Time Use and Family Dynamics in Contemporary Europe

Guest editors: 

• Tabea Naujoks (University of Rostock)
• Michaela Kreyenfeld (Hertie School and Einstein Center Population Diversity)
• Heike Trappe (University of Rostock)
• Sabine Walper (German Youth Institute) 

Motivation and objectives 
Every ten years, European countries collect comparable Time Use data, with the most recent round from 2022/23 now released. This rich dataset enables an in-depth understanding of family life, covering key topics such as the division of work and care, parenting, leisure, public engagement, and mobility. It provides crucial insights into the structuring of time across important social dimensions such as gender, class, and family. Moreover, the data facilitates cross-national comparisons, offering valuable perspectives on how welfare regimes and social policies shape family behaviour and time use. The long-standing tradition of time use data collection across many European countries also allows researchers to examine changes over time, spanning several decades. Furthermore, the data enables researchers to incorporate the children’s perspective on their personal time use. Particularly in times of increasing screen time of children and teenagers, the question arises of how the use of social media and digital devices shapes family lives and how technology is used across generations within families. Another topic of rising interest is the well‑being of families and their members. Time use data can illuminate both economic and subjective well-being and show how these outcomes relate to each person’s own – and to other family members’ – time use. 

With this special issue, we aim to bring together scholars who utilize time use data to deepen our understanding of family behaviour in European countries. We invite contributions that address topics such as: 

• Time use and individual life course outcomes
• Time availability, autonomy, and time pressure
• Technology use within families
• Cross-national perspective on time use within families
• Parenting behaviour
• Children’s time use
• Methodological challenges and advances in time use data and family research 

Suggested timeline 

• 15 Dec 2025 Call for papers deadline (short abstracts)
• 15 Jan 2026 Call for papers decision
• 1 June 2026: Manuscript submission (full drafts)
• 06/2026-08/2026: Reviewing of papers (1st round)
• 09/2026-10/2026: Revision of papers
• 11/2026-01/2027: Reviewing of revised papers (2nd round)
• 02/2027: Final revisions
• 03/2027-05/2027: Production
• 06/2027: Final publication 

Selection process: 
Submissions undergo an initial screening to assess their alignment with the call’s objectives and compliance with CPoS standards. Authors must submit a short abstract by 15 December 2025. Submissions should be sent to cpos(at)bib.bund.de. 

Note: 
Early submissions of full papers are possible and encouraged, as they help streamline the review process. Papers will be published on a rolling basis upon acceptance. Please submit directly through the CPoS homepage (https://www.comparativepopulationstudies.de/in-dex.php/CPoS/about/submissions) and indicate that your manuscript is intended for the Special Issue. Note that peer review will begin shortly after your submission. For questions regarding the Special Issue, please contact: tabea.naujoks(at)uni-rostock.de

CfP (Link)