Michael Bittman

Michael Bittman is a Professor in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences at the University of New England, specializing in time-use statistics and family sociology. As an internationally recognized expert, he has pioneered methodological advances in time-use data collection and analysis. His research examines social policy impacts on family dynamics, care economics, gender equity, and leisure distribution.

Key research domains include:

• Time allocation for paid/unpaid work and care activities
• Impact of caregiving on employment and income
• Gender divisions in domestic labor
• Work-life balance in digital age
• Child development contexts (sleep, media use, family routines)

Recent publications focus on early childhood educators' hidden labor, pandemic-related time-use shifts, and social determinants of eating behaviors. His work employs innovative methods like electronic time-sampling and longitudinal diary studies to capture evolving work-life patterns.

Professor Bittman contributes to major sociological studies including the Australian Longitudinal Study of Children ('Growing Up in Australia'). He has consulted for government agencies on work-hour regulations, childcare policy, and time-use measurement standards.