Parental time investments and instantaneous well-being in the United States

Bosworth, Steven J., Gimenez-Nadal, Jose Ignacio and Sevilla, Almudena ORCID: 0000-0001-6143-5903 (2024) Parental time investments and instantaneous well-being in the United States. Scottish Journal of Political Economy. ISSN 0036-9292

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Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between maternal education, child-care time, and well-being in the United States, with a particular focus on the role of societal norms. Highly educated mothers spend more time on childcare compared to their less educated counterparts. Drawing on data from the American Time Use Survey's Well-Being Modules (2012, 2013, 2021), this research provides a comprehensive examination of maternal activities and well-being. Notably, educated mothers consistently experience reduced instantaneous happiness during childcare, across various caregiving tasks, despite investing greater time in them. To better understand this pattern, we introduce an identity economics model whose predictions are consonant with the empirical findings. Our model illustrates how societal gender roles differentially influence patterns of time allocation by mothers' education and impact their instantaneous and overall well-being.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2024 The Author(s)
Divisions:	Social Policy
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform
JEL classification:	D - Microeconomics > D1 - Household Behavior and Family Economics > D13 - Household Production and Intrahousehold Allocation I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I3 - Welfare and Poverty > I31 - General Welfare; Basic Needs; Living Standards; Quality of Life; Happiness J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J1 - Demographic Economics > J13 - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
Date Deposited:	26 Sep 2024 14:57
Last Modified:	12 Nov 2024 17:42
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/125542

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