Skip to main content
Kent Academic Repository

Work, boredom and rhythm in the time of COVID-19

Nash, Louise, Lyon, Dawn (2023) Work, boredom and rhythm in the time of COVID-19. The Sociological Review, 71 (3). pp. 642-659. ISSN 0038-0261. E-ISSN 1467-954X. (doi:10.1177/00380261221147749) (KAR id:99580)

Abstract

This article uses Henri Lefebvre’s Rhythmanalysis 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 reconceptualise our post-pandemic working lives.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1177/00380261221147749
Uncontrolled keywords: Acedia, boredom, homeworking, pandemic, rhythmanalysis
Subjects: H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > HF5351 Business
H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research
Funders: University of Kent (https://ror.org/00xkeyj56)
Depositing User: Dawn Lyon
Date Deposited: 19 Jan 2023 16:58 UTC
Last Modified: 18 May 2023 10:24 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/99580 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

  • Depositors only (login required):

Total unique views for this document in KAR since July 2020. For more details click on the image.