Couples’ arts participation: assessing individual and joint time use

Abstract

In this paper, we analyse the joint and individual time that Italian couples allocate to the different arts activities and arts practices. The Time Use Survey of Italian households (ISTAT 2002(ISTAT -2003 is used for the first time for this purpose. Despite an unbalanced gender division of paid and unpaid work in this country, women are shown to have a greater predisposition towards engaging in the arts. Altogether, Italian couples spend half of their arts time together. After we apply a Heckman's selection model, results show the overall positive effects of age, education, individual and couple's well-being and weekend participation, and the negative effects of children and residence in southern regions. Yet we demonstrate that the likelihood to participate in the arts and the amount of time allocated to them are determined by different factors. In particular, we highlight some differences and complementarities in partners' personal and mutual influence and respective roles within the couple and the household.

Fiscal and economic aspects of book consumption in the European Union

“…Political affiliation, as an alternative determinant, is found to have little effect on the reading behaviour in Russia (Zavisca 2005). Lazzaro and Frateschi (2015) note visits to the library to be an individual activity, unlike social activities such as cinema, theatre or museums. Public libraries provide access to their holdings free of charge, though may charge a membership for lending books, and may provide a number of information services and literacy courses.…”

Consumption of cultural goods and services and time allocation in Brazil

“…Some authors empirically addressed the relationship among culture consumption, income, and time availability (Withers, 1980;Werck;Heyndels, 2007;Zieba, 2009;Muñiz et al, 2011;Lazzaro;Frateschi, 2015). However, studies discussing consumption of culture in Brazil have only analyzed factors associated with expenditures (Diniz;Machado, 2011;Paglioto;Machado, 2012) and have not discussed time allocation, another important feature that should also be addressed while discussing culture consumption.…”

“…The objective is to describe the fundamental ideas driving our empirical analysis. Moreover, we present a literature review with studies addressing topics similar to the one analyzed here in order to contextualize our discussion (Withers, 1980;Werck;Heyndels, 2007;Zieba, 2009;Muñiz et al, 2011;Lazzaro;Frateschi, 2015) According to Becker (1965), families are no longer just passive utility maximizing agents only buying goods and services in the market, but rather active agents producing goods and services as well as investing in capital building. The author proposed a utility function that considered goods produced by the agents who used as inputs purchased goods, time allocation, personal abilities, training and human capital.…”

“…Another factor that might infl uence culture consumption is the effect of the individual's social relationships, as social networks infl uence the formation of preferences (Upright, 2004;Lazzaro;Freteschi, 2015). Those papers empirically analyzed this point specifi cally for couples.…”

“…These results may suggest that Brazilian population does not value culture highly. However, according to Lazzaro and Frateschi (2015), as time is a precious resource, if individuals are allocating time to consume artistic events and culture in general, it is because they truly value them.…”