Managing time and childcare in dual-earner families: Unforseen consequences of household strategies

The present article documents how dual-earner families employ different household strategies when managing time and childcare in everyday life. In particular, the focus is set on the unforeseen consequences of household strategies, that is, novel emerging problems, cultural ideals, and subjectivitie...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta sociologica 2009, Vol.52 (2), p.162
Main Author: Forsberg, Lucas
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Barn
Childcare
Children
domestic work
family life
household strategies
INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AREAS
involved parenthood
time management
TVÄRVETENSKAPLIGA FORSKNINGSOMRÅDEN
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Summary:The present article documents how dual-earner families employ different household strategies when managing time and childcare in everyday life. In particular, the focus is set on the unforeseen consequences of household strategies, that is, novel emerging problems, cultural ideals, and subjectivities. This ethnographic study of eight middle-class couples in Sweden analyzes three household strategies: delegating, alternating and multitasking. While parents apparently use these strategies to juggle the multiple demands of everyday life in a time-efficient way, they also comply with a norm of involved parenthood. Thus, when employing household strategies, the parents balance between enacting themselves as involved parents and running the risk of being understood as uninvolved.
ISSN:0001-6993
1502-3869
DOI:10.1177/0001699309104003