Space invaders – A netnographic study of how artefacts in nursing home environments exercise disciplining structures

Abstract

This study aims to present culturally situated artefacts as depicted in nursing home environments and to analyse the underlying understandings of disciplining structures that are manifested in these kinds of places. Our personal geographies are often taken for granted, but when moving to a nursing home, geographies are glaringly rearranged. The study design is archival and cross-sectional observational, and the data are comprised of 38 photographs and 13 videos showing environments from nursing homes. The analysis was inspired by the methodological steps in Roper's and Shapira's description of conducting ethnography. The results are presented in four categories: (i) public areas, (ii) orderliness, (iii) staff's places and (iv) devices. The rearrangement of geography implies a degrading of agency and loss of authority over one's place. The places should be understood in their relation to the agents and their temporarily claims upon them. The material and immaterial artefacts, that is the items, people and behaviours, transform the nursing staff into 'space invaders'. Future inquiries may take into consideration the ways that space invasion in participative space intersect and construct the identities of the agents it invades upon.

Influencing everyday activities in a nursing home setting: A call for ethical and responsive engagement

“…She relies on the nurse assistant's responsive action that will help her to relieve her pain. In this case, the omission of engagement embodies disempowerment on the resident in a disciplinary institutional culture (Salzmann‐Erikson, 2016). As argued by Kleinman (2006), it is the orchestration of all the little things together that constitutes care‐giving, which is line with our findings.…”

“…This dilemma could be seen, for example, by the nurse assistant of not doing ‘ what we are here for’ in the sense of providing responsive care to the residents. Lack of time and short staffing (Benjamin et al., 2016; Gustavsson, et al., 2015; Salzmann‐Erikson, 2016; Stabell, Eide, Solheim, Solberg, & Rustøen, 2004) are examples of organizational conditions hindering influence enactment in everyday activities. These dilemmas can be seen as being understood and accepted to different degrees by all parties involved as follows: management staff, significant others, and even the residents.…”

“…Their study showed that care staff frequently considers ‘small things’, such as mealtime situations and group activities, as insignificant or trivial when compared to institutional routines. Important knowledge about the predominance of institutional routines emerged from Goffman's work (1961) about ‘total institutions’ and specifically about NHs nationally (Öhlander, 1996; Salzmann‐Erikson, 2016) and internationally (Gubrium, 1975). These ethnographic studies show how institutional rulings have been enforced, often at the expense of people's identity and well‐being in the past and in a context characterized by frailty.…”

A Mapping Review of Netnography in Nursing

“…Of the total number of articles, 26.4% ( n = 14) reported that their study had been reviewed by an ethics board (Alang & Fomotar, 2015; Andréasson et al, 2018; Aragão et al, 2018; Boursier et al, 2022; Cano-Hila & Argemí-Baldich, 2021; Ellinghaus et al, 2021; Gün & Şenol, 2019; Kendal et al, 2017; Lawless et al, 2020, 2022; Moura & Aschemann-Witzel, 2021; Schuman et al, 2019; Vale et al, 2019; Wallace et al, 2018), while 56.6% ( n = 30) reported that their study had not been reviewed (Ari & Mari, 2021; Baptista et al, 2021; Bayen et al, 2021; Bîră et al, 2020; Björkman & Salzmann-Erikson, 2018; Botelle & Willott, 2020; Cuomo et al, 2020; Eriksson et al, 2014; Eriksson & Salzmann-Erikson, 2013, 2016b, 2018; Gatrell, 2019; Holmgren et al, 2018; Johansson & Andreasson, 2017; Keeling et al, 2015; Liang & Scammon, 2011; Manning Hutson et al, 2022; Nemec et al, 2018; Nimrod, 2011; Numer et al, 2022; Poppi, 2021; Salzmann-Erikson, 2016, 2017; Salzmann-Erikson & Eriksson, 2011; Saxena et al, 2021; Song, 2020; Strand, 2022, p. 202; Strand & Gustafsson, 2020; Thunborg & Salzmann-Erikson, 2017; Van Hout & Hearne, 2014); four articles reported that they had applied to an ethics review board (ERB) but had been deemed exempt because their work was not considered human subjects research (De Gagne et al, 2021; Giles et al, 2015; …”

The bidirectional mistrust

“…In addition, market researchers have also used netnography to map the identity of people who engaged in online discussion using a specific hashtag (Cuomo et al , 2016). In the present field of research, nursing science, Salzmann-Erikson (2015) conducted a netnography called “Space Invaders” to analyze how artifacts in nursing home environments exercise disciplining structures over the elderly. The netnographic approach was considered suitable for this study for two reasons.…”