2017 is turning to an end, and as usual November and December are dark, cosy and very busy. Two weeks ago, Airi Lampinen and I submitted a paper to ECSCW 2018; the work is an ethnography of the Stockholm Hoffice Network. Hopefully the paper will be accepted but, regardless of that (for now at least!), it has been fun and interesting to reflect on what the Hoffice means for CSCW research on changing workplace practices. Since ECSCW has a single-blind review process, I paste the abstract here:
Abstract. We analyse the self-organising network Hoffice – a merger from the words home and office – that brings together people who wish to co-create temporary workplaces. The Hoffice concept relates to a co-working methodology and to the set of practices inherent in opening up one’s home as a pop-up workplace, with the help of existing social media platforms, particularly Facebook. We discuss the practices around changing workplaces, particularly for workers who lack a stable office and orchestrate flexible work arrangements. We collected our research materials through interviews, participant observations, and workshops. Our study draws attention to i) the practical arrangement of Hoffice events, ii) theparticipatory efforts to get individual work done, and 3) the co-creation of an alternative social model that encourages trust, self-actualization, and openness. To conclude, we discuss how Hoffice is already making change for its members, andhow this is indicative of politics of care.
Otherwise, the collection of papers that were presented at our ECSCW 2017 workshop on “Nomadic Cultures beyond Work Practices” is finally out. I’m really happy about the papers and their contribution towards a more contemporary research on nomadic practices.