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Erika Andersson Cederholm.

Erika Andersson Cederholm

Professor

Erika Andersson Cederholm.

Lifestyle enterprising: the "ambiguity work" of Swedish horse-farmers

Author

  • Erika Andersson Cederholm

Summary, in English

The article introduces the concept of ambiguity work as a specific form of work-life balancing performed when making a livelihood based on leisure interests and a personal lifestyle. The study focuses on female self-employed horse-farmers in Sweden involved in service work with and through horses. Through an analysis of narratives and practices of this service work, based on ethnographic interviews and observations, boundary negotiations of various social spheres are discernible: Work and life, and the commercial and the personal. The analysis shows that the horse-farmers perform a delicate and ongoing balancing act between family interests, individual leisure and paid work. Drawing on the notion of sociological ambivalence, it is suggested that this balancing act does not strive for demarcations, but rather to stay betwixt-and-between social spheres. It is argued that lifestyle enterprising is enacted and confirmed through ongoing boundary negotiations, or ambiguity work, that sustains a tension between keeping and blurring social boundaries. It is further argued that ambiguity work in this type of lifestyle enterprising both reinforces and questions ideals and norms concerning small business management and professional versus non-professional relationships.

Department/s

  • Department of Service Studies

Publishing year

2014-07-11

Language

English

Pages

317-333

Publication/Series

Community, Work and Family

Volume

18

Issue

3

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Topic

  • Social Sciences Interdisciplinary
  • Sociology (excluding Social Work, Social Psychology and Social Anthropology)

Keywords

  • gender
  • horse-farm
  • boundary negotiations
  • sociological ambivalence
  • work-life balance

Status

Published

Project

  • Hästgården - mellan familjeprojekt och livsstilsföretage
  • Den kommersiella vänskapens pris - sociala förhandlingar om värde i upplevelseekonomin

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1366-8803