Free Time Not So RelaxingA new study suggests that women cannot relax on their free time. Either because the free time is spent fulfilling familial obligations or because they cannot stop worrying about the things they are leaving undone...
Newswise — While more free time sounds like a good thing for everyone, new research suggests it is a better deal for men than it is for women.
A study found that men who have more free time feel less rushed than men with less leisure time. But even when women have more time free from paid work and household tasks, they don’t feel less rushed.
The results suggest that women – particularly mothers – may feel the pressures of childcare and housework even when they have time for relaxation, said Liana Sayer, co-author of the study and assistant professor of sociology at Ohio State University.
“The meaning of free time for men’s and women’s lives are quite different,” Sayer said. “Especially for wives and mothers, it appears free time is still combined with other activities or responsibilities.”
Women, in effect, pay a “family penalty,” she said.
