A post-digital sense of place: A neo-romantic reading of the coworking space

In modern history, the Romantic ethos implied an escape into the beautiful, the genuine and the sublime. While constituting a counter-force to functionalism, it also shaped the evolution of modern consumerism through the embracing of novelty and self-expression (e.g., Campbell, 1983; Smith, 2023). In a related way, this paper seeks to understand the current development of post-digital trends in working life through the lens of neo-romantic ideals. The analytical focus is on coworking spaces – a form of digitally reliant workspace where mobile workers, notably self-employed entrepreneurs and contract workers, can rent a desk or an office for a limited period of time. If the Romantic ethos was a key driver of consumer culture, today, the digitalization and flexibilization of work have led to a growing market for work spaces as attractive destinations and places to consume. Previous research shows that many coworking spaces function as anchoring places and environments for gaining a sense of presence, even inner peace, under digitally networked conditions (e.g., Cook, 2020; Bacevice & Spreitzer, 2023). The current analysis (part of a larger research project) extends these arguments through a case-study of a coworking space in an early-gentrifying part of Oslo, Norway. Based on ethnographic observations and interviews, the paper shows how neo-romantic tropes – e.g., local rootedness, organic materials, raw surfaces, analogue technology, and disconnected activities for pampering the self – saturate the textures of place as well as the mindsets of coworkers. In all, what emerges can be described as a post-digital version of topophilia (Tuan, 1974/1990).          

References

Bacevice, P. A., & Spreitzer, G. M. (2023). ‘It's like, instant respect’: Coworking spaces as identity anchoring environments in the new economy. New Technology, Work and Employment, 38(1), 59-81.

Campbell, C. (1983). Romanticism and the consumer ethic: Intimations of a Weber-style thesis. Sociological Analysis, 44(4), 279-295.

Cook, D. (2020). The freedom trap: Digital nomads and the use of disciplining practices to manage work/leisure boundaries. Information Technology & Tourism, 22(3), 355-390.

Smith, C. R. (2023). Romanticism, Rhetoric and the Search for the Sublime: A Neo-Romantic Theory. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Tuan, Y. F. (1974/1990). Topophilia: A study of environmental perception, attitudes, and values. Columbia University Press.