Performing work: The drama of everyday working life

Abstract

In this article, a perspective on work time patterns is outlined; a perspective that emphasizes the importance of observing how work time is subject not only to task and contract agreements but also to social norms and individual needs to express identity. The article takes its starting point in Goffman's dramaturgic approach. From this perspective, the workplace is viewed as a stage where a satisfactory work performance is judged not by the actual work performance but by the performance of work; or rather, perhaps, by how a morally good working day is enacted through text, words, and gestures. Depending on social context work, time patterns can be seen as an expression of commitment, dedication, professionalism, and masculinity. The article concludes with a discussion on the potential implications of these issues regarding stress and health, as well as the possibilities of participation in the labor market under equal conditions.

Urgency at work: Trains, time and technology

“…Workers' experiences of these temporal junctures are shaped by the nature of the work activity but are also influenced by 'surrounding norms' (Rosengren, 2019;620). Thus, urgency is not only situated in a specific instance but also 'reach[es] beyond' (Feldman et al, 2020;600) to recursively reconstruct cultural temporal framings (Hernes & Schultz, 2020;Rosa, 2013;Wajcman, 2015).…”

Rhythmanalysis of Urban Events: Empirical Elements from the Montreux Jazz Festival

“…To situate our perspective, it is important to briefly present the main trend of the vast literature inspired by rhythmanalysis. Among other, rhythmanalysis has inspired many studies and scholars on the analysis of daily activity programmes (Axhausen, Zimmermann, Schönfelder, Rindsfüser, & Haupt, 2002;Ellegård & Vilhelmson, 2004;Hallin, 1991), management of daily time balance (Rosengren, 2019), analysis about the transformation of social and political relations (Hassan, 2007), acceleration of mobility (Bauman, 2013;Drevon, Kaufmann, & Gerber, in press;Viry, Ravalet, & Kaufmann, 2015), life rhythms (Kristensen, 2018;Rosa, 2013), body experience in public space (Edensor, 2012;McCormack, 2014;Simpson, 2008), and territorial times (Klein, Drevon, & Gwiazdzinski, 2017;Mareggi, 2013;Pradel, 2010).…”

The user experience of personalized content

“…The affordances of mobile devices can lead to practices such as frequent checking behavior (Oulasvirta, Rattenbury, Ma, & Raita, 2012). Social expectations can result in practices similar to performing work (Rosengren, 2019), where employees signal a high work commitment regardless of how much they are actually working. This might result in sending emails to managers late at night or in the email practice of "reply all" to show many people that they are working.…”

“…They signal an extended availability (e.g. an 'online' status in the chat program) to others, in as much as this work attitude signifies the image of a hard worker (Rosengren, 2019). Disconnecting from work is achieved by detaching from the technical connection as well as detaching socially from work.…”