Family Time: The social organization of care

Abstract

How do families juggle the competing demands of paid employment and care for one another? The ways that people spend their time are surely as important as the ways they spend their money. Opportunities for close personal and emotional interaction are key to the quality of life and the development of human capabilities. Yet, modern accounting systems devote far more attention to money than to time. National statistical agencies have only recently begun to collect systematic time-use diaries that allow for accurate cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons. The growing availability of these important data intensifies the need to develop strong conceptual frameworks for understanding the ways people allocate their time. In this volume, we bring together critical analyses of the social organization of time devoted to the care of family members, especially young children and the elderly. Gary Becker and many economists influenced by the Chicago school of neoclassical economic theory express confidence that individuals make efficient decisions regarding time allocation that lead to socially desirable results. We are less optimistic, pointing to ways that the structure of social institutions and altruistic commitments can lead to inefficient and unfair outcomes. Public policies that have evolved without much consideration of their consequences for family life impose significant constraints on individual choices.