ABSTRACT

The aim of the present study was to illuminate how middle-aged women in Denmark manage, practically and emotionally, exercise in personal leisure time within the constraints of an ongoing time bind related to the societal obligations of work and family. The study was inspired by the micro sociological perspective of Arlie Hochschild, and findings are based on empirical material from focus groups of middle-aged Danish women who completed a three months research based exercise intervention (N = 51), and individual follow-up interviews (N = 21). We elucidate how the societal obligations of being successful at work, being a good mother, and being physically active creates a time bind in the everyday life of middle-aged women. Instead of having more leisure time, middle-aged women experience continuous time demands of work flexibility and performance, as well as new time demanding care duties linked to their children, parents, or grandchildren. We conclude that the personal leisure time of Danish women, exemplified by participation in an exercise intervention, is highly constrained by the time bind of market culture. Furthermore, prioritisation of personal leisure time involves considerable emotion management as a consequence of being unable to fulfil the societal obligations of their usual roles.

摘要

本研究的目的是阐明丹麦的中年妇女如何在与工作和家庭的社会义务相关的持续时间约束的限制下，在实际和情感上管理个人休闲时间的锻炼。该研究受到 Arlie Hochschild 的微观社会学观点的启发，研究结果基于完成三个月研究型运动干预 (N = 51) 的丹麦中年女性焦点小组的经验材料，以及个人后续访谈（N = 21）。我们阐明了在工作中取得成功、成为好母亲和身体活跃等社会义务如何在中年女性的日常生活中造成时间限制。中年女性没有更多的闲暇时间，而是经历了对工作灵活性和绩效的持续时间需求，以及与他们的孩子、父母或孙子孙女相关的新时间要求的照顾职责。我们得出的结论是，丹麦女性的个人休闲时间，例如参与运动干预，受到市场文化时间约束的高度限制。此外，由于无法履行其通常角色的社会义务，个人休闲时间的优先级涉及相当大的情绪管理。