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Leisure Inequality in the United States: 1965–2003

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  • Almudena Sevilla

    ()

  • Jose Gimenez-Nadal
  • Jonathan Gershuny

Abstract

This paper exploits the complex sequential structure of the diary data in the American Heritage Time Use Study (AHTUS) and constructs three classes of indicators that capture the quality of leisure ('pure leisure', 'co-present leisure' and 'leisure fragmentation') to show that the relative growth in leisure time enjoyed by less-educated individuals documented in previous studies has been accompanied by a relative decrease in the quality of that leisure time. These results are not driven by any single leisure activity, such as time watching television. Our findings may offer a more comprehensive picture of inequality in the US and provide a basis for weighing the relative decline in earnings and consumption for the less educated against the simultaneous relative growth of leisure.

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File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s13524-012-0100-5
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Article provided by Springer in its journal Demography.

Volume (Year): 49 (2012)
Issue (Month): 3 (August)
Pages: 939-964

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Handle: RePEc:spr:demogr:v:49:y:2012:i:3:p:939-964
Contact details of provider: Web page: http://www.springer.com/economics/journal/13524

Order Information: Web: http://link.springer.de/orders.htm

Keywords: Happiness; Inequality; Income; Consumption; Time use;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
  • C13 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Estimation: General
  • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
  • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
  • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
  • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
  • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Social and Economic Stratification

References listed on IDEAS
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Cited by:

  1. González Chapela, Jorge, 2014. "Disentangling income and price effects in the demand for time online," MPRA Paper 57302, University Library of Munich, Germany.
  2. Bryan, Mark L. & Sevilla, Almudena, 2014. "Flexible Working and Couples' Coordination of Time Schedules," IZA Discussion Papers 8304, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  3. Gimenez-Nadal, J. Ignacio & Molina, José Alberto, 2014. "Health Status and the Allocation of Time: Cross-Country Evidence from Europe," IZA Discussion Papers 8634, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  4. Gimenez-Nadal, J. Ignacio & Molina, José Alberto, 2015. "Voluntary Activities and Daily Happiness in the US," IZA Discussion Papers 8764, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  5. Anne Roeters & Mariëlle Cloïn & Tanja van der Lippe, 2014. "Solitary Time and Mental Health in the Netherlands," Social Indicators Research, Springer, vol. 119(2), pages 925-941, November.

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