. "What effects do macroeconomic conditions have on the time couples with children spend together?," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 13(4), pages 791-814, December.
    10. Bryan, Mark L. & Sevilla, Almudena, 2014. "Flexible Working and Couples' Coordination of Time Schedules," IZA Discussion Papers 8304, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Hamermesh, Daniel S, 1998. "When We Work," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 88(2), pages 321-325, May.
    12. Joan Garcia Roman & Clara Cortina, 2016. "Family time of couples with children: shortening gender differences in parenting?," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 921-940, December.
    13. Xiao-yuan Dong & Xinli An, 2015. "Gender Patterns and Value of Unpaid Care Work: Findings From China's First Large-Scale Time Use Survey," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 61(3), pages 540-560, September.
    14. Chris Klaveren & Henriette Brink, 2007. "Intra-household work time synchronization," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 84(1), pages 39-52, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Liu, Weimiao & Deng, Tianhu & Li, Jianbin, 2019. "Product packing and stacking under uncertainty: A robust approach," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 277(3), pages 903-917.
    2. Sam Cosaert & Alexandros Theloudis & Bertrand Verheyden, 2023. "Togetherness in the Household," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 15(1), pages 529-579, February.
    3. Juntao Fan & Jin Wu & Weijing Kong & Yizhang Zhang & Mengdi Li & Yuan Zhang & Wei Meng & And Mengheng Zhang, 2017. "Predicting Bio-indicators of Aquatic Ecosystems Using the Support Vector Machine Model in the Taizi River, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-11, May.
    4. Yi Liu & Yutian Liang & Shiping Ma & Kaixuan Huang, 2017. "Divergent Developmental Trajectories and Strategic Coupling in the Pearl River Delta: Where Is a Sustainable Way of Regional Economic Growth?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-15, October.
    5. Shi, Buchao & Huang, Liangxiong & Wei, Shengmin & Geng, Xinyue, 2022. "Overseas industrial parks and China's outward foreign direct investment," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    6. Begoña Álvarez & Daniel Miles-Touya, 2019. "Gender imbalance in housework allocation: a question of time?," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 1257-1287, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mark L. Bryan & Almudena Sevilla, 2017. "Flexible working in the UK and its impact on couples’ time coordination," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 1415-1437, December.
    2. Sam Cosaert & Alexandros Theloudis & Bertrand Verheyden, 2023. "Togetherness in the Household," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 15(1), pages 529-579, February.
    3. Martin Browning & Olivier Donni & Mette Gørtz, 2021. "Do you have time to take a walk together? Private and joint time within the household," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 131(635), pages 1051-1080.
    4. Chris van Klaveren & Bernard M.S. van Praag & Henriëtte Maassen van den Brink, 2005. "Empirical Estimation Results of a Collective Household Time Allocation Model," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 05-096/3, Tinbergen Institute, revised 06 Apr 2006.
    5. Sørensen, Jesper R.-V. & Fosgerau, Mogens, 2022. "How McFadden met Rockafellar and learned to do more with less," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    6. Katie R. Genadek & Sarah M. Flood & Joan Garcia Roman, 2020. "Same-Sex Couples’ Shared Time in the United States," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 57(2), pages 475-500, April.
    7. Sajeda Amin & Luciana Suran, 2009. "Terms of marriage and time-use patterns of young wives – Evidence from rural Bangladesh," electronic International Journal of Time Use Research, Research Institute on Professions (Forschungsinstitut Freie Berufe (FFB)) and The International Association for Time Use Research (IATUR), vol. 6(1), pages 92-108, September.
    8. Rachel Connelly & Jean Kimmel, 2009. "Spousal influences on parents’ non-market time choices," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 7(4), pages 361-394, December.
    9. Ilyar Heydari Barardehi & Anna Kurowska, 2024. "Were Parents Synchronizing Their Home-Based Working Arrangements During the COVID-19 Pandemic?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 173(3), pages 569-588, July.
    10. Van Klaveren, C & Maassen van den Brink, H. & Van Praag, B., 2009. "Intra-Household Work Timing: The Effect on Joint Activities and the Demand for Child Care," Working Papers 27, Top Institute for Evidence Based Education Research.
    11. Joachim Merz & Lars Osberg, 2009. "Keeping in touch – A benefit of public holidays using time use diary data," electronic International Journal of Time Use Research, Research Institute on Professions (Forschungsinstitut Freie Berufe (FFB)) and The International Association for Time Use Research (IATUR), vol. 6(1), pages 130-166, September.
    12. Hugh Millward & Jamie Spinney, 2009. "Time use and rurality – Canada 2005," electronic International Journal of Time Use Research, Research Institute on Professions (Forschungsinstitut Freie Berufe (FFB)) and The International Association for Time Use Research (IATUR), vol. 6(1), pages 109-129, September.
    13. Chris Klaveren & Henriette Brink, 2007. "Intra-household work time synchronization," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 84(1), pages 39-52, October.
    14. Katerina Vrotsou & Kajsa Ellegård & Matthew Cooper, 2009. "Exploring time diaries using semi-automated activity pattern extraction," electronic International Journal of Time Use Research, Research Institute on Professions (Forschungsinstitut Freie Berufe (FFB)) and The International Association for Time Use Research (IATUR), vol. 6(1), pages 1-25, September.
    15. Van Klaveren, Chris & Maassen van den Brink, Henriette & Van Praag, Bernard, 2006. "The influence of work time adjustment on joint activities and the demand for child care," MPRA Paper 1213, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Benoît Rapoport & Céline Bourdais, 2008. "Parental time and working schedules," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 21(4), pages 903-932, October.
    17. Katie R. Genadek & Sarah M. Flood & Joan Garcia Roman, 2016. "Trends in Spouses’ Shared Time in the United States, 1965–2012," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(6), pages 1801-1820, December.
    18. Killian Mullan & Lyn Craig, 2009. "Harmonising extended measures of parental childcare in the time-diary surveys of four countries – Proximity versus responsibility," electronic International Journal of Time Use Research, Research Institute on Professions (Forschungsinstitut Freie Berufe (FFB)) and The International Association for Time Use Research (IATUR), vol. 6(1), pages 48-72, September.
    19. C. Barnet-Verzat & A. Pailhé & A. Solaz, 2011. "Spending time together: the impact of children on couples’ leisure synchronization," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 9(4), pages 465-486, December.
    20. Giacomo Vagni, 2019. "Alone Together: Gender Inequalities in Couple Time," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 146(3), pages 487-509, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Time allocation; Intrahousehold; Synchronization; Labor supply;
    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

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:reveho:v:15:y:2017:i:4:d:10.1007_s11150-017-9365-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.