ABSTRACT
In this chapter, I analyse time-space budget surveys which were collected during the interviews and compare how English and Israeli participants spent their time, where, and with whom. The objective was to uncover cultural patterns of behaviours (or activities) in processes of desistance across societies. I begin with a brief discussion of time-space budget research in criminology and the methodology employed, before proceeding to summarise the findings. Thereafter, I draw a thread between the patterns that emerged and the impact of social factors on participants’ activities by turning to the narratives of participants. The analysis yielded unique insight into the interaction between the individual and their environment. I find that English and Israeli participants responded to similar obstacles in different ways and suggest that differences in the social role of religion, along with differences in the weather, cultural scripts, social capital, and the lower reservoir of ‘good company’ are factors that explain differences in how participants spent their time; particularly, the more isolated experience of English participants, compared with Israelis.
