The end of time as we know it: ethics and inequalities in mothers and fathers experience of time for work, family and health

Abstract

Parents in Australia have higher total time commitments and more gendered time-use patterns than other adults, with most 'juggling' their time between paid work and family caring responsibilities. Responding to the time demands of both the labour market and the family presents considerable challenges. Parents are routinely described as being time scarce and time pressured. Exercise and a healthy diet are considered to be vital for good health but both also require time and effort on a daily basis. In view of the time constraints experienced by parents, is there time for health? This study examines the intersection of work, family and health in the daily lives of parents in Australia. Using a qualitative and interpretative framework, and drawing on data from questionnaires and interviews with 43 mothers and fathers in Western Sydney, it explores experiences of time, and attitudes and priorities articulated by parents while engaging in work, caring for their children and in being healthy. Thematic analysis was used along with social practice theory to identify key themes and issues. The results highlight the difficulty that many parents face in satisfactorily balancing time for paid work in addition to caring for their children as well as they wish. Time for paid work was found to be privileged, and valued by most mothers and fathers in the study as a source of dignity, respect, social connection, personal development and fulfillment as well as generating income. The evidence demonstrated that in terms of absolute time commitments however, unpaid family work overwhelmingly trumped time for work. Many parents expressed sentiments about the vast array of responsibilities and invisible tasks required to 'properly' care for children in the modern age and a sense that expectations had increased over time in accord with a practice of 'intensive parenting'. These pressures exacerbated parents' experience of time as a problem: time that sped by too fast, and yet was characterised by interruptions and challenges of sequencing and scheduling. Importantly, parents described the way that time was used, controlled and understood in ways that evidenced gendered inequality and challenges to their capacity to meet their own and societal expectations. The research also confirmed that time is an important resource for health and that busy and time-pressured parents often compromise self-care and the diet and exercise behaviours necessary for healthy living. Parents were well aware of the need for healthy behaviours and also expressed a desire to support their children to lead healthy lives. This study suggests that the ability of some parents to 'choose health' is constrained and compromised by their personal experiences of time, and provides explanations for the ways in which time can compromise health behaviours. It demonstrates that these are issues that also confront families who are economically and socially disadvantaged. The study offers a novel approach to the analysis of time barriers by also investigating the complex ways that time is valued, adding the concept of 'morality of time' to the multitude of ways that time influences health. Show more