Deconstructing Family Time: From Ideology

Deconstructing Family Time: From Ideology to Lived Experience Journal: Journal of Marriage and Family, Volume 63, No. 2, May 2001 Project or Data Set: This article is based on a project that interviewed a number of families about their experiences of the concept of "family time." Most important Previous Studies mentioned in literature review Barnett, R. (1998). Toward a review and reconceptualization of the work/family literature. Genetic, Social and General Psychology Monographs, 124, 125-182. Zaretsky, E. (1976). Capitalism, the family and personal life. New York: Harper and Row. Gillis, J. (1996).

Making time for family: The invention of family time(s) and the reinvention of family history. The Journal of Family History, 21, 4-21. Barnett, R.C. & Rivers, C. (1998). She works, he works: How two income families are happy, healthy and thriving. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Research Questions: How do families think and talk about family time? What are the historical and cultural forces that shape these everyday constructions? What are the expectations for family time that they abide by? How are these expectations real in their consequences? How do women and men endeavor to make, find or preserve time for family in the face of increased work demands? How satisfied are they with the amount of family time that they have? How do children perceive family time in the face of highly scheduled lives? What do families do when they are experiencing family time? Hypothesis: This study did not have a specifically stated hypothesis, but the general trend of the literature review suggests that the authors expected to find a discordance between expectations for family time and actual experiences of family time.

Study Design: The study used a mixed-methods design, utilizing both interviews and observation. 17 dual earner and 11 single parent families were interviewed, with each interview lasting between 60 and 90 minutes. Individual parents and couples were interviewed more than once. The second part of the design involved an observational study in which children participated in a structured setting in which they could talk about their experiences of family time. The observation took place at a child care centre.

Sample Size and Selection Procedures: The sample consisted of 17 dual earner families and 11 single parent families. 16 children participated in the observation study. Participants were recruited through a nonprofit university-based childcare facility and through snowballing techniques. Independent Variable: This was not an experimental study, and as such, there was not really an independent variable in question. Primary Dependent Variable: Again, without it being an experimental study, the terms dependent and independent variability lose some of their meaning.

In general, the 'outcome' measures for this study consisted of the answers provided to the interview questions, particularly concerning how families define the concept of family time, how they engage in the concept of family time, what they expect of family time, and what the actual reality of their experiences of family time are. Analytical or Statistical Technique Used: The data in this study was predominantly qualitative and as such was analyzed using qualitative methods, including thematic coding, the principles of grounded theory and theoretical saturation.

Primary Finding: The primary finding of the study is that the concept of 'family time,' as it is currently being employed in the literature, is not an accurate reflection of the actual experiences of family time. The authors conclude that "family time is considerably more problematic and diverse in nature than our everyday discourse would suggest" (p. 292).

Further to this, the study finds that the concept of family time is conceived by their participants as "prescriptive" -- or something required for traditional family values and the well-being of the family.