Time crunch and the perception of control over time from a gendered perspective: The Dutch case

The belief that "role overload" contributed to an objective decline in leis ure time and a loss of control over time has been questioned in the ongoing debate on "time crunch". This article examines the relationships between d ifferent factors affecting "time crunch" in the context of gender differenc es. The analyses reported in this article are based on data collected as pa rt of the 1995 Dutch time-use survey, and focus on married and cohabiting m en and women, housekeepers as well as wage earners, aged 25-44. The main fi ndings of the article suggest that the amounts of time spent in paid work a nd leisure affect the sense of "time crunch" significantly. Women were foun d to experience less control over time than men. Women's considerable house hold responsibilities are identified as part of the explanation for this di fference. The structure of time use is an important factor explaining the s ubjective sense of time pressure. Women's time appears to be more fragmente d than men's due to child care requirements. The number of children in the household affects both men's and women's control over time.