Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
about it, the achievement of family time is seen as a personal trouble that
requires a private solution rather than as a systemic or public dilemma
applying to all families (Daly, 2002). Today's families live by what they call
'quality time', which is different to the time they actually share together, in
routines and rituals.
Within the home the routines of meals are still the most important
activity done as a family (Mestdag & Vandeweyer, 2005). Increasing litera-
ture on shared meals is spurred by its perceived reduced frequency; this
literature documents positive impacts, such as enhancement of the socio-
emotional and cognitive development of children (Davidson & Gauthier,
2010). This idealisation of the family meal receives increasing media
exposure (Gibbs, 2006).
In contrast, there are also a range of rituals in contemporary family life,
including everything from special family meals to family holidays, which
are not like other times but rather a time out of time, a social and cultural
construction (Gillis, 2001). These ritualised times are different, in that they
require anticipation and preparation, are the subject of extensive remember-
ing, and provide a sense of identity (Fiese
et al
., 2002). Rituals such as family
holidays stand out as more symbolic, steeped in memories and spanning
across generations compared with everyday routines. However, the scien-
tific study of routines and rituals remains relatively immature (Fiese
et al
.,
2002) and tends to reproduce privatised notions of family life (DeVault,
2000). In fact, while family holidays are mentioned in the family literature
(e.g. Gillis, 2000; Snyder, 2007), little is known about the symbolic and
enduring meanings of family time on holiday. Discussions of family time
also do not typically include any negative aspects (Daly, 2001) or capture
the increasing diversity among families in terms of cultural background and
family composition.
Gender and Generational Perspectives on Family Time
Families cannot be considered as separate from society and can be under-
stood only in relation to the broader social context. The meaning of family
time can differ by gender and generation because of the relative weight that
mothers, fathers and children place on their family identities. The term
gender
has been adopted by feminist scholars as acknowledging the influence
of social structures on family roles. In general, there are quantitative gender
differences, in that mothers overall spend more time with their children
than fathers, regardless of their work status (Sayer
et al
., 2004). There are
also qualitative gender differences, in that a substantial amount of the time
mothers spend with their children involves childcare and maintenance,
whereas fathers spend more time with their children playing (Craig, 2006;
Roxburgh, 2006). This leads to gendered and generational differences in the
way family time is defined within contemporary Western society.
