The Routledge International Handbook of Time Use Data and Methods by Bittman, Michael; Sullivan, Oriel;

Short description:

This handbook, from leading international scholars, provides the most comprehensive reference work on the collection, analysis, and application of time use data. Focusing on practical knowledge of this type of data, it will be a valuable reference point for students and scholars interested in the methodological aspects of time use research.

Long description:

This two-volume handbook, written by leading international scholars, provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date reference work on the collection, analysis, and application of time use data.

Time is a crucial yet finite social resource, fundamental to processes of growth, equality, and well-being. Much of the world’s essential production—raising children, preparing food, household maintenance—occurs within households, and relies on time, rather than monetary exchange, as its central input. Despite its centrality, this non-market dimension is often overlooked in official indicators. Time use diary data is increasingly recognised as the foremost source of reliable information on these key temporal dimensions of daily life.

The first volume addresses methodological issues concerning the collection and analysis of data. Readers are introduced first to general methodology and design issues, followed by an overview of major time use diary surveys that are available worldwide, and an exploration of the innovations in design that are currently under development.

With a focus on practical knowledge and understandings of how to collect, manage and analyse this type of data, it will be a valuable point of reference for students and scholars with interests in the methodological aspects of time use research, and will be relevant to numerous fields including sociology, demography, social policy, economics, gender studies, psychology, leisure studies, public health, and related disciplines. The second volume of the handbook provides an authoritative outline of the contribution of time-use research to key contemporary scholarly and policy applications in both the Global North and the Global South, and is available at www.routledge.com/9781041123972.

"This remarkable two-volume handbook demonstrates the unique value of time use data for addressing today’s most pressing social and policy challenges—from gender equality and care to health, energy, leisure, work and economic well-being. It combines methodological rigor with breadth of application. By bringing together leading voices from around the world, it solidifies the importance of time use research for evidence-based policymaking. I hope it serves as a catalyst for new generations of research and action."

Ugo Lachapelle, President of the International Association of Time Use Research (IATUR) and Full Professor, Department of Urban Studies and Tourism, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada

Table of Contents:

Introduction: Time use diary data – a snapshot in time  Section 1: Collecting time use data  1. The History of Time Use Data Collection  2. Time use surveys in East Asia  3. Time Use Survey Data Collection in Developing Countries and Their Potential to Inform Public Policies  4.Progress and Setbacks in Time Use Data Collection in Africa: an Assessment of Time Use Surveys and Other Surveys Collecting Time Use Over the Past 25 Years  5. How Does Information from Time-Diaries Compare With ‘Stylized’ Questions  6. Understanding the Nature of Time Use Survey Data: Data Structure and Organization  7. The Light Diary  8. Administering Time-Diaries by Telephone: Nearly Forty Years of Experience from Canada  9. Does Diary Mode Matter in Time-Use Research?  10. Time Use Diary Design for Our Times: General Principles for Online Design  11. Context is King: the MOTUS Platform for Time Use Research  12. The Intensive Hour Technique: Random Time Sampling  13. Testing Self-Report Time Use Diaries Against Objective Instruments in Real Time  Section 2: Aspects of time use analysis  14. Incidence of Overlapping or Simultaneous Activities  15. Sequence Analysis of Time Use Patterns  16. Uses of Subjective Data in Time Use Analyses  17. Moving Between Different Levels of Hierarchical Time Use Data Files  18. The Multinational Time Use Study  19. Beyond GDP or SDGs: The Role of Time Diary Data and Subjective Well-being in Tracking and Driving Human Thriving n 20. The Care Economy and Unpaid Care: Contested Definitions and Methodological Challenges  21. Methods for Valuing the Output of Household Production Using Time Use and Other Data  22. The Gendered Value of Unpaid Care Work: Labour Input Approach