In the video series The Social Science of Amsterdam, six AISSR researchers reflect on ongoing research projects that are deeply embedded in urban life. The videos highlight how social science contributes to understanding and addressing key urban challenges, from social cohesion and inequality to family life, participation and sustainable mobility.

The videos were originally produced for the AISSR Harvest Day 2025 (4 December), where they formed the starting point for interactive workshops between researchers, students and practitioners. They now offer a broader view of how social science research engages with the city of Amsterdam in practice.

Stress & Time in Amsterdam Families

Time pressure is a defining feature of everyday life in the city, especially for families with young children.

The second video in the series features sociologist Christian Bröer and Amsterdam UMC health care psychologist Nadia van der Spek discuss TimingStress: a research project conducted with Amsterdam families that explores how time pressure affects stress, sleep, relationships and family life.

The video also follows humanities scholars Kristine Johanson and Rebecca Wynter during a visit with Amsterdam families to a Rijksmuseum Boerhaave exhibition, where historical objects — including Huygens’ clock — offer new perspectives on time, sleep and parenting.

The Social Roots of Time Pressure

Rather than seeing stress as an individual problem, the research highlights how time pressure is shaped by the organisation of society: from school schedules and childcare to work, healthcare and the labour market. The way time is structured in the city matters for how families cope, relate to each other and experience wellbeing.

By bringing together insights from sociology, psychology and intervention research, this project aims to better understand the social roots of stress and to develop new interventions that can help families deal differently with time pressure: without blame, and with more room for reflection and support.

Team