Women feel rushed no matter what.

• Position: Lifestyles - Brief article

While more free time sounds like a good thing for everyone, research from Ohio State University, Columbus, suggests it is a better deal for men than women. Men who have more free time feel less rushed than men with less leisure time. However, even when women have more time free from paid work and household tasks, they do not feel less rushed.

The results indicate that women--particularly mothers--may feel the pressures of child care and housework even when they have time for relaxation, notes Liana Sayer, assistant professor of sociology. "The meaning of free time for men's and women's lives are quite different. Especially for wives and mothers, it appears free time is still combined with other activities or responsibilities."

Women, in effect, pay a "family penalty," Sayer concludes. For example, the study found that men who were married and had children...