In this paper, I examine how home is imagined and socially constructed in the life of " location-independent families " (LIF). Location-independence is a form of lifestyle mobility based on the possibility of running an online business... more
In this paper, I examine how home is imagined and socially constructed in the life of " location-independent families " (LIF). Location-independence is a form of lifestyle mobility based on the possibility of running an online business from anywhere in the world and the choice to homeschool the children. Through an examination of families' stories based on in-depth interviews and virtual ethnography, the article explores the ways families-on-the-move negotiate their idea of home at the complicated intersections between security and freedom; material dispossession and need for attachment; isolation and sense of community. LIFs' imagination of home is not bound to a static, fixed, geographical place but takes a contextual and processual dimension, as social process and lived experience. Its core is the simultaneous physical presence of the family members and different home-making practices.
This paper draws on the research experiences of the first author who conducted a longitudinal ethnographic research study to explore the impact of formalised location independent working (LIW) practices in a highly managerialist,... more
This paper draws on the research experiences of the first author who conducted a longitudinal ethnographic research study to explore the impact of formalised location independent working (LIW) practices in a highly managerialist, post-1992 'new' UK university. Findings suggest the formalisation of LIW caused a fundamental shift in the nature of the relationship between academics, managers and trades unions. This has far reaching consequences for the case study university and, potentially, for other institutions, which may be supporting similar working practices by encouraging their employees to work in spaces other than those provided by the organisation.
