Nash, Louise and Lyon, Dawn (2023) Work, boredom and rhythm in the time of COVID-19. The Sociological Review, 71 (3). pp. 642-659. DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/00380261221147749
Nash, Louise and Lyon, Dawn (2023) Work, boredom and rhythm in the time of COVID-19. The Sociological Review, 71 (3). pp. 642-659. DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/00380261221147749
Nash, Louise and Lyon, Dawn (2023) Work, boredom and rhythm in the time of COVID-19. The Sociological Review, 71 (3). pp. 642-659. DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/00380261221147749
Abstract
This article uses Henri Lefebvre’s Rhythmanalysis (2004) as a foundational text for researching boredom, and offers a critical analysis of UK based media commentaries about boredom and homeworking written during 2020 and 2021. We situate the discussion within the rhythmic rupture caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and foreground rhythm as a lens for understanding reported experiences and reflections on boredom and work. For non-essential workers, lockdown offered an opportunity to reconfigure working lives away from the constraints of commutes and everyday work settings, yet our findings highlight the narrative representation and experience of a particular type of boredom and inertia known as acedia. The analysis discusses the presence of acedia and absence of rhythm across three themes: acedia and being stuck in time and space; embodiment, movement and rhythm; and the relationship between the present and the future. We conclude by considering what the experience of boredom might mean for how we re-conceptualise our post-pandemic working lives.
Item Type: | Article |
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Uncontrolled Keywords: | Acedia; Boredom; Homeworking; Pandemic; Rhythmanalysis |
Divisions: | Faculty of Social Sciences Faculty of Social Sciences > Essex Business School |
SWORD Depositor: | Unnamed user with email elements@essex.ac.uk |
Depositing User: | Unnamed user with email elements@essex.ac.uk |
Date Deposited: | 25 Jan 2023 16:45 |
Last Modified: | 30 Oct 2024 20:55 |
URI: | http://repository.essex.ac.uk/id/eprint/34135 |
Available files
Filename: 00380261221147749.pdf
Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0