Time Use and the Impact of Technology

Abstract

Times have changed. The distinctions between work time and household time are no longer limited by the constraints of physical space. Indeed, the boundaries of time and space between the home and the outside world have been blurred by home computers, faxes, email, pagers, and other technologies, bringing home into the workplace and work into the home space. The purpose of this manuscript is to re-examine the time–space relationship as new patterns of time use are necessitated by home workspaces. My particular interest lies in proposing and developing a conceptual schema that helps researchers to examine the intra-household time interactions that result when workspaces are integrated within the home space. In the present study, I develop a set of research propositions and a conceptual framework for analytical use.