The Sociological Uses of Time-use Diary Analysis

In this paper we first address arguments that have been made within the sociological literature concerning the nature of time; in particular we question the validity of the distinction between concepts of ‘natural’ and ‘social’ time. Secondly, we discuss some direct sociological critiques of the use of time-use diary methodology. We argue that much of the substance of these critiques relies upon a limited conception of such diaries, based upon relatively crude early analyses of time-use data. In fact diary materials have the potential to provide measures of many of the aspects of the experience of time which they have been accused of ignoring. We present a series of example analyses which consider: the rhythm and sequencing of daily activities; the occurrence of multiple simultaneous activities; the duration of specific activities; the enjoyment of time spent in different activities; and the social context of activities.