How does the coronavirus affect daily life?

Call to participate in international time-use study by Vrije Universiteit Brussel TOR research group and research bureau hbits

Wednesday, March 25, 2020 — The TOR research group at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has been conducting time-use research since 1982. Together with hbits, a Vrije Universiteit Brussel spin-off, TOR launches the time-use survey to map out the consequences of the corona crisis on daily life. What has changed, how do we adapt and what long-term effects can this have? Professor Ignace Glorieux: “Daily life has been completely turned upside down and separate spheres of life such as work and private suddenly coincide. We want to investigate the short and long-term effects of this. We therefore call on everyone to complete the survey and share it with friends and via social media, also internationally.” The study is available in Dutch, English and French. You can find the survey on https://www.everydaylife.eu

Strict measures have recently been taken in many countries to combat the spread of the coronavirus. The institutions that normally give structure and variety in our daily lives - work, school, shops, fitness, bars, etc. - no longer function as before. Routines lose their relevance, travel is restricted, and our social contacts are limited or take place through other channels. Spheres of life that were previously quite well separated, such as work, family and school, now coincide. The course of daily life but also the collective rhythms of our society have changed fundamentally in a very short space of time.

Ignace Glorieux, professor of sociology explains the purpose of the research: “It is not clear what consequences these drastic changes will have on our daily lives in the short and long term. In any case, the way we spend our time is not the same as before. But what has changed and how do we adapt to these new circumstances? How do we organise our paid and housework? How do we deal with children who are at home all day? What do we do to relax? What does the course of the day look like in our families? And is there still a noticeable difference between week days and the weekend, and working days and holidays? We want to find out with this research. We therefore invite everyone to take part and to share this message with friends, contacts and social media.”

Take part in this survey through this website: https://www.everydaylife.eu.

Principal researchers: Ignace Glorieux, Joeri Minnen, Sven Rymenants en Theun Pieter van Tienoven

Contact:

Ignace Glorieux (Research Group TOR – Vrije Universiteit Brussel)

[email protected]

0475 25 48 02

Joeri Minnen (CEO hbits cv)

[email protected]

0497 18 95 03