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Cruising through the millennium - 2003-13 changes in American Daily life

Author

Listed:
  • John P. Robinson

    (University of Maryland)

  • Elena Tracy

    (University of Maryland)

  • Yoonjoo Lee

    (University of Maryland)

Abstract

The aim of this research is to examine recent US national time-diary data for evidence of an accelerating pace of everyday life in society, based on diary self-reports of how Americans spend their time since 1965. Earlier such diary studies had documented declines in women’s housework, increases in parental child care and overall gains in free time. These trends stood in marked contrast to the increased time pressure cited by societal critics of the style of life in the US and other Western countries. Since 2003, the US government’s American Time-Use Survey (ATUS), now conducted continuously by the US Bureau of the Census, has asked more than 145,000 Americans how they spent their time. Analysis of these 2003-2013 ATUS diaries reveals rather minimal change over this first millennial decade, with about an hour’s decline in both paid work and domestic work/shopping, as in previous decades mainly among women. Unlike previous studies, that decline included about a 30% decline in help to neighbors and members of other households, a key indicator of the country’s social safety net. These declines in productive and other more pressured activity were offset by small gains in less pressured activities, like sleep and TV viewing. There was also a notable decline in reported travel activities, particularly by automobile. The 2010 ATUS also began asking how these respondents felt during their diary activities, with results generally consistent with less-pressured lifestyles and earlier measures.

Suggested Citation

  • John P. Robinson & Elena Tracy & Yoonjoo Lee, 2015. "Cruising through the millennium - 2003-13 changes in American Daily life," 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. 12(1), pages 133-152, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:leu:journl:2015:vol12:issue1:p133-152
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dr. Jennifer Baxter, 2011. "An examination of the characteristics and time use of those who have unfilled spare time," 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. 8(1), pages 30-61, November.
    2. Hamrick, Karen S. & Hopkins, David & McClelland, Ket, 2008. "How Much Time Do Americans Spend Eating?," Amber Waves:The Economics of Food, Farming, Natural Resources, and Rural America, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, pages 1-2, June.
    3. Aizer, Anna, 2004. "Home alone: supervision after school and child behavior," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(9-10), pages 1835-1848, August.
    4. Rebecca Utz, 2014. "Walking the Dog: The Effect of Pet Ownership on Human Health and Health Behaviors," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 116(2), pages 327-339, April.
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Time pressure; pace of life; daily time trends; gender differences; changes in social contacts and locations;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A14 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Sociology of Economics
    • C12 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Hypothesis Testing: General
    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models
    • C55 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Large Data Sets: Modeling and Analysis
    • C83 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Survey Methods; Sampling Methods
    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects

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