VALERIE MOLLER INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONS AND TIME USE IN URBAN BLACK SOUTH AFRICAN HOUSEHOLDS* ABSTRACT. Intergenerational relations is a critical issue in South Africa's tran- sition to democracy. Harsh apartheid laws as well as rapid urbanization have divided families and weakened the traditional mutual intergenerational support system. Earlier research indicated signs of alienation and conflict between the generations, particularly among urban black families (Ferreira et al., 1992). The paper reports on the role of everyday life in promoting solidarity in families and the well-being of members. A weekday time-use study was conducted among 300 multigeneration urban black households in two metropolitan areas. A time budget and questionnaire were administered to a high school pupil, a parent and a grandparent in each of the households (n900). Motivations underlying activities of the diary day were examined using the method developed by Elchardus and Glorieux (1992). Results suggest that generational norms exist regarding the allo- cation of time to social, physiological and personal gratification needs. Signs of alienation were found only among a minority of the oldest generation who gave a negative evaluation of their daily round of activities and reported depressed well- being. Results supported the idea that the urban black three-generation household represents a special case of family solidarity. Further research is needed to iden- tify generational norms of time use in a wider range of South African family situations. INTRODUCTION The conventional reference for time use is the activity. However, there is increasing dissatisfaction with the limitations imposed by the activity point of departure in time-use studies. Activities do not signify purpose or intentionality unambiguously; they assume different meanings for different actors which are also dependent on social and locational settings. The present inquiry is based on the assumption that family and life cycle factors may also vary the meaning attributed to activities. The paper reports on a study of the daily round of activities engaged in by members of three-generation urban black households and their subjective experience. The research examined variations in the patterns of time use peculiar to the differ- ent generations and the motivational patterns underlying them. The Social Indicators Research 37: 303-332, 1996. ~) 1996 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.