The Social Organization of Time-Use in Native and Immigrant Children

• In Event: 352 - Section on Children and Youth Paper Session. Children's Time Use: Theory and Application

Abstract

How immigrant children fare in the hose society has been a focus in the immigration literature. While there are numerous studies studying developmental, educational and health outcomes of children of immigrant as compared to their native counterparts, relatively few studies directly examine the immigrant and native children’s differences in time-use in details. This study used the nationally-representative time-use data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) to quantify and compare levels of time investments between native and immigrant children. Results show substantial native and immigrant differences in children’s time-use, after controlling for a wide range of socio-demographic variables. Specifically, immigrant children spent substantially more time in educational activities, personal care, and organized lessons but they spent less time in free play and organized sports as compared to native children. Yet, such high level of time investments in developmentally beneficial activities was only observed among non-Anglophone immigrant children. Finally, maternal length of stay did not explain the gaps in time-use suggesting that parents’ degree of acculturation may not completely explain the why immigrant children use their time differently.

Author

• Jen-Hao Chen, University of Missouri-Columbia