1. Objectifs

Intentions :
« The problems encountered by couples seeking to address the demands of their work and the aspirations they have regarding their family life are many and seem at times irreconcilable because of the way they compete with one another. More specifically it is the time the members of families have to spend together which appears to suffer as a consequence of the work schedule to which the parents are subjected. This calls for a reflection on the balance between the parents’ work schedule, economic wellbeing and “family time”. » (p. 344)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
« This analysis is based on the data of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth conducted by Statistics Canada and the Department of Human Resources Development Canada. » (p. 346) The authors use data from Québec.

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

« The results obtained certainly indicate that research into family time should be pursued. The complexity of working schedules which vary according to several factors, including the demands of the labour market and the need to maintain an acceptable standard of living, come into direct conflict with the time that the parents and children can spend together. It is immediately apparent that family time does not come out the winner in this competition and that the quality of family life suffers as a consequence, since the adoption of nonstandard working hours leads to a standard of living that remains low, inferior to the median. […] Amongst other things, the evolution in the participation in the labour market of the two parents should be studied over time, according to the age and the number of children. The question of the availability of childcare services and of support for parents, which especially takes into account the nonstandard working hours, is particularly relevant. And in this regard, the notion of family time comprises dimensions linked to social policies affecting families and the workplace. It could also be further enhanced and qualified by more concretely taking into account the time available to the children themselves, whose leisure activities are often organized in such a way as to considerably encroach on evenings and especially weekends. » (p. 355)