Domestic Boundaries

Abstract

The article presents an exploration of domestic borders in the Norwegian town of Skien. Differences between homes may be minimal, however the differentiation between homes, can occasionally, be marked (Wallman, 1978: 203). This observation has relevance for Norwegian and Somali households whereby perceptions of domestic boundaries, visibility and definitions of privacy are analysed. The domestic window is shown to provide one material medium for the negotiation of ethnic identity and social classification. I argue notions of the private are dynamic and contextual and frequently have less to do with ‘being seen’ than with a perception of the social gaze. Consequently, looking at ethnic minorities, Norwegian locals and the private home in Skien does not just imply investigating the link between visibility and privacy but questioning the ideas on which this link is based, and rethinking notions of privacy itself.

Making sense of diodes and sodium: Vision, visuality and the everyday experience of infrastructural change

“…In turn this enables people to see into other peoples' homes, and Bille argues that this culture is "established by normalized and skilled ways of seeing the world at the margins of attention, such as sensing the sound, movement or light of the atmospheric neighbor" (2019, p. 100). Similar findings of a local 'culture of openness' expressed through the use of windows and curtains are found in Norway (Garvey, 2005), Holland (van der Horst & Messing, 2006), Bihar in rural India (Kumar, 2015). Through their study of Christmas light displays in Sheffield and Manchester, UK, Edensor and Millington similarly show how domestic light intentionally contributes to creating a "period in which generosity, family harmony and pleasure coexist" (Edensor & Millington, 2009, p. 117).…”

“…Yet, my interviewees in east London intentionally avoided any such communication with the outside and instead drew curtains or installed lace curtains to prevent people from looking in, to create a more enclosed sense of interior space, or to refract light streaming in. The unintentional light spill that they contribute to and that they encounter when walking through the streets at night, streaming from peoples' homes onto the street should therefore be seen as a quite different to the culture of 'openness' (Bille, 2019;Garvey, 2005;van der Horst & Messing, 2006), 'generosity' (Edensor & Millington, 2010), and 'pride' or 'hospitality' (Kumar, 2015). Yet, the unintentional excess lighting streaming from shops, vehicles and people's homes should be recognised for its effect on people and the crucial role it plays in shaping a sense of comfort and confidence at walking alone at night.…”

Rooms with Little View: Reluctant Homemaking and the Negotiation of Space in an Asylum Centre

“…Just as in any residential setting, both the window and the doorstep operate like openings in the borders, or orifices in the body of each room. How these windows are kept, and what they make visible (Garvey, 2005), can be taken from the outside as measures of the decency and appropriateness of the refugee lifestyle (Larsen, 2011). However, what do they reveal, once seen and used from the inside?…”

Crowdfunding of GHG mitigation measures in agriculture: A feasible contribution to the climate challenges? Sociocultural constraints and enablers in Norway

“…Privacy is another sociocultural characteristic that has been identified as typical in Norwegian society. Based on her studies, Garvey (2005) argued that domestic privacy is highly valued by Norwegians and, particularly, in their homes as a social context. Sørhaug (1996) correspondingly stated that the family seems to be the most valued institution in Norway and that home is the "private and intimate" focus of the family (pp.…”