The prevailing view on work excludes unpaid activities like care, individual or community work although they are crucial for economy and everyday life. Because the focus on paid work also leads to both social and environmental unsustainability, work has to be redefined. Cohousing evolved from the belief that through a collective organisation with a specific built and social environment, care work can become appreciated and facilitated. Hence, this thesis examines how cohousing today contributes to an extended view on work through a qualitative analysis of interviews with cohousing experts as well as participant observations of and focus group interviews with two cohouses in Austria and Sweden. The study shows that in cohousing the key to a redefinition of work is its community work, taking place at an intermediary level which is located between the private family and public spheres. Community work is more visible, pleasant and appreciated which is facilitated by a particular structure, physical space and a well-functioning community of a certain size. Furthermore, it allows a fairer distribution of work between women and men, facilitates family work, enables financial savings and strengthens the group. This study aims to reinforce the discussion of redefining work within Sustainability Science, where it is not a major topic despite its complex and transdisciplinary nature. By giving a practical approach to a redefinition of work, the findings contribute to an understanding of work and support the further development of cohousing.
Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 The Prevalent Notion of Work and its Exclusion of Unpaid Activities
1.2 Research Questions and Aims
1.3 Content and Structure
2 Methodology
2.1 Sustainability Science, Ontology and Epistemology
2.2 Qualitative Approach
2.3 Case Study Research
2.4 Methods
2.4.1 Expert Interviews
2.4.2 Participant Observation
2.4.3 Focus Group Interviews
2.5 Personal Reflections of the Research
3 Reconceptualising Work: The Concept of Mixed Work
3.1 Four Segments of Work
3.2 Achieving a Holistic View on Work as an Individual
4 Development of Cohousing and Today’s Definitions
4.1 The First Cohousing Generation
4.2 The Second Generation - Cohousing as an Intermediary Level
4.3 Cohousing Today
4.3.1 Cohousing’s Characteristics and Variations
4.3.2 Meanings of co in Cohousing
5 The Cases
5.1 Cohousing in Austria
5.1.1 The Cohouse Lebensraum
5.2 Cohousing in Sweden
5.2.1 The Cohouse Fiolen
5.3 Differences and Similarities of the Cohouses
6 Cohousing’s Comunity Work and its Contribution to Redefining Work
6.1 The Definition of Work Matters
6.2 Categorisation of Work in a Cohouse
6.3 Organisation of Community Work and its Required Time
6.4 Distribution of Work between Women and Men
6.5 Appreciation of Community Work
6.6 Visibility of Community Work
6.7 Benefits and Challenges of Community Work
6.7.1 Facilitation of Family Work
6.7.2 Financial Savings
6.7.3 Strengthening the Group
7 Conclusion
7.1 Summarising Statements and Potentials of Mixed Work in Cohousing for Sustainability
7.2 Suggesting Future Research
7.3 Concluding Remarks
References
Appendix
Guiding Themes and Questions for the Focus Group Interviews
-
Téléchargez vos propres textes! Gagnez de l'argent et un iPhone X. -
Téléchargez vos propres textes! Gagnez de l'argent et un iPhone X. -
Téléchargez vos propres textes! Gagnez de l'argent et un iPhone X. -
Téléchargez vos propres textes! Gagnez de l'argent et un iPhone X. -
Téléchargez vos propres textes! Gagnez de l'argent et un iPhone X. -
Téléchargez vos propres textes! Gagnez de l'argent et un iPhone X. -
Téléchargez vos propres textes! Gagnez de l'argent et un iPhone X. -
Téléchargez vos propres textes! Gagnez de l'argent et un iPhone X. -
Téléchargez vos propres textes! Gagnez de l'argent et un iPhone X. -
Téléchargez vos propres textes! Gagnez de l'argent et un iPhone X. -
Téléchargez vos propres textes! Gagnez de l'argent et un iPhone X. -
Téléchargez vos propres textes! Gagnez de l'argent et un iPhone X. -
Téléchargez vos propres textes! Gagnez de l'argent et un iPhone X.