ABSTRACT

TIME USE OF BEGINNING FAMILIES WITH
EMPLOYED AND UNEMPLOYED WIVES

By

Elizabeth Beard Goldsmith

This study was designed to investigate the quanti-
tative and qualitative aspects of time use of family
members in beginning families with employed and unemployed
wives. Quantitative time use was defined as the number
and kind of activities that occur at specific points in
time. Qualitative time use was defined as feelings about
time spent in those activities and the types of human
interaction taking place in activities. Data were also
collected about the aspirations and fears held by both
husbands and wives. Because of the exploratory, case
study nature of this study, research questions rather than
hypotheses were used.

Five beginning families with employed wives were
compared on the basis of time use and feelings about
time use with five beginning families with unemployed
wives. Husbands and wives had at least two years of

college education. Each family had one pre-school

Elizabeth Beard Goldsmith

child. Data were collected by interviewing and observing
families in their home, and by randomly telephoning hus-
bands and wives over a one week period.

Family aspirations and future time orientations were
measured by the Cantril Self-Anchoring Scale. Present
daily time use was collected from respondents' answers
to three telephone questions. Evening activities and
family interactions were observed and recorded by the
researcher during the home observations.

Beginning families felt optimistic about their
futures. They listed more hopes about the future than
fears. Wives felt slightly more optimistic than hus-
bands. Their goals were self and family-oriented rather
than politically or socially-oriented. The main goal of
beginning families was financial security and the main
fear was of financial problems.

The daily time use of employed wives was in many
ways more similar to the time use of the husbands in the
study than to the time use of the unemployed wives.
Unemployed wives spent more time with their children and
in doing household work than did employed wives. In the
evenings, employed wives spent more time in shared inter-
action with their husbands and children than did unem-
ployed wives. Employed wives reported only positive
feelings about child care activities, whereas, unemployed

wives reported both positive and negative feelings about

Elizabeth Beard Goldsmith

child care activities. Unemployed wives had more time for
leisure activities than did employed wives. Husbands of
beginning families took an active role in child care and
household work activities but usually wives spent more
time in both these areas.

The study provides some clues about beginning
families' time use as it relates to resource management
theory in which time is a limited resource to be allo-
cated. In general, husbands and wives of beginning
families reported feeling positive about how they pres-
ently allocate their time and optimistic about what the
future holds for them. The husbands reported contributing
more time to housework and child care than most previous
studies have shown. The employment of the wife affected
her daily time use. With the growing number of women
with small children entering the labor force, the time

use of beginning families merits further investigation.

TIME USE OF BEGINNING FAMILIES WITH

EMPLOYED AND UNEMPLOYED WIVES

By

Elizabeth Beard Goldsmith

A DISSERTATION

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Department of Family Ecology

1977

© COpyright by

ELI ZABETH BEARD GOLDS MI TH
1977

. ' I. l I‘ll . I A.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I wish to express appreciation to the members
of my guidance committee: Dr. E. Jane Oyer, adviser,
Dr. Beatrice Paolucci, dissertation director, and
Dr. Margaret Bubolz, College of Human Ecology, and
Dr. Henry Tosi, College of Business.

I would like to thank Dr. Mary Andrews, College
of Human Ecology for consultation in computer
programming, Dr. Gregory Duncan of the Survey Research
Center at the University of Michigan,and Dr. Katherine
Walker of Cornell University for methodology suggestions.

I would also like to express gratitude to my
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Irving W. Beard, for their
continued interest in my academic career.

To my husband, Ronald E. Goldsmith, my sincere

thanks for his support and encouragement.

ii

LIST OF
LIST OF
LIST OF
CHAPTER

I.

II.

III.

IV.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLES O O O O O O O O O O O I O O C O O
FIGURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

APPENDICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

INTRODUCTION 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O 0

Objectives . . . . . . .
Assumptions . . . .
Operational Definitions
Limitations of the Study
Conceptual Orientation .

REVIEW OF LITERATURE . . . . . . . . . .

Quantitative Approach to Time Use .
Qualitative Approach to Time Use . .
Time Use of Employed and Unemployed

Wives . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PROCEDURE 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O O 0

Selection and Description of
Subjects . . . . . . . .
Selection and Description of Data
Accumulation Methods . . . . . . .
Data Collection . . . . . . . . . .
Data Analysis . . . . . . . . . . .

FINDINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Comparison of Findings from Tele-
phoning and Observation Procedures

CASE STUDIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Hartmans . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Stephanos . . . . . .
Analysis of the Case Studies . . . .

iii

Page

vii
viii

mxzoxmr: H

11

13
20

25
29

29
35
45
A7

70
88

89
95
99

CHAPTER Page

VI. CONCLUSIONS, DISCUSSION, AND
IMPLICATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Discussion of Findings . . . . . . . . . . 104
Implications for Further Research . . . . 113
LITERATURE CITED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

APPENDICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

iv

LIST OF TABLES
Table Page

1. Present Occupation of Husbands and Wives
and Former Occupation of Wives . . . . . . . . 33

2. Kind and Percentage of Activities
Reported During Telephone Interviews . . . . . A9

3. Activity and Average Number of Minutes
Spent by Husbands and Wives in Observed
Evening Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

A. Number and Type of Interaction Episodes
Observed I O O O O O O O I O O O O C O O O O O 53

5. Percentage of Activities Reported Taking
Place in a Particular Location . . . . . . . . 5H

6. Percentage of Activities Observed in a
Particular Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

7. Percentage of Activities Reported
Involving Other People . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

8. Kind and Percentage of Interaction
Activities Observed . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

9. Kind and Percentage of Feelings Expressed
by Husbands and Wives . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

10. Kind and Percentage of Feelings Expressed
by Husbands and Wives . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

ll. Kind and Percentage of Activities Eliciting
Negative Feelings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

12. Kind and Percentage of Activities Eliciting
Neutral Feelings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

13. Kind and Percentage of Activities Eliciting
Positive Feelings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6h

Table Page

14. Percentage of Negative Feelings Expressed
Related to a Particular Location . . . . . . . 66

15. Percentage of Neutral Feelings Expressed
Related to a Particular Location . . . . . . . 67

16. Percentage of Positive Feelings Expressed
Related to a Particular Location . . . . . . . 67

17. Percentage of Negative Feelings Expressed
Related to Particular People . . . . . . . . . 68

18. Percentage of Neutral Feelings Expressed
Related to Particular People . . . . . . . . . 68

19. Percentage of Positive Feelings Expressed
Related to Particular People . . . . . . . . . 69

20. Proportion of Time Spent in Various
Activities as Determined by the Tele-
phoning and Observation Procedures . . . . . . 71

21. Kind of Goals Expressed by Husbands and
Wives 0 O O O I O I O O O O I O O O O O 0 O 0 7‘4

22. Kind of Fears Expressed by Husbands and
Wives O O O I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 77

23. Kind of Reasons Given for Support of
Husbands and Wives Present Ladder
Ratings 0 O O O O O O O O O I O O O O O O O O 8“

2A. Kind of Activities Which Husbands and

Wives Said They Were Doing to Reach
Their Future Ladder Ratings . . . . . . . . . 86

vi

Figure

LIST OF FIGURES
Page
Wives' Present and Future Ladder Rankings . . . 79

Husband's Present and Future Ladder
Rankings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Present Ladder Rankings of Husbands and
Wives O O O O O O O O O O O O O O I O O O O O 81

Future Ladder Rankings of Husbands and
Wives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

vii

LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix Page
A. Test Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Self-Anchoring Scale Questions . . . . . . 12S
Ten Step (Rung) Ladder . . . . . . . . . . 126

B. Data Gathering Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Questionnaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Telephone Card Format . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Family Observation Guide . . . . . . . . . 131

C. Random Telephone Sampling Guide . . . . . . . . 132

D. Codebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

E. Activity Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lUS

viii

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

There is an increased concern cross-culturally of
the significance of the household contribution to the
total economic and social welfare of the population. Much
of this concern stems from the increasing proportion of
women with families entering the labor force and the
accompanying concern of the affect of women‘s employment
on the well being of the family, and in particular, the
development of the child. The means for identifying both
qualitatively and quantitatively the daily activities of
family members and the interrelations which make important
differences, at varying levels of resource development,
have been elusive. Because of the increasing economic
and social value of the role of family members in broad
aspects of human resource development, there is a need
for both insight and information from the perspective of
the household economy.

Time is a non-material entity which consciously or
unconsciously influences the activities of families.
It is a concept which is culturally and historically
defined. Time has been a subject of study by

l

professionals such as sociologists, philosophers, human-
ists, linguists, geologists, urban planners, historians,
psychologists, astronomers, and anthropologists as well
as home economists. This has led to a variety of inter-
disciplinary perspectives regarding the use, value, and
meaning of time.

Time has been a source of speculation for centuries.
Its meaning in a philosophical sense dates back at least
to the Pre-Socratic Age of Greece in the sixth century
B.C. During this period of history, Heraclitus specu-
lated about the rhythm of events and the order in change
as the reason of the universe (Chapin, 197A).

The use of time as a basis for studying social
behavior is a comparatively recent development in
the social sciences. Its theoretical significance
centers around the idea that time is a limited resource
with economic characteristics of scarcity and alterna-
tive uses. The use of time in household studies first
emerged in the twentieth century (Chapin, 197A). In
his survey of time-budget studies, Szalai (1972) noted
that the first studies of time use in Europe were those
undertaken in the early years of Soviet Union economic
planning. Further, Szalai (1972) reported a veritable
explosion of studies in the sixties in Eastern and
Western Europe, as well as in the United States, which

is continuing in the seventies.

According to family management theory, time has
been considered a resource which may be utilized to
help families attain desired goals. The family is an
essential life support system for its members providing
not only care and protection but also the essential
functions of education or socialization. As families
seek to improve the well being of their members, they
make decisions about the way they will allocate time
to particular activities. Thus, time use is not static;
it is being continually altered to meet the changing
needs of the family members. These changing needs
demand a reallocation of families use of time. Research
by Walker and Woods (l976)indicatesttat the presence
of a pre-school child in the family resulted in a
reallocation of the time use of mothers. A major change
of families in the 1970's has been an increase of
women with pre-school children in the labor force (Vanek,
1973). Relatively little is known about the total daily
distribution of time of both parents when there is a
pre-school child in the family. Walker and Woods (1976),
for example, collected and analyzed some data about the
time use of beginning families. However, most of this
time use information was gathered from the wife/mother
only.

There is a need to gain more insight into both the

allocation of time in these families and to gain

understanding of the quality of this time use. This
kind of information should be useful to family
professionals who can help families more effectively
utilize their time and increase their satisfaction with

their quality of life.

Objectives

The objectives of the study are:

1. To compare the allocation of time in
beginning families with employed and
unemployed wives.

2. To determine the kinds of activities to
which beginning families with employed
and unemployed wives allocate time.

3. To identify certain qualitative aspects of
time use in activities of beginning
families with employed and unemployed wives.

A. To identify the goals of husbands and wives
in beginning families with employed and
unemployed wives.

5. To explore the possible relationship of
quantitative and qualitative time allocations
to present and future goal attainment.

This study is designed to answer specific questions

regarding use of time in beginning families with a

preschool child. Specifically, answers to the following

questions will be sought:

1.

What daily activities command the time of
husbands and wives in beginning families

with employed and unemployed wives?

Where do husbands and wives in beginning
families with employed and unemployed wives
spend their time?

With whom do husbands and wives in beginning
families with employed and unemployed wives
spend their time?

How do husbands and wives in beginning families
with employed and unemployed wives feel about
their time allocations?

What are the goals aspired to by husbands and
wives in beginning families with employed and

unemployed wives?

Assumptions

Several assumptions underlie this study:

1.

Each person allocates time to activities to
meet personal needs as well as the needs of
their spouse and children.

Clock time is an efficient measure for

identifying activity by time and place.

3.

Interviewing, observing, and telephoning
families generates valid data of how families

use time.

Operational Definitions

For the purpose of this study, the operational

definitions include the following:

1.

Time: A system of measuring in which hours
and sequential episodes are used as quantifiers.

Allocation of Time: The assignment of time to

 

activity.
Time Use: The placement of an action or
event (activity) in time.

Amount of Time Spent: A specific measure of

 

the duration of an activity or event; i.e.,
number of minutes, hours, days, weeks, years.

Beginning Family: A mother, father, and a

 

pre-school child.

Quantitative Time Use: Number, kind, and/or

 

duration of activities that occur at specific
points in time.

Qualitative Time Use: Feelings about time spent

 

in activities and types of human interaction
taking place in activities.

Shared Activity: Two or more family members

 

engaged in a common activity where there is

10.

verbal, non-verbal and/or physical interaction.
Example: a husband and a wife preparing a
meal and talking together.

Joint Activity: Two or more family members

 

engaged in separate or parallel activities
where there is minimal verbal and/or physical
interaction. Example: father watching
television in the living room and making
occasional comments to his wife who is setting
the table in the kitchen.

Goals: Statements of aspirations, hopes, and

wishes (Cantril, 1963).

Limitations of the Study

The sample was a purposive one, and no claim
is made for representation of a general
population of beginning families.
Limitations placed upon the sample such as
that families be intact may have biased it
in favor of those which were more highly
integrated.

Observations were not randomly determined.
They took place on a weekday evening for each
family at the convenience of the family.
Seasonal or crisis alterations in time use

were not observed.

A. Duration of activities was not measured in
the telephone sampling.
5. Influence of the observer on the families'

time use is not known.

Conceptual Orientation

Management in the family is directed toward the
effective and efficient use of resources to achieve
goal satisfaction. Family management specialists
are concerned with the use of resources by families
and ways in which those resources affect both the
quality of life within the household and the effect
that this resource use might have on systems outside
the family such as the work environment. Time is a
resource that is common to all households. Time is
viewed as an economic resource by family economic
professionals because it can be allocated to diverse
family activities to meet varying family goals. Time
is a resource which can be managed in that it can be
measured, spent, wasted, and allocated. It is considered
an influential resource because it affects each person's
goal attainment and the development or use of other
resources (Nickell, Rice, and Tucker, 1976).

Through management, families make decisions about
the allocation of time to meet specific goals and a

given quality of life.

Temporal resources are considered a part of the
human resource. Clock time has the unique characteristic
of being the one resource constant in amount for all
persons and is, therefore, highly measurable and can
be utilized for comparison purposes. So although all
families have the same amount of time, they differ in
their orientations to and use of time. Families
may use time in different ways in different physical,
social, and economic environments(Meerloo, 1970).

Their stage in the family life cycle may affect a
family's time use (Nickell, Rice, and Tucker, 1976).
Families organize activities in time in some arrange-
ment of planned events and assign responsibilities;

they also make decisions about use of free discretionary
time, i.e. choices of activities, in time, that are not
filled with family and employment responsibilities that
must occur at a given time.

The management of the time resource in the family
must take into consideration the quantitative time,
i.e. hours, minutes, but also psychological time
(Nickell, Rice, and Tucker, 1976). Psychological time
is an individual's characteristic method of perceiving
the passage of time and one's feelings about both the
use and perception of activities within time spans.
Feelings about time use vary from person to person so

that time spent in a particular activity might be one

1|." I‘[ III! 1| I" 1
[All‘ [III

lO

person's Joy while it might be another person's

drudgery while at the same time a similar task might
have a different psychological meaning at a different
point in time. This study should provide insight

into the effect that the employment status of the

wife has on beginning families' time use and on feelings

about time use.

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

In this chapter, literature related to time use
by families is reviewed. The review is organized to
include methods of measuring quantitative and qualita-
tive aspects of time use and how time is used in
families with employed and unemployed wives.

Time studies within home management have tended
to emphasize the quantitative aspects, amount of time
spent, rather than the qualitative aspects of time
use. In the United States, some of the earliest
experiences in using time allocation as a basis for
studying human effort come from studies of factory
management by Frederick Taylor(l9ll) in the early
1900's. Taylor is viewed as the pioneer of "time and
motion" studies, sometimes alluded to as the beginning
of what is now known as the management sciences
(Chapin, 197A). He first introduced the idea of
measuring time precisely in order to examine specific
activities with the intent of finding ways to reduce the
amount of time used in particular work activity.
Family management researchers adopted the "time and

11

12

motion" approach in order to probe the precise amount

of time used in household work activities with the intent
of increasing household efficiency (Glazer-Malbin,

1976). For example, they might disaggregate baking into
the specific movements involved in putting a cake into
the oven (Steidl and Bratton, 1968).

A concern for alleviating the work of farm women
gave impetus to time-budget studies in the United States
which were sponsored by the Home Economics Bureau of
the United States Department of Agriculture in the
1920's and 1930's. These studies focused primarily on
the quantitative amount of time spent in household work
by farm women. One of the most frequently quoted of
these time-budget studies was done in Oregon by Wilson
(1929) who investigated the time use of 500 farm homemakers.

Warren (1938) was the first researcher to demonstrate
that household production could be measured in work
units. She developed a scheme for determining the
average time costs of doing a certain quantity of work.
Warren found that the amount of time spent on each house-
hold work activity varied according to such factors as
number of family members, age of youngest child, or size
of dwelling unit. She was the first researcher to
demonstrate that household production could be measured.
Her work unit measure was acclaimed as a significant

development in family management because it enabled

l3

researchers to quantify the average time cost of doing

a certain amount of work.

During the same period in EurOpe, the 1930's,
the first time-budget studies were those being
undertaken in the early years of the Soviet Union's
Economic Planning (Szalai, 1972). In recent years,
a large variety of quantitative time—budget data
have been gathered by researchers in several nations to

compare and contrast time use in different countries.

Quantitative Approach to Time Use

Time use studies conducted by family management re-
searchers have focused primarily on the duration and
order of activities in the household using a consistent,
clock time measure. A few studies have looked at the
order and sequencing of activities. The typical format
in which data for quantitative time-budget studies are
presented is: number of hours and minutes spent daily
in sleeping, housework, eating, child care, and other
activities by a person belonging to a given group.

The data are usually collected by means of self
reports, i.e. diaries. These daily duration data can
be useful if carefully collected and analyzed, but they
do have some limitations. Time—budget data of this kind
lack the necessary depth for penetrating analysis of

social behavior (Szalai, 1972). Another limitation of

1A

the duration time-budget data as used in the diary
records is that only primary activities are recorded so
that secondary or parallel activities often go unrecorded.
For instance, many people while watching television also
do handicrafts, read, or eat but the time-budget study
using a diary record data collection method may only
allow for the television viewing to be recorded. In most
diary record studies only one member of the household,
usually the wife/mother, reports on the time use of her
family as in the Walker-Telling study (Walker and Woods,
1976). In effect, most time-budget studies have been
limited in presenting a balanced, objective account of
the great variety of activities that fill up a family's
everyday life. In some studies, this bias is partially
eliminated by using trained observers for recording
activity durations rather than relying on a single
family member to list family activities and time durations.
Nelson (1963) criticized the diary record methodology
because diary studies were time consuming and require
c00perative and intelligent subjects so that homemakers
with little education were not represented in the time-
budget studies.

One of the most extensive quantitative time use
studies using diary record methodology was the 1967-
1968 Walker-Telling study of 1,296 families in the

Syracuse, New York area (Walker and Woods, 1976).

15

This study required the homemaker to fill out a 2&-

hour diary chart listing types of family activities,
activity participants, and length of time involved in

the activity. The concern of the Walker-Telling study was
with two measurable aspects of household production:
1. the amount of time spent to keep a house running and
2. the amount of goods and services resulting from the
time spent. The purpose of the Walker-Telling research
was to develop a measure with which to quantify the
non-market production of the household. They found that
husbands tended to spend more time in child care
activities with the first child than with succeeding
children.

Data collected in diaries often gave amount of
time used in a given activity related to specific goals
such as the development of human capital. Natali (1975)
in his study of maternal time use and school achievement
also used the diary record methodology. He found that
mothers spent more time on household-related activities
with children doing well academically and more time
on education-related activities with children who are
less successful in school. He also found that mothers
with more education and higher status jobs estimated
they had less contact with their children than mothers

with less education and lower status jobs.

16

Natali's study is an example of the new interest in
researching the connection between time use and the
investment in human capital. Mincer and Polachek (197“,
p. 398) theorized that:

. . . family investments and time allocations
are linked: while the current distribution of
human capital influences the current allocation
of time within the family, the prospective
allocation of time influences current investments
in human capital. The differential allocation of
time and of investments in human capital are
generally sex linked and subject to technological
and cultural changes. The loss or reduction of
market earnings of mothers due to demands on
their time in child rearing represents a measure
of family investment in the human capital of
their children.

Each family tries to maximize its utility within the
boundaries of its disposable income and the total amount
of working time available (Gronau, 1974). On the

basis of recent research, Nerlove (197M) postulated

that much investment which occurs in the economy,
crucial to the understanding of long-term growth, takes
place through human beings rather than physical capital.
Hill and Stafford (1971) observed that the mother's

time investment in her children varies between socio-
economic status groups.

Another way of measuring time use quantitatively
is the recall method. Wiegand (1952) used a recall
method to gain daily time use information from families.

Selected homemakers were asked to recall the previous

day's activities verbally with a trained interviewer

17

recording the homemaker's responses. This method

has the advantages of allowing the homemaker to verbally

respond rather than having to keep a written record

which in itself interrupts normal daily activities.

This method also allows the trained interviewer to ask

the homemaker to clarify and more fully describe her

family's daily activities than can be done in written

form. The recall method has the limitation of having

to rely on the respondent's memory of past events.
Another method for quantitatively studying time

use is by observation. Observation has been used

extensively in anthropological case studies (Spradley,

1975). Compton (1970, p. 2A7) describes a case study

as a "social microscope." Babbie (1973, p. 37) said that:

It is important to realize that this

approach [the case study] to social research differs
radically from others . . . in terms of scientific
objectives. Whereas most research aims directly
at generalized understanding, the case study is
directed initially at the comprehensive understanding
of a single, idiosyncratic case. Whereas most
research attempts to limit the number of variables
considered, the case study seeks to maximize them.
Ultimately, the researcher executing a case study
typically seeks insights that will have a more

generalized applicability beyond the single case

under study, but the case study itself cannot assure
this.

Webb (1966) pointed out that using time duration
observation is practical for only relatively short

periods of time and the method is predisposed to measure-
ment of the individual, not groups. He emphasized that the

size of the group may be an important factor in the degree

18

of observation consciousness. One main advantage of
using the observation technique is that it allows opportun-
ity for collecting qualitative data as well as

quantitative data. Nelson (1963) used the observation
technique in her time use study of the activity patterns

of Costa Rican homemakers. She observed and recorded
the precise way, duration, and sequencing of specific
activities. Nelson found that the most pervasive time
use goal of these homemakers appeared to be working in
relatively long, continuous, uninterrupted time periods.

Erasmus (19H8), in his work pattern study of Mayo
villagers, observed the villagers'activities and found
that economic activities dominated the men's day and
household chores dominated the women's day. He made
5,000 observations sampling sporadically over a three-
month period. For each villager activity observed, he
recorded who was involved, the duration, and type of
activity.

Often, observation is combined with another research
technique such as diary records, or survey. One of the
advantages of undertaking a multimethod approach is
that it gives the researcher the opportunity to cross-
check the validity of the data gathered. Berk (1976)
gives this as his reason for using three methods in
the study of wives' time use. His study included:

observation in 40 households, a AO-minute telephone

19

interview survey of 309 married women from intact
households, and a 24-hour self-administered diary from

a self—selected subset of 158 survey respondents.

Berk (1976) is one of the few researchers who used the
telephone interviewing technique; however, he used

it primarily to gain demographic data about the family
rather than to gather detailed data on time use. He
relied almost exclusively on the 2U-hour self-
administered diary.

Telephone sampling has been suggested as a way
of gathering family data. Mitchell and Rogers (1960)
suggested that there are several advantages to using
telephone interviewing in home economics research.
They point out that when compared to personal interviews
or mailed questionnaires, telephone interviewing is
characterized by a lower per interview cost, a higher
rate of response, and a greater degree of control over
interviewers. They also note that the telephone
interview removes some of the biases present in the
personal interview from the effect of appearance, facial
expressions, and mannerisms.

Szalai (1972) assembled data on time use from
studies conducted in 12 countries including the United
States. This was an important attempt to compare
quantitative time-budget data cross-culturally. An

example of the study's findings was that on the average

20

across 11 countries people spent about 85 minutes a

day eating exclusive of related activities such as food
preparation and washing dishes. There was a considerable
cultural variation of more than 20 percent above and
below this figure. In France, people spent on the average
106 minutes per day eating. Szalai said that now enough
quantitative data on time use has been collected; that
time use researchers should go beyond the mere budgeting
of durations into the realm of the qualitative aspects

of time use. The first step in time research is to
discover how time is spent; the second step is to

explore the "whys" behind these allocations.

Qualitative Approach to Time Use

The early time budget studies concentrated on
determining how much time was spent in certain human
activities, particularly those related to the household.
Nelson (1963) pointed out that the importance of events
is a variable which cannot be calculated directly by
clock time since it cannot be assumed that amount of
time spent in activities is synonymous with importance.
The qualitative approach attempts to investigate the
meaning or significance of time use as well as how the
individual feels about his/her time use, i.e. the
satisfaction that it generates. Since the 1960's,

some researchers have endeavored to explore the

21

qualitative aspects of time use. This interest in the
meaning of time use is partially an outgrowth of the
developing concern about the overall quality of
family life and the development of human potential.

One study which focused on the qualitative aspects
of time use was the Davey (1971) study. She analyzed
the Walker-Telling data to explore family interaction
patterns. Interaction in family activities was viewed
as a means for forming and developing values, attitudes,
and skills in family members. She selected a purposive
subsample of 126 families from the 1,296 families in
the Walker-Telling study. Using this subsample, Davey
coded data relative to the shared time of family members
in five categories: social, eating, household work,
physical, and other care of family members and manage-
ment and record keeping. She found that mothers shared
significantly more time with their children than did
their fathers. She also found that certain situations
provided a setting for increased interaction. Davey
concluded that interaction increased as follows:

1. on weekends compared to weekdays,

2. during mornings and afternoons
compared to evenings,

3. during school vacations compared
with other seasons,

u. with decrease in the time children
spend in school,

5. with increase in social activities.

Berk's (1976) study of household work explored not

only the quantitative aspects but also the qualitative

22

aspects of household work. He was interested in finding
out how women felt about their household work. In his
sample, A3 percent of the women were employed outside
the home full-time. He found that married women do most
of the household tasks, that they do most of the tasks
even if they work full-time outside the home, and in
general they seem resigned to the situation. According
to Berk's findings, younger couples were not any more
equitable in their allocation of household tasks than
older age couples.

Education seemed to have no impact in time
allocated to household work or household work divisions.
Berk's (1976, p. 17) field notes supported Oakley's
(1974) observation that participation of husbands and
children tends to be defined as "help" while
"responsibility" for the work remains with the wife.
Berk (1976, p. 20) concluded that:

. The rhetoric of women's liberation may
thrive and its content may be recognized by

growing numbers. However, like the life portrayed

in movie magazines or romantic novels, the message

may remain in the realm of fantasy with few
meaningful links to everyday pressures of endless
cleaning, crying children, rude repairmen, and
tired husbands.

Szalai (1972) suggested that time researchers should
turn their attention to the spatial or locational aspects
of time use. Time researchers should ask, "Where do

family members spend their time?" Further he pointed

out that:

23

. . of perhaps still greater interest is

to learn about the company they have during the

day: how much of the time they spend with their

family, with neighbors, with friends, and col-

leagues, in the midst of anonymous crowds, or

simply alone . . . With whom do people spend their

time? (Szalai, 1972, p. 173).
Davey (1971) and Magrabi, Paolucci, and Heifner (1967)
explored the "with whom" question in their studies of
family interaction and communication patterns as they
relate to time use. Davey found, for example, that
there was more shared interaction between mother and
child than between father and child. Magrabi, Paolucci,
and Heifner developed a framework for characterizing
family activities in terms of the dimensions of time,
participants, communications, space, and equipment and
material. They theorized that the family can be
meaningfully studied through observation of activity
patterns which change over time.

Another question Szalai suggested to ask is: "How
do families feel about their time use?" Berk (1976)
was one of the few time researchers who explored the
feelings aspect. He concentrated specifically on
"how do women feel about the household work they do?"
He found that wives feel neutral about all household
tasks except child care. Child care evoked diverse

feelings including some negative and neutral feelings

but the dominant feeling was positive or often

2A

the mothers reported that time spent in child care
was rewarding.

One method that has proved useful in business
management work sampling studies has been the self-
observational central-signaling method. Carroll and
Taylor (1968) used this method to study the time alloca-
tion of 28 managers in a division of a chemical
products company. Participants were signaled by flash-
ing overhead lights at a random time during each half-
hour of the working day for two weeks. Upon being
signaled, the manager described the activity he was
engaged in at that time, the type of person he was with,
and subject or purpose of the activity. The largest
percentage of the sampled time was found to be spent
in "writing, research, and review" (Taylor, 1968, p. 363).

Time use data has been gathered primarily from
wives. In a nationwide time study currently underway,
Berk (1976) is including the husband's point of view.
There is a need to include the husband's and the
children's viewpoints (if the children are old enough
to verbally communicate) and to gather qualitative data
about the total daily activities families are engaged
in not just the household work activities exclusively.
There have been a number of significant studies
exploring the quantitative aspects of time use but

there have been very few studies which have gathered

25

qualitative data, and even fewer studies which have
examined the quantitative and qualitative aspects of
time use simultaneously. As Szalai (1972) suggested,
time use data needs to be enriched by including
participants involved, the place, and the feelings

associated with activities.

Time Use of Employed and Unemployed Wives

There have been only a few time use studies which
have focused on the differences and similarities between
the daily activities of employed and unemployed wives.
Wiegand's (1952) study was one of the first in this area.
From her sample of 350 unemployed and employed homemakers,
She found that the amount of help or cooperation the
homemakers received from family members was negligible.

Vanek's (1973) study revealed that in recent years
no change was observed in the time spent in household
work by unemployed women. However, employed women
spent considerably less time in household work than
unemployed. Vanek felt that the differential time
expenditures in household work between employed and
unemployed women can be explained by the notion that
employed women contributed to family resources in
additional ways so they are not constrained to spend
such high amounts of time in household work. Vanek

stated that the time that employed women spent in

26

household work approximates the irreducible amount

of time necessary to keep a household. She concluded

that the additional time spent in homemaking by
unemployed women represents just keeping busy.

Walker and Woods (1976) report similar findings.
They found that for all of the regular household work
activities except marketing, employed wives spent
less time than those unemployed in all or nearly all
family size and age of youngest child categories.
The average daily time spent by employed wives on all
household work was two to two and one-half hours less
than that of the unemployed at each number of children,
and from one and one—half to two and one-fourth hours
less at each age of youngest child. Employed wives
spent at least an hour a day less on all family care
in all family sizes except the largest. The age of the
youngest child was strongly related to wives' use of time
for all family and physical care; the time spent on
these activities by the unemployed and also by the
employed wives increased regularly and substantially.
Both employed and unemployed wives spent more time on
all household work when age of the youngest child was
lower. Therefore, one of the conclusions of the Walker
and Woods (1976) study was that women's daily time use
is greatly affected by her employment status and age

of the youngest child.

27

Berk's (1976) study confirmed many of the findings
of the Walker and Woods (1976) study including that
husbands do only a small portion of the housework regard-
less of the wife's employment status. Berk (1976) .
found that women do 88 percent of the meal preparation,
86 percent of the tasks involved in cleaning the kitchen,
92 percent of the laundry tasks, 89 percent of the
straightening tasks, 74 percent of the outside errands,
and 76 percent of "other" household tasks. Men only
dominated in household repair in which they did 72
percent of the repair tasks. All these percentages were
calculated from answers given by the wives and observations
of the wives in their homes.

Using household work time as the dependent variable,
time budget researchers have found that the wife
contributes many more hours of work than either her
husband or children regardless of her employment status
(Cowles and Dietz, 1956; Szalai, 1972; Vanek, 1973).

In addition, those who calculate dollar values for
household work have concluded that the wife's dollar
contribution to the household is significantly greater
than other household members, despite her investments
in outside employment (Gauger, 1973; Walker and Gauger,

1973).
These time use studies indicate that the employment

status of the wife and the presence of a pre-school

28

child in the home are critical determinants of beginning
families' time use. More needs to be known about how
these two variables affect the time use of not only

the wife but also the other members of beginning families
and also how they affect families' time use in their
total daily activities besides household work.

The preceding review of literature has undertaken
to identify the viability of various methods of data
collection and to gain some insight into time use of
employed and unemployed wives. It is hOped that this
study will provide insights into the relationship
between the use of one family resource, i.e. time,
and the attainment of family goals. This study will
attempt to investigate the quantitative and qualitative

time use of employed and unemployed wives.

CHAPTER III

PROCEDURE

The procedures used in the study are presented in
four parts: selection and description of subjects;
selection and description of data accumulation

methods; data collection; and data analysis.

Selection and Description
of Subjects

The following selection criteria were used to
assure that the families would have as much in common
as possible. Selection criteria were: 1. intact
three member families; 2. husbands and wives with ages
between 22 and 35; 3. husbands and wives each having
two or more years of college education; A. one pre-school
child per family between the ages of six months and
four years; 5. no persons other than the three member
family residing in the home; 6. Caucasian; 7. husbands
were employed full-time; 8. one-half of the wives
were employed full-time; 9. one—half of the wives
were unemployed; and 10. willingness of the families

to participate in the study.
29

3O

Twenty-three names of families were obtained
from a cooperative nursery school and from acquaint-
ances and business associates of the investigator.
From this number, ten families were located who met the
selection criteria and were willing to participate in

the study.

Ages and Sex of Children

 

One of the criteria used in the selection of
subjects was that they have only one child and that
one child was between the ages of six months and four
years. The children's ages ranged between seven months
and four years with the mean age being 23.5 months.
Five of the children were males and five of the children

were females.

Ages of Husbands and Wives

 

Wives were slightly younger than husbands and
unemployed wives were younger than employed wives. The
age of unemployed wives ranged from 24 to 35 years with
a mean age of 28. The employed wives ranged in age from
29 to 33 years with a mean age of 31. The husbands of
unemployed wives ranged in age from 2A to 35 with a
mean age of 29.6. The husbands of employed wives
ranged in age from 29 to 3A years with a mean age of

31.2.

31

Years of Education of Husbands and Wives

 

Years of education were similar between both
groups of wives; however, husbands of unemployed
wives had more education than husbands of employed
wives. The unemployed wives had from four to six
years of college education with a mean of 4.6. The
employed wives had from three to six years of college
education with a mean of 4.4. The husbands of un—
employed wives had from four to eight years of college
education with a mean of 6. The husbands of employed
wives had from two to six years of college education

with a mean of 4.4.

Years Married

 

On the average, the couples in this sample had
been married six years. The couples with unemployed
wives had been married a mean of 6.1 years. The
couples with employed wives had been married a mean

of 5.9 years.

Residence

 

The couples in this sample had lived in their
present home for almost 2 1/2 years. The couples
with unemployed wives had lived in their present homes
a mean of 2.1 years. The couples with employed wives

had lived in their homes a mean of 2.8 years.

32

Six of the families lived in single family homes
which they owned. One family lived in a single family
home which they rented. The remaining three families
rented duplexes. The average number of rooms, excluding
bathrooms, was 7.4. The mean number of bathrooms was
approximately 1 1/2 bathrooms per family.

Eight of the homes had garages. All of the homes
had basements and five of the homes had an attic.

Four of the homes had storage sheds in the backyards.
All of the homes had gas heating systems with the
exception of an older farm house which used oil for
heating.

Families varied in their possession of labor
saving devices. Three of the families had a dishwasher
and a garbage disposal. Another three families had
both of these appliances plus a freezer. One family
had a garbage disposal only. Another family had a
garbage disposal and a freezer. One family had a gar-
bage disposal, freezer, and micro-wave oven. Two of
the employed wives said they wished they had a micro-

wave oven and they planned to get one in the future.

Transportation

 

All husbands and wives had driver's licenses. Six
of the families owned one automobile; one family had a

automobile and a van. The remaining three families owned

33

two automobiles; each of these families had an employed

wife.

Occupations of Husbands and Wives

 

Table 1 lists the occupations of each husband and
wife. The former occupations of the unemployed wives
are also listed. All the employed parents held white
collar jobs. In four out of the ten families the parents
had similar occupations.

Table 1.-—Present Occupation of Husbands and Wives and
Former Occupation of Wives.

 

Present Occupation Former Occupation

 

 

Family Husband Wife Wife
1 Day care teacher Unemployed Day care teacher
2 Film-maker Unemployed Elementary teacher
3 Attorney Unemployed Nurse
4 Urban planner High school
teacher
5 Social worker Social worker
6 Shop foreman Office
supervisor
7 Health Child
administrator specialist
8 Nuclear lab
administrator Unemployed Day care teacher
9 Professor Unemployed Buyer
10 Owner of Registered nurse
construction and college
company instructor

 

Four of the unemployed wives said they were considering

changing to careers other than the ones they had previously

34

held or going back to college when their child was older.

In one family, the unemployed wife who was formerly a
nurse indicated that she planned to return to nursing
in a few years, but was currently enjoying not working.
The employed wives generally expressed enthusiasm about
their careers and did not indicate that they planned

any extensive career changes.

Child Care Services

 

Families used different types of child care
services. Four of the families with unemployed wives
used occasional care by relatives or friends or a paid
babysitter less than five times per month. One family
with an unemployed wife sent her child to a cooperative
nursery school two mornings a week. The parents of this
child were very active in the nursery school; the
father had just been elected president of the school's
board of directors.

Four families with employed wives used a paid
babysitter daily and occasional paid babysitters in
the evening. In three of these families, the babysitter
came daily into the home. One family sent their child
to a neighbor's home. The other family with an employed
wife sent her child to a nursery school daily and

occasionally used paid babysitters in the evening.

35

Pets

 

Seven out of the ten families had either a cat or
dog or both. Three of the families had tropical fish.
Only one family did not have pets. Usually pet care

was the wife's responsibility.

Selection and Description of
Data Accumulation Methods

Based on the discussion of the appropriateness as
well as the limitations cited by previous researchers
(Walker and Woods, 1976; Vanek, 1973; Nelson, 1963)
it was decided that three methods would be used to
gather data from both husbands and wives: 1. home
interview; 2. randomized telephone interviews; and 3.
family observation. The initial interview was used to
gather demographic data and to administer the Cantril
Self-Anchoring Scale (see Appendix A) to gain insight
into the family's goals and its perception of present
and future goal achievement. The purposes of the
initial interview were to gain demographic information
about the family, to administer the Cantril Self-Anchoring
Scale, and to allow the interviewer to explain the
telephoning procedure for the upcoming week in which
the family would be involved. The telephone interview
was selected to gather quantitative data about the

number and kind of daily activities family members were

36

involved in and to add insight into the qualitative
aspects of time use such as who was involved in the
activity and how the respondent felt about the
activity. The observation of the total family in its
natural setting was used in order to gain insight
into the qualitative aspects, especially into family
member interaction. The evening observation time was
viewed as discretionary time in that the family was
under less restraint relative to specific routines.
The hours between 5:30 and 8:00 p.m. were selected
because it was a time when family members were at
home and awake.

A pilot study was conducted during the planning
stage of this study in order to subject the three
methods (home interview, telephone interview, and
observation) to the practical test. The pilot study
involved one beginning family that fit all the selection
criteria except that the husband was a student and worked
only part-time. The home interview, telephone
interviews, and observation were conducted in the same
manner as was planned for the ten—family study. On
the basis of the pilot study, the observation form was
changed to a more efficient recording form and the
manner of introduction by the telephone interviewer
was revised. The pilot study demonstrated that the

three-part methodology was a feasible way to gather

37

both quantitative and qualitative information on how
beginning families spend their time.
The methods used are discussed in the chronological

order in which they were carried out for each family.

Home Interview

 

The home interview was divided into two essential
parts. The first part consisted of 19 questions designed
to gather demographic data from the husbands and wives.
The second part consisted of administering the Cantril
Self-Anchoring Scale (Cantril, 1963). This scale and
the questionnaire can be found in Appendix A. The
self—anchoring scale is made up of six open-ended
questions which allow the husbands and wives to respond
freely about their goals. It was used to gain insight
into the family member's orientation to the present and
future and as a means of assessing their aspirations
for the present and future. Home interviews were

carried out by the investigator.

Telephone Interview

 

The major purpose of the telephone interviews was
to get immediate, on the spot descriptions of husbands'
and wives' activities. In addition, the telephone inter-
view was used to gather data about the place of the

activity, who was involved in it, and how they felt

38

about it. The telephone call methodology was based on

the research of Stephen Carroll and William Taylor (1968).

Telephone calls were made by a telephone inter-
viewer who was trained by the researcher. Each
family received 32 calls: 16 calls for each husband,
and 16 calls for each wife over a one week period
beginning on a Monday morning and ending on the next
Sunday evening (see Appendix C). For each call the
interviewer would introduce herself by saying,
"Hello, I am your telephone interviewer for the time
use studyfl'and then she would ask the following three
questions:

1. What are you doing?

2. With whom are you doing it?

3. How do you feel about it?

The husbands and wives responded freely to these open-

ended questions.

Family Observation

 

The observations were made by the investigator.
Detailed field notes were made during the observations.
The activities of each family member were clock-timed;
the place and the involvement of family members
was recorded. Family observations primarily were used
to acquire quantitative data about activities and to
gain insight into the shared and joint activity of

family members. These occasions were believed to

39

give insights into the shared meanings in the family,
such as the formation of values and the socialization of
the children. The observations also served to confirm
as much as possible the validity of the home interview
and telephone call responses.

The observations were carried out on a weekday
evening from 5:30-8:00 p.m. The observation guide

may be found in Appendix A.

Data Collection

To arrange for the home interview, nine of the
families were contacted by telephone by the researcher.
The other family was contacted in person by the
researcher after being introduced to the family
member by a neighbor. During the initial contact,
the investigator inquired about the family members'
ages, number of children, and other demographic details,
and then explained the purpose of the study and asked
if they would be willing to participate. The ten
families who fit the criteria and who agreed to partici-

pate were then interviewed in their homes.

Home Interview

 

All of the initial interviews were completed in
a three month period (February to April, 1976). Before

the interview began, the investigator re—explained

40

the purpose of the study. Couples were told that the

investigator was interested in how beginning families
used their time. It was explained that the results
of the study would be of value to professionals who
worked with families.

Demographic questions were asked of the husband
and wife together in their home. They answered
together or informally took turns answering the
questions. Often they would confirm answers with
each other. For example, no one knew immediately how
many rooms were in their home and they would count
together and come up with an answer they both agreed
upon. After this was completed, one spouse left
the room and the investigator administered to the
remaining spouse the Cantril Self-Anchoring Scale
questions. When this was completed, this spouse
left and the other spouse returned and was administered
the Cantril Self-Anchoring Scale. It was essential
that the spouses did not hear each others answers
to the Cantril Self-Anchoring Scale so that their
own answers would be unaffected and so they would not
interrupt or comment on their spouse's remarks.

When this was completed both spouses were together
again. Explanation was given by the researcher about
their part in the rest of the study including the

telephone call procedure and the observation procedure.

41

Four of the couples wanted to look at each others

answers to Cantril Self—Anchoring Scale. The

researcher shared their responses with them. After
more discussion and answering questions, the
researcher left after noting the couple's home and
work telephone numbers and working hours of employed
members. This interview took between one and two

hours.

Telephone Interview

 

The telephoning procedure took place over a
three month period (March to May, 1976). The
telephoning procedure involved husband and wife
each receiving 16 calls. The calls started on a
Monday and continued for one full week ending on
Sunday. The earliest call that each person received
was 7:00 a.m. and the latest call was 10:00 p.m.
(see Appendix C). These hours were assumed to be
the outer limits of the awake hours for family
members. All the wives were called according to
one random set of call times and all the husbands
were called according to another random set of call
times. None of the subjects knew when their next
call would be made.

If the husband or wife was neither at home
or at work during the scheduled call, the telephone

interviewer would wait till the next scheduled call

42

time and ask the respondent to recall what they were
doing, with whom were they doing it, and how they felt
about it during the missed call time. The percentage
of recalls made was 46.9 percent. Each response was

written down verbatim.

Family Observation

 

After the end of the week of telephone interviews,
the researcher called the family and set up an evening
observation on a date convenient to the family. The
observations took place over a three month period
(March to May, 1976). Each observation was held on a
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday evening from
5:30—8:00 p.m. This period was chosen since it was
assumed to be the typical time when the husbands and
wives were home from work and before the child would
go to bed. It was felt that this evening period would
be a time when all three family members would have the
opportunity to be interacting together in the home
setting.

The investigator arrived at the family's home
a few minutes before 5:30 p.m. and in seven cases
found all the family members home. In two cases,
the husbands arrived home from work later; one at
6:00 p.m. and one at 6:30 p.m. In one case, the
husband did not come home until 8:00 p.m. after the

observation was completed; it was typical for the

43

husband to arrive home between 8:00-8:30 p.m. in the
spring and summer because that was when his con-
struction company did the most business and he did
not leave for home until every truck was back at

the home office. In all cases, the families reported
that the investigator had observed what they would
describe as a typical evening.

At 5:30 p.m., the investigator started taking
notes using the observation forms (see Appendix B).
The family members were told that they could look
at what the investigator was writing at any time.

No one did this. They were instructed ahead of time
to do what they normally did in the evening and

that the investigator had eaten before coming so she
would not eat dinner with them.

The researcher followed the three members of
each family and recorded their activities and
interactions. Family members were kept in view at
all times by the investigator except when they used
the bathroom, changed clothes in the master bedroom,
or if they separated and one person left the home
area. In two cases when a parent went for a 10
minute trip to the store for milk, the researcher
recorded the duration and nature of the trip and
stayed in the household to observe the remaining

spouse and child. When family members all went

44

outside for a walk together or to work in the yard
the investigator went along. Particular attention
was paid to interaction patterns between family
members. Duration and place of activity were also
recorded. Minutes spent in each activity, along
with whom, and where the activity took place were
recorded for each family. These minutes were cate-
gorized and totaled for each family for cross-family
comparison purposes.

At the end of the observation at 8:00 p.m., the
investigator asked if there were any questions and
thanked the families for their participation.
Usually one of the adults asked how their time use
was like or unlike the other families in the study.
The investigator replied that it was too early to
draw conclusions because not all the families had
been observed yet.

The researcher asked the families how they felt
about the telephone calls. Everyone said they thought
two or three calls a day over a one week span was
acceptable and did not interrupt their usual daily
routine, but if the calls had continued for a
second week it would have become a burden. Eight
of the families mentioned that they would be interested

in receiving a short summary of the study's findings

45

to see how they compared with the other families in the

study.

Data Analysis

The activities described by the husbands and
wives in the telephone interviews and the activities
observed by the researcher were put into categories
for analysis purposes (see Appendix E). The coding
process took approximately two months (May to June,
1976). A codebook was devised to sort the quantita-
tive and qualitative data derived from the interviews,
telephone calls, and observations (see Appendix D
for codebook).

Data from the home interviews, telephone
interviews, and observations were coded and transferred
to data processing cards. The coding included
categorizing free response statements of feelings.
Feelings were collapsed into negative, neutral, and
positive categories. The negative responses included
statements such as: "awful," "frustrated," "hurried,"
and "tired." The neutral response were statements
of "indifferent." Positive responses included
statements such as: "comfortable," "okay," "interested,"
and "happy."

After the data were coded, the data cards were

key-punched. The data cards were processed through the

46

Control Data Corporation 6500 model computer. The
Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was

used to assemble and summarize the data. It should

be noted that in some of the tables the percentages
listed do not add up exactly to 100 percent because
the computer datavnnwarounded off to the nearest
tenth of a percent and this rounding off process
affects cross column totals as well as final table

totals.

CHAPTER IV

FINDINGS

This chapter presents the results in relation to
the research questions posed. Also, comparison
is made of telephone and observation data during
specific points in time for each family, i.e., 6:00 p.m.,
7:00 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. This comparison was done
in an attempt to validate the two methodologies.
Data concerning the families' goals were collected
during the initial home interview. Time use data
were collected by contacting each adult by telephone
during a randomly determined 16 hour period. These
data represent the kind of activity and percentage of
times the activity was reported but do not represent
the duration of the activity. Subjects told the
telephone interviewer what activity they were at that
moment participating in but they did not tell the
interviewer when the activity started or how long
they thought it would last.

Duration of activities was recorded by the
researcher during the 150 minute evening observations
conducted in each home. During the observations,

47

48

the researcher recorded the number and type of

interactions which took place among family members
while they participated in activities. An effort
was made to quote the family members directly and

to use their terminology where applicable.

Question 1

 

What daily activities command the time of husbands
and wives in beginning families with employed and

unemployed wives?

 

Table 2 lists the activities husbands and wives
reported they were doing in answer to the telephone
question: "What are you doing?" Activities con-
cerned with paid employment were most frequently
mentioned by employed husbands and wives. Typical
responses in the employment activity category were:
"I'm writing up a report for a meeting," or "I'm
going through supply orders." Employed wives reported
spending almost as high a percentage in employment
activities as did the husbands. The second highest
percentage of responses given by the families was
in the housework activity category and the third
highest percentage was in the child care activity
category. Unemployed wives reported a greater
percentage of times that they were doing housework

than did husbands or employed wives. Driving and

49

Table 2.--Kind and Percentage of Activities Reported
During Telephone Interviews (n = 320).

 

Family Member

 

 

Husbands Wives

Activity Wu* We* Wu* We* Mean
Employment 26.2 25.0 0 22.4 18.4
Housework 16.2 6.2 20.0 12.6 13.?
Child Care 8.8 11.2 20.0 7.4 11.8
Driving 10.0 10.0 6.2 11.2 9.3
Talking 5.0 11.2 10.0 10.0 9.0
Sleeping 8.6 3.4 12.6 5.0 7.4
Eating 7.4 7.4 5.0 6.2 6.5
Watching TV 5.0 7.4 7.4 3.8 5.9
Hobby 6.2 1.2 3.8 5.0 4.0
Reading 2.4 3.8 5.0 3.8 3.7
Yard Work 3.8 6.2 1.2 2.4 3.4
Waiting 0 5.0 2.4 1.2 2.1
Telephoning 1.2 1.2 2.4 3.8 2.1
Personal Care 0 1.2 2.4 2.6 1.5
Child Care and

Housework 0 0 1.2 2.4 .9

 

*Legend: W

u Wife Unemployed

W

e Wife Employed

50

talking were also reported frequently by families.
Unemployed wives responded that they were sleeping
over twice as many times as did employed wives. The
telephone interviewer awakened the subjects several
times. Three of the unemployed wives were awakened
by the 7:00 a.m. and the 8:00 a.m. calls. Two of
the unemployed wives reported that they regularly
took afternoon naps with their children.

During the evening observations, the number and
kind of activities that the ten families engaged in
were recorded by the researcher. In all, 231
activities were observed and categorized. Activity
episodes which occurred during the observations are
listed in Table 3. Since the observations were made
exclusively at home during the evening hours, employ-

ment-related activities were not observed in the home.

None of the employed spouses were observed to do paid
employment work at home. The largest amount of time

was spent talking. Husbands of unemployed wives spent
on the average 53.6 minutes talking during the total
observation period of 150 minutes (Table 3). Employed
wives spent more time doing housework and in combination
housework and child care activities than did unemployed
wives. The five employed wives spent more time in
housework at night than did the unemployed wives. Four

of the employed wives combined their child care and

51

Table 3.--Activity and Average Number of Minutes Spent by
Husbands and Wives in Observed Evening
Activities (n = 150).

 

Family Member

 

 

Husbands Wives

Activity* Wu We Wu We Mean
Talking 53.6 67.6 42.0 30.6 48.4
Housework 12.6 12.0 39.0 46.0 27.4
Child Care 22.6 25.2 23.3 20.6 22.9
Watching TV 23.3 12.5 14.0 8.6 14.6
Eating 12.2 14.1 12.0 12.0 12.5
Child Care and

Housework .6 11.6 10.4 20.8 12.3
Hobby .4 5.0 4.6 5.3 6.0
Telephoning .6 .3 3.3 2.6 1.7
Yard Work 4.0 O 0 1.0 1.2
Reading 2.6 .5 0 2.0 1.2
Driving 1.3 .8 1.3 1.3 1.1
Personal Care 1.3 1.3 .6 0 .8

 

*During the observation,

recorded.

there were no episodes in the
sleeping, employment, or waiting activity categories

52

housework activities by making dinner preparations and
playing with or feeding their child at the same time
in the kitchen area. Based on observation data, the
employment status of the wife did not seem to affect
the quantity of housework activities that the husband
performed (Table 3); the telephone data, however,
indicates that the wife's employment status seems to
affect the husband's household work activity participa-
tion (Table 2). Walker and Woods (1976) and Berk (1976)
found that husbands spent about the same amount of
time in housework regardless of the wife's employment
status.

Table 4 lists the number of activities which were
carried on alone or in joint or shared interaction with
other family members. The majority of activities

involved shared interaction, however, there were a significant

number of activities involving no interaction were
carried or done. Typical shared activities involved
the husband and wife washing dishes together, the
husband reading a book with his child, or the family
taking an outdoor walk together. Typical alone
activities often involved television watching, reading,
taking a shower, or hobbies. Dinner time was a shared
time in all the families with conversation centering
around the events of the day, people they knew, and

the child's daily activities and accomplishments.

53

Table 4.--Number and Type of Interaction Episodes
Observed (n = 231).

 

Type of Interaction

 

 

Family Alone Joint Shared Total
10 5 13 28

2 10 l 15 26

3 5 l 15 21

4* 7 2 14 23

5* 7 3 15 25

6* 9 3 9 21

7* 5 7 14 26

8 10 1 ll 22

9 12 1 8 21
10* 7 2 9 18
Totals 82 26 123 231

Means 8.2 2.6 12.3 23.1

 

*Families with employed wives

Two of the families said a prayer before eating dinner.
Table 4 demonstrates the variability in family inter-
action patterns observed. Shared interaction was the

dominant pattern for eight of the ten families.

Question 2

 

Where do husbands and wives of beginning families with

employed and unemployed wives spend their time?

 

The telephone response data demonstrate that
mOSt activities were carried out in the home. The
second most common place for family members to carry

out activities was at their places of employment.

54

Unemployed wives reported being at home almost 25
percent more often than did employed wives (Table 5).
Employed wives were at their place of employment about
the same number of telephone sampled times as were the
husbands. Unemployed wives reported eating out in a
restaurant or being at a friend's home about twice as
often as did employed wives. Several of the unemployed
wives took their child to a neighboring friend's home
during the daytime so they could get out of the house
and have their child play with other children.
Unemployed wives and husbands of unemployed wives
reported being away from home on a trip more frequently

(Table 5).

Table 5.--Percentage of Activities Reported Taking Place
in a Particular Location (n = 320).

 

Family Member

 

 

Husbands Wives

Location Wu We Wu We Mean
Home 43.8 45.0 71.2 47.6 51.9
Work Place 26.2 32.4 0 30.0 22.2
Restaurant or

Friend's Home 8.8 7.4 12.6 . 8.7
On Trip 13.8 3.8 10.0 . 7.5
In Car, Locally 2.4 3.8 2.4 11.2 5.0
Outdoors 5.0 7.4 3.8 2.4 4.7

 

55

During the observations, family members carried out
most of their activities in either the living room or
in the kitchen (Table 6). Husbands of employed wives
spent over 10 percent more of their time in the kitchen
than did husbands of unemployed wives. Husbands spent
about 8 percent more time in the living room than
did wives; often they watched the evening news on
television while their wives prepared dinner. In eight
of the families, it was observed that there was
sharing of the dinner preparation and/or washing dishes
between the husbands and wives. During the observations,
employed wives spent more time in the kitchen than did
unemployed wives (Table 6). This can be attributed to
the researcher's observation that employed wives were
just starting dinner preparations at 5:30 p.m. or

Table 6.-—Percentage of Activities Observed in a
Particular Location (n = 231).

 

Family Member

 

 

Husbands Wives
Location Wu We Wu We Mean
Living Room 43.0 36.9 36.6 31.3 36.9
Kitchen 27.4 34.2 45.8 38.9 36.5
Outdoors 14.4 6.0 10.1 21.3 12.9
Basement 12.0 6.8 .7 6.3 6.4
Bathroom 1.9 9.0 4.8 .7 4.1
Bedroom, Child .7 6.9 2.4 1.9 3.0
Bedroom, Parent 1.4 0 1.4 0 .7

 

56

6:00 p.m., whereas, the unemployed wives had dinner
nearly all prepared at 5:30 p.m. and were ready to serve

the meal when their husbands arrived home.

Question 3

 

With whom do husbands and wives in beginning families

 

with employed and unemployed wives spend their time?

 

During the telephone interviews respondents were
asked concerning the activity: "With whom are you doing
it?" During the telephone sampled times, family members
were alone more often than they were with anyone else
specifically (Table 7). Employed wives reported carrying
out more activities alone than did unemployed wives.

Table 7.--Percentage of Activities Reported Involving
Other People (n = 320).

 

Family Member

 

 

Husbands Wives

Persons Wu We Wu We Mean
Alone 30.0 40.0 27.5 33.7 32.9
Co-workers 23.8 18.8 0 18.8 15.3
Child 5.3 11.2 28.8 13.7 15.0
Spouse 18.8 8.8 17.5 10.0 13.7
Child and Spouse 15.0 12.5 12.5 13.7 13.4
Friends 1.2 5.0 3.7 3.7 3.4
Family and Friends 3.7 0 5.0 2.5 2.8
Other Relatives 1.2 3.7 O 2.5 1.8
Child and Other

Children 0 0 5.0 1.2 1.5

 

57

When called during the day, unemployed wives usually
had their child with them. Employed and unemployed

wives reported spending the same number of activities
with friends. Wives reported they were with their
children more often than did their husbands. Unemployed
wives reported being with their child and other children
more often than did husbands or employed wives because
unemployed wives often made an effort to involve their
children with neighborhood children.

In one family the unemployed wife daily cared for
a neighbor's child. Husbands of unemployed wives and
unemployed wives reported participating in more activities
with each other than did husbands of employed wives or
employed wives.

Family members spent the majority of their
evening time in shared interaction with their spouse
and child (Table 8). Husbands of unemployed wives
spent more time alone than did husbands of employed
wives. Husbands of employed wives spent over 10
percent more of their time in shared interaction with
their wives than did husbands of unemployed wives
(Table 8). On the average, husbands and wives with
their child were together and physically or verbally
interacting only 9.1 percent of the observation time
(Table 8). Usually this time together was spent talking

after dinner while the child played outside or in

 

‘ l I I'll llllll III [I ‘1 l I
18 {ll ‘1.

58

Table 8.--Kind and Percentage of Interaction Activities
Observed (n = 231).

 

Family Member

 

 

Husbands Wives
Type of Interaction W W W W Mean
u e u e
Shared
Child and Spouse 37.6 27.0 37.6 27.0 32.3
Child 25.0 23.7 18.2 26.2 23.2
Spouse 3.3 14.9 3.3 14.9 9.1
Joint
Child 4.0 16.0 8 6 10.0 9.6
Spouse 1.4 0 1. 0 .7
None (Alone) 30.6 19.5 32.5 21.3 25.9

 

another room. The couples with the older children
(three years of age or older) seemed to have more time
together as the child played more independently by
himself or herself. For example, the four-year-old
daughter in one family went outside to ride her bicycle
allowing time for the parents to discuss their day at
work while clearing the dinner dishes from the table.
Husbands and wives were observed to be involved
almost the same amount of time in shared interaction
with their child (Table 8). Several of the husbands
told the researcher that they tried to spend some time
alone with their child every evening so that their
wife could have time alone to read or do housework

uninterrupted. One husband proudly showed the researcher

a book on "how to be a good father" which he said he was

59

currently reading. Another father took his daughter on

an hour long walk to a river to feed some ducks during

the observation time. Employed wives spent more shared
time with their child in the evening than did unemployed
wives. The most common type of interaction observed
involved the shared interaction of all three family
members. Usually this occurred at mealtime in the kitchen
or in the living room while the family watched television
together. The parents would sit in easy chairs sipping
coffee and talk about how the child was playing or laugh

at what the child said or did.

Question 4

 

How do husbands and wives in beginning families with

 

employed and unemployed wives feel about their time

 

allocations?

 

Data gathered during the telephone interviews from
respondents' answers to the question, "How do you feel
about it?" (the activity) are presented in Tables 9
through 19. These qualitative data provide insight
into the meaning of the beginning families' time use
because they go beyond the mere recording of activity
duration into the realm of the human reaction to
time allocation. For organization and comparison

purposes, the feelings expressed were categorized

60

into the three general feeling areas of negative,
neutral, and positive.

Overall, husbands and wives expressed positive
feelings more often than negative or neutral feelings
about activities (Tables 9 and 10). However, there
is a great deal of variance between families in the
percentages of times that they mentioned negative,
neutral, and positive feelings (Table 9). Families 2,
7, and 8 expressed positive feelings more than four
times as frequently as negative feelings. In contrast,
Family 4 expressed almost the same number of negative
feelings as positive feelings. The husband and wife
of Family 4 tended to report feeling frustrated,
pressured, and hurried in relation to their work situations.
Employed wives reported positive feelings considerably
more often than did unemployed wives (Table 10).

Negative feelings were expressed most often when

the parent was involved in employment related activities

Table 9.--Kind and Percentage of Feelings Expressed by
Husbands and Wives (n = 320).

 

Family Number
Feelings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

 

Positive 62.0 93.0 61.0 46.0 72.0 72.0 75.0 75.0 53.0 60.0
Negative 18.0 6.0 27.0 44.0 18.0 25.0 19.0 18.0 40.0 38.0
Neutral 19.0 0.0 12.0 9.0 9.0 3.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 3.0

 

61

Table lO.--Kind and Percentage of Feelings Expressed
by Husbands and Wives (n = 320).

 

Family Member

 

 

Husbands Wives
Feelings Wu We Wu We Mean
Positive 73.4 55.3 59.1 73.2 65.2
Negative 17.1 32.0 35.7 24.4 27.3
Neutral 8.6 11.1 6.2 1.2 6.7

 

(Table 11). Unemployed wives expressed negative feelings
most often while they were doing housework or child care
(Table 11). One unemployed wife reported feeling very
rushed while she was at one time doing the wash, changing
her son's diapers, and setting out paints. Employed
wives expressed negative feelings most often while they
were at their place of employment.

For both men and women, the majority of neutral
feelings expressed were reported when they were doing
housework activities (Table 12). Typical neutral
comments relating to housework were: "I feel kind of
indifferent about it," in reference to doing dishes
or "I honestly felt nothing," in reference to doing
laundry. Berk (1976) also found that neutral feelings
were most often associated with housework.

The majority of positive feelings were expressed
while parents were involved in child care activities

(Table 13). Unemployed wives, in particular, expressed

[lilIlllllIll[r[[{ (1.4 'lllu'l" I[.[[ii'| Ill. '11 '1! 1‘ 41.]

62

Table ll.--Kind and Percentage of Activities Eliciting
Negative Feelings (n = 320).

 

 

Family Member

 

 

Husbands Wives

Activity Wu We Wu We Mean
Employment 7.4 11.2 0 9.9 7.1
Housework 2.4 3.7 9.8 3.7 4.9
Sleep 2.5 3.7 6.2 2.4 3.7
Driving 3.6 1.2 0 3.6 2.1
Child Care 1.2 0 7.5 0 2.1
Talking 0 3.7 2.5 1.2 1.8
Yard Work 0 4.9 1.2 0 1.5
Child Care and

Housework 0 O 3.7 0 .9
Waiting 0 .2 1.2 1.2 .9
Watching TV 0 .2 1.2 0 .6
Telephoning 0 0 1.2 .2 .6
Eating 0 0 1.2 .2 .6
Reading 0 1.2 0 0 .3
Hobby 0 0 0 0 0
Personal Care 0 0 0 0 0

 

63

Table l2.--Kind and Percentage of Activities Eliciting
Neutral Feelings (n = 320).

 

Family Member
Husbands Wives

Activity Wu We Wu We Mean

 

 

5. l.

Housework

l—‘N

Employment
Driving
Eating
Sleep

Yard Work
Child Care
Reading
Watching TV

Child Care and
Housework

Hobby
Telephoning

I—‘HNUJ

o c><3 C>c3 m R)\fl «a
H RJFJ H U1

0 c: o n)\m no m c: o

o c: o c: o c: m c: o

o c: o c: O c: o c: m

o C) o uJ<m O\\O 03.:

Personal Care
Waiting
Talking

o c><3 c>c3 o
c: o c: o c: o
o c><3 c>c3 0
go c><3 o c><3
o c><3 o c><3

 

64

Table 13.--Kind and Percentage of Activities Eliciting
Positive Feelings (n = 320).

 

Familprember

 

 

Husbands Wives

Activity Wu We Wu We Mean
Child Care 7.5 11.2 12.5 7.5 9.6
Employment 16.3 8.6 0 12.5 9.3
Talking 5.0 7.4 7.3 8.7 7.1
Housework 10.0 2.5 4.9 7.5 6.2
Sleep 10.0 1.2 6.1 2.4 4.9
Eating 7.4 1.2 3.7 5.0 4.3
Watching TV 4.9 6.2 6.2 3.7 4.0
Yard Work 2.5 1.2 3.7 2.4 4.0
Driving 1.2 4.9 1.2 7.5 3.7
Hobby 4.9 1.2 3.7 4.9 3.6
Reading 2.5 2.4 4.9 3.6 3.3
Personal Care 0 1.2 2.5 2.4 1.5
Telephoning 1.2 1.2 1.2 2.4 1.5
Waiting 0 3.7 1.2 o 1.2
Child Care and

Housework 0 1.2 0 2.4 9

 

65

a high percentage of positive feelings about child

care (Table 13). This seems to contradict the findings

of Table 11. It appears that unemployed wives had

both negative and positive feelings about child care

but that they reported feeling positive twice as
frequently as negative. The telephone interviews revealed
that negative feelings about child care usually centered
around trying to get the child to go to bed, toilet
training the child, or trying to shop with the child along.
Further, the telephone interviews revealed that positive

feelings about child care usually occurred at meal times,

at friends' homes, while watching television, or while
the parent was playing with the child.

Husbands of unemployed wives and employed wives
said they had the most positive feelings while doing
employment related activities (Table 13). This also
seems to contradict the findings reported in Table 11.
Husbands of unemployed wives and employed wives had
mixed feelings about employment related activities
but they felt more positive than negative about these
activities. Even within one day's telephone sampling
a variety of feelings about employed work were often
expressed. One husband who put in a nine hour day at
his office reported feeling "relatively cheerful and

happy" at 8:00 a.m., and "tired" at 3:00 p.m.

 

 

I‘ll!"
[I'lll

66

Data relating feelings to place where the
respondent was when answering the question, "How do
you feel about it?" are given in Tables 14, 15, and 16.
Husbands of employed wives had more negative feelings
while at their place of employment than did employed
wives (Table 14). Employed wives expressed more
negative feelings in employment activities than in
home activities (Table 14). Unemployed wives reported
more positive feelings while being at home than did
employed wives (Table 16).

Data relating feelings to whom the respondent was
with when answering the question, "How do you feel
about it?" are given in Tables l7, l8, and 19. On

the average, positive feelings were expressed more

Table l4.--Percentage of Negative Feelings Expressed
Related to a Particular Location (n = 320).

 

Family Member

 

 

Husbands Wives

Place Wu We Wu We Mean
Home 3.7 9.9 23.7 9.9 11.8
Employment 4.9 15.0 0 11.2 7.7
On Trip 4.8 2.5 6.2 .0 3.3
Restaurant or

Friend's Home 2.4 2.7 4.9 O 2.5
In Car, Locally 0 1.2 0 3.6 1.2
Outdoors 1.2 0 l. 0 .6

 

 

 

 

.[II I‘
ll ‘1' l I

67

Table 15.--Percentage of Neutral Feelings Expressed
Related to a Particular Location (n = 320).

 

Family Member

 

 

Husbands Wives

Place Wu We Wu We Mean
Home 3.7 3.7 5.0 1.2 3.4
Employment .5 5.0 0 0 1.8
In Car, Locally .2 0 1.2 0 .6
On Trip 0 2 0 0 .3
Outdoors 0 2 0 0 .3
Restaurant or

Friend's Home 1.2 0 0 0 .3

 

Table l6.--Percentage of Positive Feelings Expressed
Related to a Particular Location (n = 320).

 

Family Member

 

 

Husbands Wives

Place Wu We Wu We Mean
Home 36.2 31.3 42.5 36.2 36.5
Employment 18.7 8.7 0 18.6 11.5
Restaurant or

Friend's Home 5.0 7.4 7.4 6.2 6.5
On Trip 8.6 0 3.7 2.5 3.7
Outdoors 3.7 .1 2.4 2.4 3.6
In Car, Locally 1.2 .4 1.2 7.5 3.0

 

 

 

 

[I'll-‘l'lv‘l

68

Table l7.—-Percentage of Negative Feelings Expressed
Related to Particular People (n = 320).

 

Family Member

 

 

Husbands Wives

Who Wu We Wu We Mean
Alone 6.2 18.7 9.9 3.7 9.6
Co-workers 5.0 7.5 0 11.2 5.9
Spouse 3.6 2.5 8.7 3.7 4.6
Child and Spouse 2.5 0 4.9 3.6 3.7
Child 0 0 11.1 3.7 3.7
Relatives 0 2.5 0 0 .6
Child and Other

Children 0 0 1.2
Friends 0 1.2 0 0 .3
Family and

Friends 0 0 0 0 0

 

Table 18.--Percentage of Neutral Feelings Expressed
Related to Particular People (n = 320).

 

Family Member

 

 

Husbands Wives

Who Wu We Wu We Mean
Alone . 5.0 7.5 5.0 1.2 4.6
Co—workers 2.5 2.5 0 0 1.2
Child and Spouse 0 1.2 1.2 0 .6
Spouse 1.2 0 0 0 .3
Child 0 0 0 0 O
Relatives 0 0 0 0 0
Friends 0 0 0 0 0
Child and Other

Children 0 0 0 0 0
Family and

Friends 0 0 0 0 0

 

69

Table l9.-—Percentage of Positive Feelings Expressed
Related to Particular People (n = 320).

 

 

Family Member

 

 

Husbands Wives
Who W W W W Mean
u e u e
Alone 18.8 13.7 12.4 28.7 18.4
Child 6.3 11.2 17.6 11.1 11.5
Child and Spouse 12.5 11.2 6.1 10.0 9.9
Spouse 13.7 6.2 8.7 6.2 8.7
Co-workers 16.3 .6 0 7.4 8.0
Friends 1.2 .7 3.7 3.7 3.0
Family and
Friends 3.7 O 4.9 2.4 2.7
Child and Other
Children 0 0 3.7 1.2
Relatives 1.2 1.2 0 2.4 .

 

frequently when family members were alone (Table 19).
Unemployed wives expressed negative feelings the most
when they were with their child (Table 17). Employed
wives expressed negative feelings the most when

they were with co—workers (Table 17). Neutral feelings
were expressed the most when husbands and wives were
alone (Table 18). For example, one husband reported
just "feeling nothing" while he was by himself driving
home from work. Employed wives felt the most
positively when they were alone (Table 19). One wife
who was a high school teacher reported feeling "relieved

my classes are over and the day is over" while working

7O

alone at 4:00 p.m. in her classroom filling out attendance
forms.

Unemployed wives reported feeling the most positively
when they were with their children (Table 19) which seems
to contradict the findings reported in Table 17. This
may reflect the mixed feelings the unemployed wives had
toward being with their children or the fact that they

spent a greater proportion of time with their children.

Comparison of Findings from Telephoning
and Observation Procedures

To check the validity of the telephoning and
observation procedures, the data collected from the
6:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. telephone calls
and the 6:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., and 8:00 p.m.
observations were compared (Table 20). The figures
in the "Differences in %" column were derived by
subtracting the percent figures in the "Observation"
column from the corresponding percent figures in the
"Telephone" column. This computation method was based
on similar computations made in the 1968 Carroll and
Taylor work sampling study. The 17 zeros in the
"differences in percent" columns represent instances
in which the data from the 60 selected telephone calls
and the 60 selected observations exactly matched.

There were no instances of sleeping or combined

71

.uoHuH>Huod onus cause can xuozousos coauocansoo

 

 

 

no wCHaomHa coouooou on cam: onus» ..a.n cone can ..E.n oouh ..E.n ooum uo nose» voaqsdo on» mcanso-
.93 .2 98 3 5.3 3 13$ 3 9mm 29mm .3 9mm 3 Tam .3 ”H38.
o.om+ a.m- o a.m- o .o m.w H m.m H m.e H .o.o~ m o o w.o H o o anus Hacomtmm
m.w- o o o m.m H o o o o o o o o o o o o o o uchonamHoa
m.mu m.m+ o o m.m H o o o o o o o o m.m H o o o o mchHoz
o o.m- S.m+ m.MHu o o o.m H o o m.mH N o o o o m.m H o. o sac: can»
a.m- o o m.mn w.m H o o o o m.m H o o o o o o o o mcHuaom
S.m+ o o m.o+ o o m.m H o o o o m m H m.m H o o m.m H spnom
o m.MH- o a.MHa o.m H m.mH ~ m.m H o.o~ m m o H o o m.mH ~ S.@ H >9 wcHnopms
a.m+ m.MH+ m.m+ o m.m H m.mH m m.m H m.MH m o o m o.mw H a.mH m m.mH m wcHuum
~.w- s.m+ m.MHu a.m- m.MH m w.m H m.mH m m.m H m m H m.MH m o o o o mcHmee
m.o+ m.o+ o m.mHn o o o o m.MH m m.MH m o m H m.m H m.mH m o o wcH>HHo
0.0m- m.m+ m.m+ m.m+ m.m~ a o.o~ m o.o~ m 0.0m m w m H m.mm a m.m~ a m.mm a «two uHHno
m.m- m.MH- a.m- m.sm+ m.mm a a.mm a o.o~ m o o o o m m.mH N m.m H m.mm a xaozomsox
m.w+ o o o.om+ o o o o m.ma m o o m w H o o m.ma m 0.0m m ucmsmoaasm
ow an m3“ :3“ H032 “:22 “~32 “:32 u 2 “:32 «~32 .uszz .H»H>Huo<
mm>H3 mocmnmzm mo>H3 meadows: mo>H3 uncannsm
u :H mocmpmmuaa COHum>Hmmno mconaoaoe
.mmnsuoooum

COHpm>Hmmno cam wchozdona on» an nmCHEHmqu mm mmHuH>Huo< m50HHm> CH pcmdm vEHB ho :OHuHoaoum .om magma

72

housework and child care during the sampled times
from either procedure.

Some of the "differences in percent" between
the telephoning and observation data can be explained
by the fact that family members made a concerted
effort to be at home during the observation evening but
during the telephone sampled evening hours the family

members were not obligated to the researcher to try

and be at home. For example, the 20 percent difference
in employment is the result of two husbands who worked
overtime during the telephone sampled times but who
were present in the home during the whole observation.
Most of the "differences in percent" are 6.6 or 6.7
percent which means that there was only one instance
of discrepancy between the telephone and observation
date. Out of the 52 "differences in percents" listed,
41 of the percentages either represent one or no
differences between the data derived from the two
procedures; this would indicate that there is some
validity between the two procedures although the

date from the telephoning and observation procedures

were not in all instances exactly matched.

73

Question 5

 

What is the relationship of the goals aspiredpto by
husbands and wives in beginning families with employed
and unemployed wives and their time allocations?

The following open ended question was used to
elicit goals:

All of us want certain things out of life.

When you think about what really matters in your

own life, what are your wishes and hopes for the

future? In other words, if you imagine your

future in the best possible light, what would

your life look like then, if you are to be happy?
The total number of goals expressed by the husbands
was 25. Wives expressed a total of 39 goals. On the
average, the most common goal was financial security.
This was the goal most frequently mentioned by the
husbands (Table 21). Examples of the kinds of state-
ments which were included in this category were:

To be financially free.

No desire to be wealthy but don't want to be

limited.
Make more money.
To have a moderate level of income.

To own my own business so that financial security
is taken care of.

Eight of the ten wives stressed a good living
situation as a goal (Table 21). Examples of the
statements which were categorized under a good

living situation were:

714

Table 21.--Kind of Goals Expressed by Husbands and Wives.

 

Family Member

 

 

Husbands Wives
Goal W w W W Mean
u e u e
Financial
security 2 5 2 4 3.2
Good living
situation 4 0 3 5 3.0
Have more
children 2 1 l 4 2.0
Travel,
hobbies 3 2 2 0 1.7
Have satisfy—
ing career 2 0 4 l 1.7
Happy, success-
ful children 0 1 0 5 1.5
Good health
More friends
Close knit
family 0 0 1 2 .7

Total 14 ll 15 24

 

75

To live far from the city.

Buy a house.

Own a house.

Live in an area where our family can have

intellectual and cultural stimulation.
Four of the employed wives mentioned having more
children as a goal but only one husband of an employed
wife mentioned this goal.

When Cantril (1962) asked the same question about
goals of a cross—section of Americans, he found that
their answers could be coded into three general areas:
(a) items having to do with self or family such as
"emotional stability and maturity," "decent standard
of living for self and family," "happy family life,"
(b) items involving other people, the community, or
the nation such as "freedom," "economic stability"
and (c) items dealing with international or world
affairs such as "peace," "a better world." According
to this coding system, the 20 respondents in this
study were predominantly interested in goals in the
first category having to do with self and family.

Only one goal noted, that of having "more friends,"

fell into category two. The families in this study did

not express any goals that would fit into category

three. Cantril found in his study that the predominant
American goal was that of "good health for self or
family." The beginning families in this study did

not emphasize health as their primary goal: husbands

76

listed six other goals more often and wives listed
five other goals more often than they did health
(Table 21).

Cantril found that the leading American fear was
"ill health of self or family." In this study of
beginning families, the husbands feared unemployment
or underemployment, and unpleasant living situation,
financial problems, or no time for their own needs
more often than did they fear "serious illness or
death." Wives, however, did select fear of illness
as one of their primary fears. They chose fear of
"financial problems," "breakdown of the family," and
"serious illness or death" an equal number of times
(Table 22).

The way the fear of serious illness or death
was expressed by wives was:

My biggest fear would be serious illness.

Injuries to people, to children.

Something terrible would happen to my child.

Poor health--physically and emotionally.

The way fear of financial problems was expressed by
wives was:

I fear collapse of the total economy.

Financial situation might go wrong.
Worldwide depression.

The way fear of breakdown of the family was
expressed by wives was:
Being left totally alone.

Fear of just living together—-not unhappy but
not joyful.

77

Table 22.—-Kind of Fears Expressed by Husbands and Wives.

 

 

Family Member

 

 

Husbands Wives
Fears W W W W Mean
u e u e

Financial

problems 2 2 3 3 2.5
Unpleasant

living

situation 2 2 2 3 2.2
Serious ill—

ness or death 1 2 3 3 2.2
Unemployed or

underemployed 4 3 l 0 2.0
Breakdown in

the family 0 2 2 4 2.0
No time for

own needs

(relaxing) 3 l 0 2 1.5
Collapse of

U.S. economy 0 2 0 2 1.0
No time for

family 0 l 0 l .5

Total 12 15 11 18

 

78

In order to find out more about husbands'and wives'
present time use, responses to the question, "Where on the
ladder do you personally stand at the present time?" are
presented in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4. All of the husbands
ranked themselves on the upper half of the ladder
between steps 6 and 9. All of the wives ranked
themselves on the upper half of the ladder between
steps 5 and 9. Although half steps, for example
7 1/2 and 8 1/2, were not on the ladder, two husbands
and two wives said they felt better selecting a half-
way mark. All ten of the wives and eight of the men
predicted that they would move up at least a one-half
step in ten years. Two of the husbands felt that they
would be on the same step ten years from the present.

The average present ladder rating for husbands
was 7.15. In ten years from now, the husbands expected,
on the average, to be on step 8.6. On the average,
they hoped to move up 1.45 steps.

The average present ladder rating for wives was
7.4. Ten years from now, the wives expected on the
average to be on ladder step 9.35. On the average,
the wives hoped to move up 1.95 steps. These figures
show that on the average husbands and wives in beginning
families expect their lives to get better in the next
ten years. The wives were more optimistic than the

husbands as they hoped to move up .50 steps higher

Ladder Rankings

79

H...—-\ ,
10\ //\ f- ‘ /

 

 

1 2 3 4*5*6*7*8 9163!

Family Number

1.--Wives' Present and Future Ladder Rankings.

10
1

best possible life
worst possible life

(solid line) = present ranking
-------- (dotted line) = future ranking
* families with employed wives

80

 

Ladder Rankings
U1

 

 

1 2 3 4* 5* 6* 7* 8 9 10*

Family Number

Fig. 2.—-Husbands' Present and Future Ladder Rankings.

10
1

best possible life
worst possible life

(solid line) = present responses
-------- (dotted line) = future responses
* families with employed wives

81

 

(I)

so

c

H

x

c

m

(I:

g

(1)

S

m 4

t:
3
2
1

 

 

1 2 3 4* 5* 6* 7* 8 9 10*

Family Number

Fig. 3.——Present Ladder Rankings of Husbands and Wives.

10 = best possible life
1 = worst possible life

(solid line) = wives' responses
-------- (dotted line) = husbands' responses
* =

families with employed wives

82

 

Ladder Rankings
0\

 

 

1 2 3 4* 5* 6* 7* 8 9 10*

Family Number

Fig. 4.--Future Ladder Rankings of Husbands and Wives.

10
1

best possible life
worst possible life

(solid line) = wives' responses
-------- (dotted line) = husbands' responses
* families with employed wives

 

I f. it] [I

83

than their husbands. Five of the wives predicted that
they will have the best possible life for themselves
in ten years, whereas only one husband predicted he

would be at ladder step one.

In reviewing the responses to "Why do you think
that this is where you are? What makes you feel that
you are on rung ?" there were both positive and
negative statements given as justification for the
ladder ratings (Table 23). Responses which were given
were often of a mixed nature such as:

Tired of job but other things okay.

Because I'm fairly content being here but want

more kids.

Wife has to work and would rather not--feel

very fortunate, great abundance of things.

See a lot of good but still things need smoothing

out and for me to grow.

The husbands gave 17 reasons and the wives listed
27 reasons for the ladder rating that they selected
(Table 23). Fourteen of the 20 respondents thought
"things are going well" showing a certain degree of
satisfaction with the present. A number of respondents
said something similar to what one husband said, "I am
quite comfortable with where I'm at now but I have
aspirations and goals that I hope to obtain so I still
have a distance to go." Six of the subjects felt
that they needed more money.

After the subjects selected the ladder rating

they thought they would be on 10 years from the present,

84

Table 23.--Kind of Reasons Given for Support of Husbands
and Wives Present Ladder Ratings.

 

 

FamilyiMember

 

 

Husbands Wives
Reason W W W W Mean
u e u e
Things are going
well 2 4 3 5 3.5
Need more money 2 0 2 2 1.5
Tired of job 2 2 0 l 1.2
Not living where
we want to live 1 l l l 1.0
We are happy 0 1 l 2 1.0
Things could go
better 1 0 0 3 1.0
Have good health 0 0 0 3 .7
Would like more
free time 1 O 0 0 .2
Like my job 0 0 0 l .2
Want more children 0 0 1 0 .2
Doing what I want
to do 0 0 1 0 .2

Total 9 8 9 18

 

they were then asked to respond to the question:

"What are you doing now that will help you reach rung
____?" Everyone responded with an answer except one wife
who said that she wasn't "doing anything special."

The husbands listed 21 activities in response to this
question and the wives listed 19 responses (Table 24).
The wives listed between zero and five activities and

the husbands listed between one and three activities.
Examples of the responses which husbands and wives gave

as activities they were doing in order to achieve their

future ladder ratings were:

Trying to isolate child from risks, setting up a
trust fund.

Moving to another state.

Trying to spend more time with my son.

Get business established, get a house, have the kids.

Get money and invest into house.

Optimism was demonstrated in both the responses
to the ladder exercise and to the telephone questions.
Both husbands and wives in response to the question,
"How do you feel about it?" reported feeling positive
about their activities the majority of the time
(Table 16). In the ladder exercise, wives listed many
more goals than fears (Table 21 and 22). Both husbands
and wives ranked themselves on the upper half of the
ladder towards the best possible life rather than ranking

themselves on the lower half of the ladder towards the

worst possible life (Figures 1, 2, 3, 4).

86

Table 24.—-Kind of Activities Which Husbands and Wives
Said They Were Doing to Reach Their Future
Ladder Rankings.

 

Family Member

 

 

Husbands Wives

Activity Wu We Wu We Mean
Job change or

improvement 4 2 2 l 2.2
Establishing a

budget saving 0 2 0 3 1.2
Having another

child 0 l 3 l 1.2
Thinking about

future 3 0 1 0 1.0
Spend more time

with family 0 3 O 0 .7
Owning a house 0 l 0 2 .7
Getting closer

to spouse 0 l 0 2 .7
Educational fund

for child 1 l 0 0 .5
Moving l 0 l 0 .5
Getting more

education for

self 1 0 1 0 .5
Self-improvement 0 0 0 2 .5

Total 10 11 8 11

 

 

 

III" [‘8'
5.
I
I
[I
I
I III
I
Ill-1.
ll:

87

The ladder exercise and the telephone responses
seemed to link goals to activities. Most of the husbands
as well as many of the employed wives stressed financial
security as a goal (Table 21). Another linkage between
the observation data and the ladder exercise findings
was that most of the wives expressed fearing a breakdown
in their family (Table 22) and the fact that they spent
the majority of the evening observation time in shared

interaction with their spouse and/or child (Table 8).

CHAPTER V

CASE STUDIES

This chapter contains the case studies of two
families who were selected from the ten families
on the basis of congruency or lack of congruency
between husband and wife in their present ladder
ratings. The family with the greatest difference
in present ladder ranking was Family 1, the Hartmans.
The husband ranked himself on step six on the ladder
and his unemployed wife ranked herself on step eight.
The Stephanos, Family 7, were one of the three
families in which both the husband and wife answered
that they were on the same present ladder ranking.
In addition, the wife was employed. The husband and
employed wife of Family 7 both said they were at
present on ladder ranking nine which is a high ranking.
These case studies of two selected families are included
to give more insight into the time use of beginning
families with employed and unemployed wives. The
names have been changed to maintain the anonymity of

the families.

88

89

The Hartmans

.Don and Carol were the youngest couple in the
study. They were both 24 years old. They had
met while at the University; they both earned their
undergraduate degrees in Education. After graduating,
they both became teachers in the same day care
center. They had been married just over two years
when their son, Sean was born. He was 10 months old
at the time of the interview. During her last months
of pregnancy, Carol quit working while Don continued
to work at the center. Carol said that she would like
to work part-time again in the future but right now
she enjoyed the freedom of not working.

They lived in a rented, one—story, white, wood
farm house in the country about three miles from
the nearest town. The house had six rooms, one bath-
room, and a partially finished basement. There were
also several outbuildings including a barn, shed, and
chicken coop. They did not use any of these because
the landlord stored some of his belongings in them.
They had lived in the house for ten months and were
planning in four months to move to Vermont and "start
a new life." (They did actually move as planned).
They had two cats. Don remarked that if they were
staying in this area they would have bought a few

chickens and had a Vegetable garden.

90

The house was filled with a mixture of the
landlord's furniture and some refinished furniture
of Carol's. The living room had dozens of plants,
and was covered with Carol's arts and crafts projects:
macrame wall hangings and needlepoint pillows. Don's
photographs, mostly of Carol and Sean, lined the walls.
One of the reasons they said they rented the house was
because it had a fireplace in the living room. Another
reason why they rented the house was its country location.
The Hartmans were the only family interviewed who
emphasized how much they needed the space of country
living, how they disliked cities and crowding, and how
important they thought it was to get "back to the land."
When talking about hopes for the future, Don mentioned
that he hoped they could build their own house and
raise their own food. When Carol was interviewed
separately about her aspirations, she also emphasized
her need for self—sufficiency and fresh air using
much the same words as Don did. They both said they
talked a lot about their future and this seemed apparent
from their quick but carefully reasoned answers.
Although they emphasized the pioneer spirit and the
values of rustic living, they also liked certain
amenities such as expensive camera equipment for Don

and bi-monthly hair styling at a salon for Carol.

91

At the time of the interview, Don was still
working at the same day care center but was getting
tired of being there. He was disappointed with the
low salary. Job dissatisfaction was mentioned by
Don as one of his reasons for selecting the relatively
low ladder ranking of six. He said he was thinking
of setting up his own center in Vermont or getting
into another line of work involving children. Don
said that one day he would like to write children's
books. Don's favorite hobby was photography and he
was proud of the dark room he had set up in his
basement. He said that he would like a career in
photography but explained that there were very few
openings in that field so he was not counting on it.
Both Don and Carol saw the Vermont move as risky
because they had no employment prospects or home but
they felt the need to get away from Michigan and to
live in a place they preferred. They both felt
excited and hopeful about the move and expected that
things would get better. During the interview,
both Carol and Don expressed fears about financial
problems and illness of family members.

They both drove and shared one car. Carol
often drove Don to work so that she could have the
car for errands. To make extra money, Carol daily

cared for a two—year-old girl who lived across the

92

street from their house. They themselves hired a
babysitter less than five times per month since

they preferred to take Sean with them when they

went out. They mentioned that most of their friends
had small children so they did not mind if they
brought Sean along when visiting.

Their home had no special labor-saving devices.
In fact, they used an old wringer washer for all their
wash including Sean's diapers. Carol said that she
did most of the housework and grocery shopping during
the day but when Don came home at night they shared
the child care and household responsibilities. The
evening observation confirmed Carol's statement that
Don was actively involved in child care and household
work during evening hours.

Their telephone responses revealed positive
feelings during 62 percent of the calls, negative
feelings during 27 percent of the calls, and neutral
feelings 9 percent of the calls. Mr. Hartman usually
paused before describing his feelings and then often
would give a lengthy description of his feelings while
Mrs. Hartman tended to answer immediately and used
only a few words to describe her feelings. While
rearranging furniture at home, Mr. Hartman said, "I
feel a little rushed because I have about five other

things I'm planning to do tonight before I die."

93

Mrs. Hartman said she felt, "oh, awful" while trying
to wake up at 7:00 a.m. when the telephone interviewer
called her. Mrs. Hartman expressed positive, negative,
and neutral feelings in relation to caring for her
son. One time while playing with her son she said,
"I am having fun" another time while playing with her
son she said, "it was okay, not great or exciting."
She reported feeling "very frustrated" while trying to
get her son to sleep. Mr. Hartman reported all positive
feelings while being with his son except on one occasion
when he reported "feeling grumpy" while on an outdoor
walk with his wife and son. Mr. and Mrs. Hartman always
reported positive feelings when they were involved in
activities together, without their child being present,
as when they were washing dishes together or preparing
to go to bed.

During the two and one-half hour observation of
the Hartmans, 28 activities were recorded with the
following breakdown: 10 alone activities, 5 joint
activities, and 13 shared activities. When the
researcher arrived at their home to begin the observa-
tion, Carol was setting the table and watching Sean
play on the living room floor while Don cooked the
dinner. Carol said that four nights a week she did the
dinner preparation and dishes and three nights a week

Don did. However, this was not rigid and often they

94

cooked or did the dishes together. Carol said that
sometimes Don made weird concoctions because he did
not like to plan or shop ahead of dinner time so he
just threw together whatever was already in the
kitchen. At dinner, Don talked about his day at

work while he fed Sean who sat in a high chair at

the table. Don and Carol make all Sean's baby food
by putting their own foods for dinner into a blender
rather than buying commercial baby food. While eating
dinner, Carol brought up a discussion of the problems
involved in inviting newly divorced friends over for
dinner; she wanted Don's opinion on how to go about
it. Then Don cleared the table and rinsed the dishes
while Carol readied Sean for his bath.

Before dinner and during and after the bath, Don
and Carol spent most of their time talking and playing
with Sean. It was obvious that they had both had child
development training from the encouraging words and
techniques they used with Sean. Also they pointed out
that they were very selective about Sean's toys and
that they usually disliked the toys that Sean's grand-
parents sent because they were impractical or for an
older child. Carol put Sean to bed while he was holding
a piece of red satin cloth which Carol said he liked

to hold when he was upset or sleepy. At the end of the

95

observation, Sean was sleeping in his bedroom, Don
was downstairs in his darkroom, and Carol was in the
living room sewing a pair of slacks on her sewing

machine.

The Stephanos

Greg and Margot just moved into their first
house which they had bought only one week before the
interview. Previously, they had lived in a two bedroom
apartment. They both told the researcher how happy
they were with their new home and were busy fixing it
up. The home was a seven room one-floor plan house with
four finished rooms in the basement. One basement
room was Margot's sewing room, another room was used for
the daughter Cary's playroom, and the third room was
to be Greg's workshop. They had a garage, basement,
and a storage shed. They did not have any pets.
There were many tall trees, two rabbits, and a garden
in the large fenced in backyard.

Greg and Margot were both 29 years old and had
been married four years. Cary was seven months old
at the time of the interview. She was cared for daily
by a young woman who came into their home. Both Greg
and Margot had Master of Arts degrees. Greg was a public

health administrator working for the state government.

96

Margot worked at the University as a researcher in
special education. They each drove their own car
to work.

When asked about their hopes for the future, Greg
said he would like to have at least one or maybe two
more children; Margot said she would like two more
children. Both mentioned paying for their house as a
hope for the future. They also said that they wished
that Greg would make more money so Margot would not
have to work. They both said they thought that Greg
would be making more money in the future so they felt
things would improve. Their fears were either concerned
with losing employment or sickness in the family.

Their telephone responses revealed positive feelings
during 75 percent of the calls, negative feelings
during 18 percent of the calls, and neutral feelings
during 6 percent of the calls. Mr. Stephanos, like
Mr. Hartman, tended to give long descriptions of his
feelings about his activities whereas Mrs. Stephanos,
like Mrs. Hartman, tended to give short descriptions of
feelings. Mrs. Stephanos described many of her .
activities as "good," "okay," "fine," or "great."

Often Mr. Stephanos would describe his feelings and
then give an explanation of his feelings. For example,
while he was sitting at the dinner table with his

friends he said he felt, "warm, and mellow: I like

97

being with people." Another time while describing

an employment activity at his office, he said he

felt "a little bored, and a little irritated about
having to go through so much for such a small amount of
return." All of Mrs. Stephanos'feelings relating to
child care activities and activities involving her
husband were positive. Mr. Stephanos' feelings
relating to child care activities and activities
involving his wife were usually positive and in two
calls neutral. He expressed negative feelings about
his employment activities several times and while
waiting to proceed with another activity. Three times
he reported feeling "anxious" once while waiting to

go home after work and twice while waiting to go home
after seeing relatives.

During the two and one-half hour observation of
the Stephanos, 26 activities were recorded with the
following breakdown; five alone activities, seven joint
activities, and 14 shared activities. During the
observation, Greg did all the dinner preparations
including planning, selecting recipes, cooking, and‘
serving. He said that he did the cooking every night
because Margot hated to cook. Greg said he loved to
cook due to his Greek upbringing; every man in his
family was a good cook. While Greg was cooking, Margot

fed Cary and cared for her. Just before dinner was

98

ready, they all went into the basement where Margot
sewed, Cary played on the floor with toys, and Greg
split wood to make kindling for the fireplace.
They showed the researcher how they planned to decorate
their basement rooms so that Margot would have a sewing
room, Greg would have a workroom, and Cary would have
a playroom. While Greg was taking nails out of some
old boards, he hit his thumb with the hammer and swore.
After a few minutes, he went upstairs to make gravy.
When dinner was ready, Greg called Margot and Cary
upstairs. Margot put Cary into a high chair by the
table even though she had already eaten and gave her
some books. At dinner, Margot and Greg talked about
their day at work and also talked with Cary. Margot
scrapped the plates after dinner and went to get
Cary's bath ready. Greg joined Cary and Margot in the
bathroom and then followed them into Cary's bedroom.
At the end of the observation, they were all in the
family room where Cary had fallen asleep in Margot's
arms as Margot and Greg talked more about their day
at work.

All family members were together almost the entire
observation time. Margot and Greg talked to Cary
a great deal even though she was too young to speak.
They picked her up the moment she started to cry and

rocked her in their arms until she stopped crying.

99

Most of their conversations centered around their
employment, what Cary was doing, and how they were
going to improve their house. Margot said she had
several pieces of furniture picked out but they could
not afford them yet. They said the main reason for
buying the house was for Cary's sake so she could
have a backyard in which to play, but from their
conversations it was obvious that the house meant a

great deal to Margot and Greg also.

Analysis of the Case Studies

The case studies of the Hartmans and Stephanos
have shown that they have some similar ways of
allocating time to certain activities but there are
also some distinct differences. They have in common
a similar number of observed shared interactions:
the Stephanos having 14 shared activities and the
Hartmans having 13 shared activities. In both families,
the husband did the dinner preparations and the wife
performed most of the child care activities such as
bathing the child. Both children were played with,
held, and talked to a great deal during the observations.
One of the differences in their time use activity
patterns was in their divisions of labor. The Stephanos
assigned tasks, such as cooking dinner, to the person

who enjoyed the activity the most or who was the most

100

competent at it. The Hartmans alternated tasks twice
a week rather than assign tasks on the basis of skill
or enjoyment. For example, the Hartmans alternated
bathing the child, preparing the dinner, and washing
the dishes, whereas, in the Stephanos family the
husband always prepared the dinner and the wife always
bathed the child.

Another difference between the two families' time
use was in the number of alone activities. The
Hartmans were involved in alone activities twice as
often as the Stephanos. The Hartmans were observed
to go into different rooms of the house alone to perform
activities, whereas, the Stephanos tended to follow
each other around and participate in activities in
the same locations. The Hartman's child had a set
bedtime of 7:30 p.m., but the Stephanos' child did not
have a set bedtime and was put to bed after she fell
asleep in her mother's arms each night.

The telephone calls revealed that the Stephanos
reported feeling positive more often than did the
Hartmans. This correlates with the fact that the
Stephanos placed themselves higher on the present ladder
scale than did the Hartmans indicating that the
Stephanos felt more positive about their present lives,
rating their present lives as closer to the ideal "best

possible life" than did the Hartmans.

 

illl‘lil‘llllltltll III-1".ll [Jill

Ill!

101

The two familiesselectedixu'the case studies
are representative of the general way in which the
other beginning families in the study allocated their
time to activities. In eight out of the ten families,
the researcher observed an evening time use pattern
similar to that used by the Stephanos' and Hartman's
consisting of: the parent(s) returning home from work,
playing with child and talking with spouse, dinner
preparation, eating dinner, clean-up, playing with
the child and talking with the spouse, and ending with
the child's bath or child's bedtime. Each family
altered this general pattern by interspersing it with a
wide variety of activities including: television
viewing, reading, telephoning, walking outside, and going
to the store. The employment status of the wife did
not seem significantly to alter the general pattern of
evening events, except in some cases delaying the dinner
preparations to a slightly later time, but it did affect
the more specific activities and in some families, the
amount of shared interaction. The telephone and observa-
tion data indicate that family member time use patterns
were more significantly affected by the wife's employment
status during the day time hours than during the evening

hours.

CHAPTER VI

CONCLUSIONS, DISCUSSION, AND IMPLICATIONS

Conclusions

Within the confines of this study, the following

conclusions have been drawn:

1.

Unemployed wives reported more often than
employed wives that they were involved in
child care activities and household work.
Employed wives spent more time in shared
interaction with their husbands and children
in the evenings than did unemployed wives.

The use of time and feelings expressed about
time use for employed wives were more

similar to the husbands' use of time and
feelings about time use than to the unemployed
wives' use of time and feelings about time use.
During the evening hours, employed wives spent
more time in combined household work and child
care activities than did the unemployed wives.
Unemployed wives reported more often that they

were participating in leisure activities such

102

 

ili([.[8[l[l'li.l‘lllll‘t[[’I‘ l.['ll

10.

11.

103

as sleeping, watching television, and reading

than did employed wives.

Husbands of beginning families take an active
role in child care and household work activities
although wives usually report spending more
time in both these activity areas.

Unemployed wives reported both positive and
negative feelings about child care activities,
whereas, employed wives reported only positive
feelings about child care.

Husbands and employed wives had positive and
negative feelings about their employment-
related activities.

Neutral feelings were reported most frequently
in connection with household work activities
by both husbands and wives.

Beginning families with employed and unemployed
wives identify their goals as having to do
with self and family rather than enumerating
goals which relate to other people, the
community, the nation, or world affairs.

The predominant goal of beginning families
with employed and unemployed wives is
financial security; and the predominant fear

is of financial problems.

104

12. Wives felt slightly more optimistic about
their present and their predicted future
life styles than did their husbands.

13. Beginning families with employed and unemployed
wives feel positive about their present life
styles and are hopeful about their future.

14. The employment status of the wife significantly
affects her time use and her family's time use,

particularly during day time hours.

Discussion of Findings

Family Activities

This study went beyond the usual time use duration
data by adding information about not only the activities
of husbands and wives, but also their feelings about
these activities and the participants involved in these
activities.

Additional information was gathered regarding the
aspirations and fears of families. This information
combined with the observation data has provided insights
that survey data alone could not provide.

Husbands and employed wives reported that they
were involved in employment-related activities more often
than any other single activity area. During the
observation, conducted in the home setting, no employment-

related activities were observed. As a general rule,

105

the husbands and employed wives said that they rarely
brought work home to do in the evening. Unemployed wives
reported most often that they were involved in either
household work or child care activities. Unemployed
wives reported more often that they were doing house-
hold work activities than did employed wives. This is
consistent with Walker and Woods (1976) and Vanek (1973)
finding that employed wives spent less time than
unemployed wives on regular house care. Unemployed
wives reported more often that they were sleeping,
watching television, and reading than did employed
wives. Three of the unemployed wives had the luxury

of sleeping in after their husbands left for work,
whereas, the employed wives could not sleep in or take
afternoon naps because of their employment requirements.
Employed wives reported driving in their cars and

doing hobby activities more often than did unemployed
wives.

During the evening observations, employed wives
spent more time doing housework than did unemployed
wives. (Also during the observations, the employed
wives tended to "double-up" more activities than did
unemployed wives. For example, employed wives combined
household work activities and child care activities

more often than did unemployed wives.

106

According to Berk (1976), Oakley (1974), and
Walker and Woods (1976), husbands do only a small

portion of the household work regardless of the wife's

employment status. Berk, for example, found that women
do 88 percent of the meal preparation and 86 percent

of the tasks involved in cleaning the kitchen. Berk
(1976), Walker and Woods (1976) include child care
activities as part of the general category of household
work activities. Contrary to the findings of these
four researchers, this study showed that husbands
reported doing household work activities and child

care activities a great deal. However, actual duration
of time of these activities was not obtained. Husbands
of unemployed wives reported doing household work and
child care activities more often than did employed
wives. In this study the husbands of unemployed wives
reported performing 10 percent more household work
activities than did husbands of employed wives. During
the observations, four out of the five husbands played
an active role in child care and household work
activities. Two of the husbands did the majority of
the evening meal preparation alone. Several families
reported a system of sharing or exchanging meal
preparation and child care activities during the week.
None of the families, however, had written contracts

detailing work divisions. The husbands, in this study,

 

107

reported and were observed to participate more in
household work and child care activities than has been
demonstrated in other studies (Berk, 1976), Vanek (1973),
and Walker and Woods (1976). A reason for this could
be that the husbands in this study reported their own
time use rather than having their wife report their
time use for them. Also actual duration in a given
day was determined in the other studies and not in
the present study.

Berk (1976) found that educational level had no
effect on how much the husband participated in
household work or child care activities. However,
two of the husbands in this study specifically mentioned
that their college courses in psychology made them
realize how important a child's early years are and
caused them to take being a father more seriously. This
indicates that the husband's level and type of education
might affect the amount of child care activities in
which he participates. Another factor concerning the
active involvement of husbands in this study in child
care could be the current changes in men's roles.
Berk (1976) says according to his findings this is not
so, that traditional male/female roles are still
the dominant life styles in American homes. The
subjects in the Berk study, on the average, were older

than the subjects in this study. Age of the husband

108

might be a factor in his participation in household
work and child care activities. The relatively young
age of the husbands in this study might have been a
factor in their household work and child care activity
involvement.

Walker and Woods (1976) found that husbands
tended to spend more time in child care activities
with the first child than with succeeding children.
All of the husbands in this study said they had an
active interest in child psychology, theories about
parenthood, or more specifically in their own child's
development. All of the husbands also mentioned that
they thought it was important that they spend as much
time as possible with their child.

Employed wives spent more time doing housework
at night than did unemployed wives. Often the employed
wives would combine household work and child care
activities in the evening in an attempt to get the
maximum amount of work done in the least amount of time.

During the evening observations, the family
members communicated a great deal. Conversations
centered around the daily activities of the family
members especially employment related activities
or child care activities. Most of the conversations
involving all three family members took place at the

dinner table, immediately after dinner in the

109

living room, or while watching television together.
The observed family's dinner time in which all three
family members were sitting at the dinner table

ranged in time from 15 minutes to an hour. The longer
actual dinner time tended to involve more leisurely

eating and more conversation.

Place of Family Activities

 

The telephone call data revealed that beginning
families were more often at home than at any other
specific place. If they were not at home, the husbands
and the employed wives were most likely at their
place of employment.

During the observations, family members spent most
of their time in the kitchen or in the living room.
These two rooms were the hub of family activities. In
all homes these two rooms were on the same floor level
and directly connected by an Open doorway. Husbands
of employed wives spent more time in the kitchen than
did husbands of unemployed wives. Employed wives
spent more time in the kitchen than did unemployed
wives. During the observations, the third most common
place husbands and wives spent their time was outdoors.
The families were observed in the springtime, just when
the weather was starting to warm up so many of the
families spent part of their observation time on walks

around the neighborhood, or in supervising their child

 

||5-1.|'|I|llll

110

playing in their backyards, or in mowing their lawns,
or in weeding their gardens. Usually these outdoor
activities were either joint or shared activities
involving two or all three family members. The
husbands, in particular, seemed to enjoy outdoor
activities with their children. Three of the
husbands took long walks with their children during
the evening observations. One husband said he really
enjoyed being outside in the evening playing with

his child after being in an office all day.

People Involved in Family Activities

Husbands and wives spent most of their observed
time in shared interaction with their spouse and child.
Husbands and wives spent nearly the same amount of
observed time in shared interaction with their child.
During the evening observations, husbands and wives
spent very little time together without the child
being present. The husbands and wives reported that
usually the only time they had alone together during
the weekday evenings was after the child went to bed.
Families with employed wives spent more time together
as a group in the evenings than did families with

unemployed wives.

111

Family Feelings Related to Time Use
Family members felt positive most of the reported
times. Employed wives reported positive feelings

considerably more often than did unemployed wives, yet

husbands of employed wives reported positive feelings
considerably less than did husbands of unemployed
wives. Positive feelings were more often linked with
child care than with any other activity. Employed
wives reported only positive feelings about child
care, whereas, unemployed wives revealed mixed feelings
about child care activities reporting both positive
and negative feelings. Two reasons for this could be
that employed wives spent fewer contact hours with
their child than did unemployed wives and had child
care helpers during the day. Employment related
activities also elicited mixed feelings from husbands
and employed wives. This is partially because it
seems reasonable to conclude that it is more likely to
collect data indicating mixed feelings about activities
that cover longer time spans.

Beginning families varied in the percentage of
negative, neutral, and positive feelings reported.
One family reported positive feelings almost exclusively,
whereas, another family reported nearly the same percent-
age of negative as positive feelings. For all beginning

families studied, positive feelings were the predominant

112

feelings expressed. One family expressed no neutral
feelings, whereas, another family reported neutral
feelings more often than they reported negative feelings.
Family members reported feeling neutral most often
in regard to household work activities. Berk (1976)
also found that neutral feelings are associated with

household work activities.

Family_Aspirations

 

The aspiration most frequently mentioned by
husbands was financial security. Eight of the wives
mentioned a "good living situation" as their aspiration.
In this study, all the families were very concerned
about their housing, meeting their house payments,
buying a new house, or finding appropriate housing in
a new part of the country. These findings were
different from those of Stevens (1964) who found that
men's aspirations were related to occupations and
women's aspirations were more related to the family.

In Stevens (1964) study the subjects were married
students living in rented married student housing so
that none of them owned their own houses and the
majority of them were not buying houses in the

immediate future. The subjects in this study were older
and had more professional occupational experiences

than did the subjects in the Stevens (1964) study.

113

The husbands and wives in this study predominantly
listed goals having to do with self and family. Except

for one exception, they did not mention any

aspirations having to do with other people or world
affairs. They were very concerned with gaining
financial security for themselves and their families.
Generally, these beginning families expect their
lives to get better in the next ten years. They feel

positive and optimistic about the future.

Implications for Further Research

This was an exploratory study which sought
additional information regarding the time use of
'beginning families. Although there have been a
variety of studies investigating the time use of
families at various stages of the life cycle (Walker
and Woods, 1976; Berk, 1976; Wiegand, 1952), there have
been few studies which have collected longitudinal
data on the same families as they move through the
life cycle. It would be useful to examine the same
ten families in this study as they progress through
the next life cycle stages. This time use study has
provided many implications and avenues for potential
research.

Through the use of a telephoning technique,

information was gathered about beginning families'

114

feelings about time use. More needs to be discovered
about the relationship between feelings and activities,

feelings and location of activities, and feelings and

activity participants. Generally, the ten families
studied felt positive about their present time

use and optimistic about their futures. Do most
beginning families feel positive about their present
life styles and time use? Are most beginning families
optimistic about their futures? Does optimism change
as a family passes through the life cycle? What is the
direction of that change?

The Self-Anchoring Scale exercise demonstrated that
the ten families studied had more aspirations than fears.
Do most beginning families have more aspirations than
fears? In other cultures and in other American
subgroups, would this be true? To what extent do socio-
economic and educational factors influence families'
aspirations and fears? What are the most commonly held
hopes and wishes of beginning families? How many of
beginning family members' aspirations are achieved over
time? How do family aspirations and fears change over
time?

Beginning family members in this study spent most
of their evening time together at home in shared
interaction. As family members grow older do they spend

more or less time at home? Do the amounts of time spent

115

in alone, joint, and shared interactions by beginning
family members change over time? How much of the time
do beginning families spend in the development of
human resources? How is this accomplished? If a
beginning family has a second child, how does this
affect their time use and amount of shared
interaction?

There is a definite need for more studies
investigating the husband's role in household work
and child care activities, and his feelings about
such activities. In the future, time researchers
need to interview the husband directly and/or
observe the husband's time use to get accurate data
about his time use in these areas. With more women
working today, there is a need to investigate the
husband's household work time contribution. With an
increased emphasis on parenthood responsibilities,
are husbands spending more time with their children?
In what sort of activities do husbands participate
with their children? How do husbands feel about the
time they spend with their children? Do wives feel
that their husbands should spend more time with their
children? Does the education level of the husband
affect the amount of time he spends in child care or

household work activities?

116

Family members use of time and factors which
affect their use of time invite serious interdisciplinary
study, involving such fields as human ecology, business,
anthropology, psychology, economics, and sociology.

The multi-disciplinary approach could provide a
varied perspective from which to interpret collected
time use data. For example, combining a business
management and home economics approach could be
useful when attempting to gain more insight into the
interdependence of family and work. For instance,
how much family work occurs at work such as phoning
family members, making family appointments, or writing
out grocery lists? Do wives or husbands participate
more in family—related activities during employed
working hours? Conversely, how much paid employment
activities occur at home? According to the families
in this study, very little paid employment was done in
the home environment. Is this true of other
beginning families?

In terms of home management, several more questions
can be raised. Do family members perceive time as a
limited resource? Do they think of alternative ways they
could use their time? How much planning do beginning
family members do? About which sorts of activities do
they make long-range plans? There is a need for more

qualitative data. Who decides how the shared family

117

time will be used? What sorts of time use decisions
does the wife, the husband, or the child typically
make? How do they make time use decisions? How do

family communication patterns affect decisions about

family time use? How is time use related to specific
human development outcome such as the development of
values, attitudes, and skills? Understanding these
phenomena will require more intense observations over
longer periods of time such as total days or weeks.
There is a need to look more intensively at the
intermeshing and coordinating of activities by and
among family members.

In terms of methodology, several questions can
be raised. Is the telephoning method an effective and
practical technique for studying time use in a large
sample of families? The results of this study show
this to be true for-a small sample. Does the telephone
lend itself to gathering data about durations of
activities? Should families be called more or less
often than 32 times per week? Would telephone sampling
over a longer period of time, such as a month or a
year, be more representative of a family's time use
than intensive one week time sampling? One of the
problems with studying beginning families over a long
period of time is their high mobility rate. In this

study, two of the families moved to different states

118

within two months after completion of the telephoning
and observation data collection. The telephoning
methodology also includes a considerable amount of
recalls. In this study, 52.5 percent of the original
calls were answered and 47.5 percent of the calls

were recalls because the subject was neither at

home or at his/her place of employment when the
assigned telephone call took place. Also in this
study, comparisons made between sampled observation and
telephone data indicated that there is some validity
between these two data collection approaches. More
time use studies are needed which incorporate a variety
of data collection approaches and use cross-checks to
determine validity. Would the use of audio-visual
equipment placed in the home and work situations be
effective in gathering time use data? Would observing
the time use of families over several days result in
more accurate findings? Could the diary records
keeping methodology be effectively combined with the
telephoning technique? Field experiments might be
conducted using a different combination of methodologies
or stressing only one methodology such as the telephone
methodology exclusively. There is a need to find
accurate, and inexpensive ways to gather time using

data.

119

In this study, when data were collected by the
telephoning and observation techniques, pre-determined
categories were not used. This allowed the respondent

to answer freely using his/her own words. Not using

the pre-determined categories allowed the researcher
to get a more accurate picture of family activities
because the respondent used his/her own families'
terminology and was not forced to define his/her
activities within the limits set up by the researcher.

Educational programs, from the early elementary
grades to continuing education and extension for adults,
should put more emphasis on understanding how families
allocate time. If women continue to work while having
a home and family, how can men be socialized and educated
into taking a more active role in child care and
housework? How can concepts of time use be used more
effectively in the teaching of family management,
consumer economics, and family relations?

In terms of public policy, several questions arise
about time use that are of concern to decision-makers.
If a four day work week becomes a permanent fixture in
American society, how will this affect family inter-
action patterns and leisure time use? Can the present
system of national parks and recreation areas accommodate
the public's increased use of them? How will increased

leisure time affect the environment? According to

120

this study, employed wives are driving in their cars
much more often than unemployed wives. How does the
increased employment of wives affect the environment

and the country's resources? With more women returning

to work, should the government's policies on day care
centers be re-evaluated so that more day care centers
are readily available nearer the work site? Future

time use studies of how families divide their time

among different activities would provide a valuable

set of data that could be directly related to the market
transactions in the national economic accounts.

This exploratory study has used a three-part
methodology to investigate beginning families' time
use. In the behavioral area, possible relationships
between knowledge, attitudes, and behavior in the
management of the limited resource of time should be
more thoroughly explored. More needs to be discovered

about how family members feel about their time allocations.

LITERATURE C ITED

LITERATURE CITED

Babbie, Earl R. Survey Research Methods. Belmont,
California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc., 1973.

 

Berk, Richard A. "Household Work in the Suburbs: The
Job and Its Participants." Unpublished paper,
Northwestern University, 1976.

Cantril, Hadley. "A Study of Aspirations." Scientific
American CCVII (February 1963):41-45.

 

Carroll, Stephen J., and Taylor, William H. "A Study
of the Validity of a Self-Observational Central-
Signaling Method of Work Sampling." Personnel
Psychology 21 (l968):359-364.

 

 

Chapin, Frances Stuart. Human Activity Patterns in the
C1 y. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1974.

Compton, Norma H., and Hall, Olive A. Foundations of
Home Economics Research. Minneapolis: Burgess
Publishing Company, 1972.

 

 

Cowles, M. L., and Dietz, R. P. "Time Spent in Home-
making Activities by a Selected Group of Wisconsin
Farm Homemakers." Journal of Home Economics 48
(January l956):29-35.

 

Davey, Alice. "Relationship of Family Interaction to
Family Environment." Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation,
Michigan State University, 1971.

Erasmus, Charles J. "Work Patterns in a Mayo Village."
American Anthropologist 57 (1955):322—333.

 

Field, A. E. "A Study of Water Consumption Practices in
Households." Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation,
Michigan State University, 1973.

Gauger, William H. "Household Work--Can We Add It To
GNP?" Journal of Home Economics 65 (October 1973):
12-15 0

 

121

122

Glazer-Malbin, Nona. "Housework." Journal of Women in
Culture and Society 1 (l976):905-922.

 

Gronau, Reuben. "The Intra-Family Allocation of Time:
The Value of the Housewives' Time." American
Economic Review 63 (September l973):634-651.

 

Gross, Irma H., and Crandall, Elizabeth. Management for
Modern Families. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts,

1954.

Hill, C. Russell, and Stafford, Frank P. "The Allocation
of Time to Children and Educational Opportunity."
Institute of Public Policy Studies, University of
Michigan. Paper presented at the Econometric Society
Meeting, New Orleans, December, 1971.

 

Kantor, David, and Lehr, William. Inside the Family.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1975.

 

Magrabi, Frances M.; Paolucci, Beatrice; and Heifner,
Marjorie E. "Framework for Studying Family Activity
Patterns." Journal of Home Economics 59 (November

1967):7l4-7l9.

Meerloo, J. A. M. Along the Fourth Dimension: Man's
Sense of Time and History. New York: John Day, 1970.

Mincer, Jacob, and Polachek, Soloman. "Family Investments
in Human Capital: Earnings of Women." Economics of
the Family. Edited by Theodore W. Schultz. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1974.

 

Mitchell, Glenn, and Rogers, Everett. "Telephone Inter-
viewing Used as a Research Tool." Journal of Home
Economics 52 (February l960):lO8-110.

 

 

Moore, Bernice M. "Time, Tension, and Mental Health.
Time, Man's Constant--Its Use, His Variable."
Journal of Home Economics 49 (December l957):59-63.

Moore, W. E. Man, Time and Society. New York: John Wiley
and Sons, 1963.

 

Natali, Daniel. "Maternal Time Use and School Achievement."
Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Michigan,

1975.

Nazareth, Peter. In a Brown Mantle. Nairobi: East
African Literature Bureau, 1972.

 

123

Nelson, Linda Jean. "Daily Activity Patterns of Peasant
Homemakers." Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation, Michigan
State University, 1963.

Nerlove, Marc. "Economic Growth and Population: Perspec-
‘ tives of the New Home Economics." Paper reprint.
New York: The Agricultural Development Council, Inc.,
November, 1974. '

Nickell, Paulena; Rice, Ann Smith; and Tucker, Suzanne P.
Management in Family Living. New York: John Wiley
and Sons, Inc., 1976.

 

Oakley, Ann. The Sociology of Housework. New York:
Pantheon Books, 1974.

Spradley, James P., and McCurdy, David. Anthropology:
The Cultural Perspective. New York: John Wiley and
Sons, Inc., 1975.

 

 

Steidl, Rose E., and Bratton, Esther Crew. Work in the
Home. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1968.

 

Stevens, Chandlee Lloyd. "Aspirations of Married Student
' Husbands and Their Wives." Unpublished Master's
Thesis, Michigan State University, 1964.

Szalai, Alexander. The Use of Time. The Hague, Paris:
Mouton, Publication ofItheEuropean Coordination
Center for Research and Documentation in the Social
Services, 1972.

 

Taylor, Frederick W. The Principles of Scientific
Management. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1911.

 

 

Vanek, J. "Keeping Busy: Time Spent in Housework, United
States, 1920-1970." Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation,
University of Michigan, 1973.

Walker, Kathryn E., and Gauger, William H. "Time and Its
Dollar Value in Household Work." Family Economics
Review (Fall l973):8-13.

Walker, Kathryn E., and Woods, Margaret E. Time Use: A
Measure of Household Production of Family Goods and
Services. Washington, D.C.: American Home Economics
Association, 1976.

 

 

Warren, J. "Use of Time in Its Relation to Home Manage-
ment." Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation, Cornell
University, 1938.

 

[III I ‘tlll
[5.88
.l!
'1 [Ilv III
(ii ll.

124

Webb, Eugene J.; Campbell, Donald T.; Schwartz, Richard D.;
and Sechrest, Lee. Unobtrusive Measures: Non-
Reactive Research in the Social Sciences. Chicago:
Rand McNally, 1966.

 

Wiegand, E. "Comparative Use of Time of Farm and City
Full-Time Homemakers and Homemakers in the Labor
Force in Relation to Home Management." Unpublished
Ph.D. Dissertation, Cornell University, 1953.

Wilson, M. "Use of Time by Oregon Farm Homemakers."
Oregon State University Agricultural Experiment
Station Bulletin, No. 256, Corvallis, Oregon, 1929.

IIIJIII Ill-I li’l“ I.
III I 'llllllll 8 (ill 88 ll I
(I. l I ll. fro] I I'll III. I I

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A

TEST INSTRUMENTS

APPENDIX A

TEST INSTRUMENTS

Self-Anchoring Scale Questions

All of us want certain things out of life. When you
think about what really matters in your own life,
what are your wishes and hopes for the future? In
other words, if you imagine your future in the best
possible light, what would your life look like then,
if you are to be happy? Take your time in answering;
such things aren't easily put into words. (What are
your hopes for the future? What would your life have
to be like for you to be completely happy? What is
missing for you to be happy? Use also if necessary,
the words, "dreams" and "desires"). Anything else?

Now, taking the other side of the picture, what are
your fears and worries about the future? In other
words, if you imagine your future in the worst
possible light, what would your life look like then?
Again, take your time answering. (What would make you
unhappy? Stress the words, "fears" and "worries").
Anything else?

Here is a picture of a ladder. Suppose we say that the
top of the ladder (pointing) represents the best
possible life for you, and the bottom (pointing) repre-
sents the worst possible life for you.

Where on the ladder (moving finger rapidly up and down
the ladder) do you feel you personally stand at the
present time? rung

Why do you think that this is where you are? What
makes you feel that you are on rung ?

And where do you think you will be on the ladder
ten years from now? rung

What are you doing now that will help you to reach
rung ?

125

126

Ten Step (Rung) Ladder

RUNG NUMBER

 

10 Best Possible Life

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Worst Possible Life

 

 

 

1‘ [illi‘l

 

‘llllllllI'I'l'i-I'.‘ lflf.¢“ll|‘.'llll‘llli

APPENDIX B

DATA GATHERING FORMS

APPENDIX B

DATA GATHERING FORMS

Questionnaire
Age of child 5. Number of years married
___ 1 year ___ 1
___ 1 year, 6 months ___ 2
___ 2 years ___ 3
___ 2 years, 6 months ___ 4
___ 3 years ___ 5
___ 6 or more
Sex of child
6. Years in present home
____Ma1e
'___ Female ____under 1 year
___ 1 year
Age of father .___ 2 years
.___ 3 years
____ 20 ___ 4 years
____ 21 ___ 5 years
____22 ___ 6 years or more
_23
___ 24 7. The home is:
_25
___ apartment
Age of mother ___ single house
___ rent, ___ own
___ 20 ___ other
___ 21
___ 22 8. Storage areas other
‘___ 23 than closets
___ 24
.___ 25 .___ garage
___ attic
____basement
___ other

127

10.

11.

l2.

13.

14.

128

Number of rooms in
the home (excluding
bathrooms)

||||||||

CDNChU'I-EUONI-J

01" more

Number and kind of pets

cat(s)
dog(s)
other

Type of heating system

electric
gas

coal

oil
other

Number of family owned vehicles

car(s)
truck(s)
motorcycle(s)
snowmobile(s)
other

Do both parents drive?

__ yes

1'10

Child care services used by parents

occasional care by relative or friend (5 times
a month or less).

occasional care by paid babysitter (5 times a
month or less).

babysitter on a regular basis more than 5 times
per month.

babysitter on a daily basis

day care center or nursery school part of the week

day care center or nursery school every day of
the week.

other child care arrangements; Describe:

15.
16.
17.

18.

19.

129

Employment of the mother:

 

Employment of the father:

 

Labor-Saving devices in the home (special)

___ dishwasher
garbage disposal
freezer
micro-wave oven
trash compactor
other

Number of years of college education of the husband

CDN ONU'I 4:00 N

Number of years of college education of the wife

(13% O\U'1 2W“)

130

Telephone Card Format

On 4" x 6" cards:

 

Family Number
Date

Time

Sex

1. What are you doing?
2. With whom are you doing it?

3. How do you feel about it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

131

Family Observation Guide

Time

Persons Involved

Place

Alone

Joint

Shared

Family Number
Date
Time

 

 

Activity Description

 

 

 

 

 

 

APPENDIX C

RANDOM TELEPHONE SAMPLING GUIDE

APPENDIX C

RANDOM TELEPHONE SAMPLING GUIDE

 

 

Time

Call Day of Week Wife Husband

First Monday 7:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m.
Second Tuesday 8:00 a.m. 12:00 noon
Third Wednesday 9:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m.
Fourth Thursday 10:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m.
Fifth Friday 11:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m.
Sixth Saturday 12:00 noon 4:00 p.m.
Seventh Sunday 1:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m.
Eighth Monday 2:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m.
Ninth Tuesday 3:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m.
Tenth Wednesday 4:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m.
Eleventh Thursday 5:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m.
Twelfth Friday 6:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m.
Thirteenth Saturday 7:00 p.m. 7:00 a.m.
Fourteenth Sunday 8:00 p.m. 8:00 a.m.
Fifteenth Monday 9:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m.
Sixteenth Tuesday 10:00 p.m. 10:00 a.m.

 

132

APPENDIX D

CODEBOOK

.Illilil. .«illllllll‘lllll‘i‘ll'l‘lil l

APPENDIX D

CODEBOOK

Card 1.

Column Number of Range of
Number Columns Valid Codes Item Description

 

 

 

l 1 l Signifies demographic data
cards

2-3 2 01-10 Family Number
01=Family #l
02=Family #2
03=Fami1y #3
04=Family #4
05=Family #5
06=Family #6
07=Family #7
08=Family #8
09=Family #9
10=Family #10

4 1 0-1 Wife's employment or
unemployment
0=unemployed
l=employed

5-6 2 07-48 Age of child in months
07=7 months
08=8 months
09=9 months
10=10 months
ll=ll months
l2=l2 months
l3=13 months
l4=l4 months
l5=l5 months
16=16 months
l7=17 months
18:18 months
l9=l9 months

133

.l lllll.llllllllll'llll.llllllll1 I Illll‘lv

134

Number of
Columns

Column
Number

Range of

Valid Codes Item Description

Age of child in months (cont)

 

 

 

20:20
21:21
22=22
23:23
24:24
25=25

,26=26

27=27
28:28
29=29
30=30
3l=31
32=32
33=33
34:34
35:35
36=36
37=37
38=38
39=39
40=40
41=4l
42:42
43:43
44=44
45=45
46:46
47=47
48:48

months
months
months
months
months
months
months
months
months
months
months
months
months
months
months
months
months
months
months
months
months
months
months
months
months
months
months
months
months

Sex of child
l=male
2=female

8-9 2

Age of husband in years

24:24
25=25
26:26
27=27
28:28
29=29
30=30
3l=3l
32:32
33=33
34=34
35=35

years
years
years
years
years
years
years
years
years
years
years
years

135

 

 

 

Column Number of Range of
Number Columns Valid Codes
10-11 2 2M-3U

l2—l3 2 01-16

1“ 1 1-6

15 1 1—2

16 1 1—2

17 1 0-1

Item Description

 

Age of wife in years

2u=2u
25=25
26:26
27=27
28:28
29=29
30=30
31=3l
32:32
33=33
3u=3u

Number

01=2
02=3
03=3
ou=u
05:“
06:5
07=5
08:6
09=6
10=7
ll=7
12:8
l3=8
1u=9
15=9

years
years
years
years
years
years
years
years
years
years
years

of years married
1/2 years
years

1/2 years
years

1/2 years
years

1/2 years
years

l/2 years
years

1/2 years
years

1/2 years
years

l/2 years

l6=lO years

Years in present home
l=under 1 years
2=l year-1 year 11
3=2 years-2 years
“=3 years-3 years
5=U years-u years
6:5 years-5 years

The home is
l=duplex
2=single house

The home is

l=rented
2=owned

what type

rented or

Home has a garage
O=no
l=yes

months

11 months
11 months
11 months
11 months

owned

136

 

 

Column Number of Range of
Number Columns Valid Codes

18 1 0-1

19 1 0-1

20 1 0—1
21-22 2 06—11

23 1 O-H

24 1 0-6

25 1 1-2

26 1 1-3

27 l 1

Item Description

 

Home has an attic
O=no
l=yes

Home has a basement
O=no
l=yes

Home has storage area other
than closet or garage, or
attic, or basement

O=no

l=yes

Number of rooms in home
(excluding bathroom)

06=6 rooms

07=7 rooms

08=8 rooms

09=9 rooms

10=10 rooms

ll=1l rooms

Number of bathrooms
l=l bathroom
2=1 1/2 bathrooms
3=2 bathrooms
u=2 1/2 bathrooms

Number and kind of pets

O=none

i=1 cat

2=1 dog

3=fish

4:2 cats

5=l dog and 1 cat
6=2 cats and fish

Type of heating system
l=gas
2=oil

Number and type of family
owned vehicle

1=1 car

2=2 cars

3=l car and 1 van

Do both parents drive
l=yes

137

Column Number of Range of

 

 

 

Number Columns Valid Codes Item Description
28 1 1-9 Child care services used by
parents

l=occasional care by
relative or friend

2=occasional care by
paid babysitter

3=babysitter on a regular
basis (5+ times per
month)

4=babysitter on a daily
basis

5=day care center or
nursery school part
of week

6=day care center or
nursery school every
day

7=nursery school &
occasional babysitter

8=babysitter daily &
occasional night
baby sitter

9=occasional care by
relative or friend and
paid babysitter

29 1 0-5 Employment of the mother
0=unemployed
l=teacher
2=social worker
3=office supervisor
H=child specialist
5=Registered Nurse and

college instructor

30-31 2 01—10 Employment of the father
Ol=teacher
O2=film-maker
O3=attorney
04=urban planner
05=social worker
O6=shop foreman
O7=health administrator
08=nuclear lab adminis-
trator

09=professor

lO=owner of construction
company

138

Column Number of Range of

 

 

 

 

Number Columns Valid Codes Item Description
32 1 0-8 Labor-saving devices in
the home
O=none

l=dishwasher

2=garbage disposal

3=freezer

M=micro-wave oven

5=garbage disposal &
freezer

6=dishwasher & garbage
disposal & freezer

7=dishwasher & garbage
disposal

8=garbage disposal,
freezer & Micro-wave

33 1 2-8 Years of completed educa-
tion for husband
years
years
years
years
years
years
years

CDK] O\Ul km M
II II II II II II II
CID-\l O\U1 :w N

34 1 2—6 Years of completed educa-
tion for wife
2=2 years
3=3 years
U=h years
5=5 years
6=6 years

35 1 1—9 Ladder-rung husband sees
himself at now
l=rung #9
2=rung #8 1/2
3=rung #8
4=rung #7 l/2
5=rung #7
6=rung #6 l/2
7=rung #6
8=rung #5 1/2
9=rung #5

139

Column Number of Range of
Number Columns Valid Codes Item Description

 

 

 

36 1 l-9 Ladder—rung wife sees her-

self at now
l=rung #9
2=rung #8 1/2
3=rung #8
U=rung #7 1/2
5=rung #7
6=rung #6 1/2
7=rung #6
8=rung #5 1/2
9=rung #5

37 l l-6 Ladder—rung which husband
will be on 10 years from now

l=rung #10

2=rung #9 1/2

3=rung #9

N=rung #8 1/2

5=rung #8

6=rung #7 1/2

38 1 1-5 Ladder-rung which wife will
be on 10 years from now
l=rung #10
2=rung #9 l/2
3=rung #9
u=rung #8 1/2
5=rung #8

Columns #39-79 and columns #5-20 represent data in minutes
derived from the observation. Everything is put into actual
minutes so that 020=20 minutes, 118=ll8 minutes, etc.

39-Hl 3 020-130 Number of minutes spent by
family members alone

M2-U3 2 05-95 Number of minutes spent by
family members in joint
activities

uu—ue 3 083-lu5 Number of minutes spent by
family members in shared
activities

u7-U8 2 00-65 Number of minutes husband
was alone

u9-50 2 00-50 Number of minutes husband
was in joint activities

51-53 3 000-132 Number of minutes husband

was in shared activities

lUO

 

 

 

Column Number of Range of

Number Columns Valid Codes Item Description

53-55 2 05-75 Number of minutes wife was
alone

56-57 2 00—35 Number of minutes wife was
in joint activities

58-60 3 071-125 Number of minutes wife was
in shared activity

61-62 2 00-45 Number of minutes child
was alone

63-64 2 OO—UO Number of minutes child
was in Joint activity

65-67 3 060—140 Number of minutes child
was in shared activity

68-69 2 05-90 Number of minutes spent in
kitchen by any family member

70-71 2 07-90 Number of minutes spent in
living room by any family
member

72-73 2 00-10 Number of minutes spent in
master bedroom by any
family member

7u-75 2 00-30 Number of minutes spent in
child's bedroom by any
family member

76—77 2 00-80 Number of minutes spent in
basement by any family member

78-80 3 000-131 Number of minutes spent out-

side by any family member

 

Card #2.

Column

Number

1

2-3

5-6

7-8

9—10

11—13

lu—l6

17-18

141

 

Item Description

 

Signifies cards containing
observation data continued
from cards #1

Family Number
01=Family #1
02=Family #2
03=Family #3
0M=Family #U
05=Family #5
06=Family #6
07=Family #7
08=Family #8
09=Family #9
lO=Family #10

Wife's employment or

unemployment
0=unemployed
l=employed

Number of minutes spent in
bathroom by any family member

Number of minutes spent by
husbands in child care
(without wife)

Number of minutes spent by
husbands in housework/food
preparation

Number of minutes spent by
wives in child care

Number of minutes spent by
wives in housework/food
preparation

Number of minutes spent in
husband—wife interaction
solely (child not involved)

Continuation of Observation Data
Numbnr'(fl‘ Rangw (H7
Columns Valid Codes
1 2
2 01-10
1 0-1
2 00-35
2 00-90
2 00-U2
3 000-105
3 000-105
2 00—50
2 00—88

Number of minutes spent by
both husband and wife together
in child care (shared
interaction)

1U2

Codebook for Telephone Sampling Data from "Time Use in
Beginning Families"

Column Number of Range of

 

 

 

Number Columns Valid Codes Item Description
1 l 3 Signifies telephone call
data cards

2-3, 2 0l-10 Family number
01=Family #l
18'19’ 02=Family #2
3u_35, 03=Family #3
50-51, OU=Family #4
66-67 05=Family #5

06=Family #6
O7=Family #7
08=Family #8
09=Family #9
lO=Family #10

H,20,36, 1 0-1 Wife is employed or unem-
52,68 ployed
0=unemployed
l=employed
5,21,37, 1 1-2 Sex of telephone call
53,69 respondent
l=male (husband)
2=female (wife)
6,22,38, l l-2 Whether call was a recall
5u,70 or not
l=lst call--answered
immediately
2=recall (missed call
had to recall)
7-8, 2 07-12 Time of phone call
23-2“, 01=l o'clock
39-40, O2=2 o'clock
55-55, 03=3 o'clock
71-72 04=H o'clock

05=5 o'clock

06=6 o'clock

07=7 o'clock

08=8 o'clock

09=9 o'clock

10=10 o'clock
ll=ll o'clock
l2=l2 o'clock noon

103

Column Number of Range of

Number Columns

 

Valid Codes

 

 

9,25,u1, 1 1-2
57,73

10, 26,. 1 1-7
M2,58,7u

11, 27, 1 1
“3,59,75

12,28, 1 l
uu,60,76

13-1u, 2
29-30,
us-u6,
61-62,
77-78,

01-12

Item Description

 

In the A.M. or P.M. phone
call
l=A.M. morning call
2=P.M. afternoon or
evening call

Day of week call was made
1=Monday
2=Tuesday
3=Wednesday
N=Thursday
5=Friday
6=Saturday
7=Sunday

Place where respondent was
when called
1=home
2=at place of employment
3=outdoors near home
H=on a trip (out-of-town)
5=in car locally
6=at local restaurant,
friend's home

Who was the respondent with
when called

l=alone

2=with child

3=with spouse

u=with child and spouse

5=with relatives

6=with friends

7=with co-workers

8=with own child & other

children
9=family and friends

Activity taking place when
called
01=sleeping
02=working
03=housework
0D=child care
05=reading
06=watching TV
07=combination child care
& housework
08=driving
09=yard work

iuu

Column Number of Range of
Number Columns Valid Codes Item Description

 

 

Activity taking place when
called (continued)
10=eating
ll=hobby
l2=phoning
l3=personal care
14=waiting
15=talking

15,31, 1 l-9 How respondents feels

47,63,79 1=awful
2=frustrated
3=hurried
A=tired
5=indifferent
6=comfortab1e
7=good, okay
8=interested
9=happy

APPENDIX E

ACTIVITY CATEGORIES

APPENDIX E

ACTIVITY CATEGORIES

Employment Activities

 

Writing reports

Supervising concrete being poured
Attending a business conference
Filling out attendance forms
Typing

Loading trucks

Housework

 

Preparation of food

After meal clean-up

House care and maintenance
Doing laundry

Sewing

Shopping

Record keeping

Child Care

 

Playing with child
Feeding child

Diapering child

Taking child for a walk
Reading to child

Holding or cuddling child

Driving

Driving to and from work, the store, the hospital
Backing a car out of the driveway

1&5

10.

ll.

l2.

13.

1146

Talking

Talking with co-workers

Talking with spouse or child
Talking with friends

Talking with a door-to-door salesman
Talking with relatives

Sleeping

Sleeping in bed
Napping in bed
Just waking up in bed

Eating

Eating meals or snacks at home, restaurants,
friends or relatives' homes

Watching TV

 

Watching television

Hobby

Playing bridge
Developing film
Taking photographs
Doing craft projects

Reading

Reading letters, books, magazines, newspapers,
or journals

Yard Work

 

Pulling weeds
Walking around yard
Mowing lawn
Planting garden

Waiting

Doing nothing
Resting
Waiting for someone

Telephoning

 

Talking on the telephone with spouse, co—workers,
friends, neighbors, or relatives

ll I'll. ’.j II
C 'r r‘ll ' [I

147

14. Combined Child Care and Housework

Doing the laundry and playing with child

Cleaning up after child while supervising child's
play

Feeding child and cleaning kitchen

15. Personal Care

 

Bathing

Applying makeup

Using toilet

Brushing teeth
Getting ready for bed
Getting dressed

"I7'11llllllllllllllfi