Nomadic work : romance and reality : a response to Barbara Czarniawska’s ‘Nomadic work as life-story plot’

Buscher, Monika (2014) Nomadic work : romance and reality : a response to Barbara Czarniawska’s ‘Nomadic work as life-story plot’. Computer Supported Cooperative Work, 23 (2). pp. 223-238. ISSN 0925-9724

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Abstract

This article takes departure in Barbara Czarniawska’s discussion of ‘Nomadic Work as Life-Story Plot’. It contextualises her analysis of actors’ interpretations of nomadic work with a bi- focal review of the ambiguous realities of these phenomena. Firstly, an examination of key aspects of the socio-economic and political context of nomadic work in global neoliberal economies reveals precarious conditions that cloud romantic interpretations of nomadicity. Secondly, a review of studies of everyday practices of nomadic work shows how neoliberal, but also alternative futures are enacted through creative appropriation of collaborative technologies. One example is the work of digital ‘disaster deck’ volunteers and its potential for the mobilization of ‘rapid, highly localized assistance’ through closer collaboration between a distributed crowd, local communities, and official emergency responders (Starbird and Palen 2013). This and other examples suggest emergent new practices and politics of dwelling in mobility that are focused on sociality and collaboration, straddling virtual and physical commons. The twin critique developed in this response can augment narrative analysis to inform more integrated CSCW innovation that challenges the ‘brave new world of work’.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Computer Supported Cooperative Work
Additional Information:
The original publication is available at www.link.springer.com
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1700/1700
Subjects:
?? cscwdesignneoliberalism nomadic workcommonsgeneral computer sciencecomputer science(all) ??
ID Code:
67169
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
14 Oct 2013 08:39
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
20 Oct 2024 23:36