Working at home: A study of gender and sociophysical space.
Item
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Title
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Working at home: A study of gender and sociophysical space.
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Identifier
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AAI9325103
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identifier
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9325103
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Creator
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Gottlieb, Nina Michele.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Maxine Wolfe
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Date
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1993
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Social | Women's Studies | Architecture
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Abstract
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Home-based work has the potential for altering the production of work, the interface between paid work and domestic life, gender-based roles within households, and connections of households with neighborhoods. This dissertation explores such potential through the examination of three sociophysical aspects of working at home: the location and design of workspaces within the home; the physical and symbolic attributes of the spaces of the home itself; and relationships to the community surrounding the dwelling. These issues are investigated in the context of the economic, political, and social forces that have created gender-based disparities in relation to dwellings, households, and paid and domestic work.;In-depth interviews were conducted with thirty women and men working at home in a variety of white-collar professions and living in various relationships to other people. The functions of spaces within the dwelling and the creation of workspaces were both dependent in large part on individual priorities concerning paid work and domestic life, and perceived gender roles and social relationships within households--as well as the nature and amount of space available. The degree of separation or overlap between paid work and household activities was also related to those factors, not to the specific location of the workspace in the dwelling. The hope that home-based work will promote gender equity seems to have little foundation; unless there is a conscious decision to alter gender roles within a heterosexual household, it is likely that existing patterns will continue, albeit in a different context. Design and planning implications and issues related to gender and environments are also discussed.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
