TIME COORDINATION, THE DOMESTIC DIVISION-OF-LABOR AND AFFECTIVE RELATIONS - TIME USE AND THE ENJOYMENT OF ACTIVITIES WITHIN COUPLES

In this paper the time-use of diaries of a sample of couples are used to explore the relationship between partners' daily pattern of activit ies and their enjoyment of those activities. By analysing the diaries of couples together it is possible to assess which activities are unde rtaken simultaneously, which separately, and whether time spent in dif ferent activities is more enjoyable spent separately or together. So, in addition to the usual information obtainable from time diary analys is on the domestic division of labour, these data provide information on the quality of time, and the ways in which couples may manipulate i t in order to increase the proportion of enjoyable time (which, it is shown, is more enjoyable when enjoyed together). The wider significanc e of this approach is that an empirical link is provided between 'work -related' debates on the domestic division of labour, and those on the nature of affective relationships between couples found within the so ciology of emotions.