Women, Men, and Time: Gender Difference in Paid Work, Housework and Leisure

(Hardback)

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With the rise of the women's movement during the last 15 years, gender differences in the use of time have received increased attention. Shelton describes changes in women's and men's use of time and analyzes the factors associated with these patterns. Based on national survey data, this study focuses on gender differences in time given to household labour, paid labour, and leisure, and assesses the impact of personal characteristics and structural determinants on time use. While popular opinion holds that the roles of men and women have converged, Shelton concludes that important differences remain in their use of time. The authors begins by overviewing the available research on gender differences and time use. She then outlines her research methodology and analyzes the roles of women and men in the labour force. Shelton next examines changing trends in household labour and gender differences in leisure activities. The concluding chapter interprets her empirical findings and suggests the extent to which time use patterns can be placed within a larger context. Anyone interested in the sociology of gender should find this study enlightening.

Reviews

Shelton's book is very clearly written. It contains numerous tables presenting her results. She has thoroughly mined the data. The bibliography is excellent and could be very useful to anyone interested in the time men and women spend in the three areas studied.-The Journal of Consumer Affairs
Women, Men, and Time is a valuable resource for any researcher or student interested in how men and women allocate their time to the various claims on it, how the division of tasks has changed over time, and how various household and personal characteristics influence those decisions. Although Women, Men, and Time is designed to assess the wider association between gender and time use, the employed mother's 'double day' initially motivates Beth Anne Shelton's agenda....For those who like numbers, Shelton provides a comprehensive digest of men's and women's time use.-Journal of Marriage and The Family American Journal of Sociology
"Shelton's book is very clearly written. It contains numerous tables presenting her results. She has thoroughly mined the data. The bibliography is excellent and could be very useful to anyone interested in the time men and women spend in the three areas studied."-The Journal of Consumer Affairs
"Women, Men, and Time is a valuable resource for any researcher or student interested in how men and women allocate their time to the various claims on it, how the division of tasks has changed over time, and how various household and personal characteristics influence those decisions. Although Women, Men, and Time is designed to assess the wider association between gender and time use, the employed mother's 'double day' initially motivates Beth Anne Shelton's agenda....For those who like numbers, Shelton provides a comprehensive digest of men's and women's time use."-Journal of Marriage and The Family American Journal of Sociology

Author Bio

BETH ANNE SHELTON is Associate Professor in the Women's Studies Program at the University of Texas at Arlington. An authority on the sociology of gender, she has published extensively, including articles in the Journal of Marriage and the Family, Gender & Society, and the Journal of Family Issues.