Time use research based on five-yearly diary annotations of activities during a full week in October makes it possible to chart out a number of aspects of the (re)structuring of time use and time allocation. At the outset, we describe length and time of obligations and forms and characteristics of leisure. Subsequently, changes in roles and consequences of obligations out of hours' are analysed. Developments in (leisure) time use and time allocation are looked into more closely by studying Sundays, weekday routines and the family diary. Throughout, trends for the period 1975-1995 as well as similarities and differences between segments of the population are analysed. Regrettable, a number of aspects of the use and allocation of time remain `terra incognita'. For example, we do not know how people experience their (leisure) time, who they do things with and whether they undertake (leisure) activities on the basis of preference or due to a lack of alternatives. The theme of time allocation partly remains beyond our scope too, as is the case for the degree to which people allocate time around such focus dates as Christmas, New Year's Eve, holidays and birthdays, which are subject to a rhythm which goes beyond the average October week investigated. In the first section of the summary, the main findings concerning the (re)structuring of time are presented. In the second section, we discuss five aspects of the (re)structuring of time: whether there is any evidence of blurring of roles, whether individual regularity has declined, whether collective rhythms have become less prevalent, whether individuals are active for a longer time and whether society is active for a longer time. (Author/publisher)
Abstract