Balance is Everything

The conceptual separation of 'work' and 'life', as distinct elements of social activity, has become established as shorthand for the social and psychological dislocation felt by being at work and not being at work.There is a literature on the work/life balance driven by governmental rhetoric, based on the idea of flexible working. This article suggests that distinctions between 'work' and 'life', implying a dichotomy in adult life, are overstated. Using material from a study of bicycle messengers this article presents a rich account of a group of workers for whom the binary distinction between work and life is meaningless. The account of this world of work is more closely aligned with those of the jazz musicians described by Becker or the boxers of Weinberg and Arond, where the occupation, identity and culture are not confined to hours of work

Aesthetics · Balance (ability) · Epistemology · Identity (music) · Linguistics · Rhetoric · Sociology · Work (physics) · Work–life balance · Cultural Industries and Urban Development · Music History and Culture · Psychology · Social Psychology · Youth Education and Societal Dynamics

• Att leva och sälja sin dröm

  Open Access•Erika Andersson Cederholm, Carina Sjöholm•Sociologisk Forskning•2014

  Incluir item

• Work–Life, Diversity and Intersectionality

  Open Access•Mustafa F Özbilgin, T Alexandra Beauregard et al.•International Journal of…•2011

  Incluir item

• Stéphane Le Lay, Fabien Lemozy, Plateformes. La colonisation du travail et de la démocratie

  Open Access•Mathilde Mondon-Navazo•La Nouvelle revue du travail•2025

  Incluir item

• Differences in leisure time across middle‐generation adults in Wroclaw, Poland

  Open Access•Małgorzata Synowiec‐Piłat, Michał Jędrzejek et al.•Family Relations•2022

  Incluir item

• Digital work

  L Richardson•Geography•2022

  Incluir item

• Mobile Cultures

  Open Access•Phillip Vannini•Sociology Compass•2010

  Incluir item

• The everyday world of bouncers

  Open Access•David Calvey•Qualitative Research•2018

  Incluir item

• Work-life balance as a personal responsibility

  Michel Perreault, Niamh Power•Journal of Occupational Science•2021

  Incluir item

• Academ-Ink

  Beverly Yuen Thompson•Fashion Theory•2020

  Incluir item

• Discreet to excrete in the concrete jungle

  Josalyn M Ferguson, Jane M Ferguson•Gender Place & Culture•2016

  Incluir item

• Kinaesthetic cities

  Open Access•Alan Latham, Jack Layton•Progress in Human Geography•2019

  Incluir item

• Organizing beyond organization

  Open Access•Dennis K Mumby•Organization•2016

  Incluir item

• Entrepreneurial reproductive labor as alternative economic practice

  Open Access•Alexis Bryson, Sarah E Dempsey•Organization•2017

  Incluir item

• Playing in Traffic? Exploring the Intersection of Platforms, Agency, and Space in Bicycle Courier Mobilities

  Open Access•Jarvis Suslowicz, Marco Te Brömmelstroet•Journal of Urban Technology•2024

  Incluir item

• Identity in the Gig Economy

  Open Access•W Charles•Sociological Forum•2026

  Incluir item

• Experiences of urban cycling

  Rudy Dunlap, J Rose et al.•Leisure Studies•2021

  Incluir item

• The world from a bicycle

  Open Access•M M Bennett, Mia Bennett et al.•Progress in Human Geography•2026

  Incluir item

• Lifestyle Mobilities

  Scott Cohen, Scott A Cohen et al.•Mobilities•2015

  Incluir item

• Moving around the City

  Open Access•Tim Jones, Colin G Pooley et al.•Environment and Planning A…•2012

  Incluir item

• Capitalisme de plateformes et transformations de l'équilibre des rapports de genre. Une enquête en psychodynamique du travail dans la livraison à vélo

  Le Lay, Stéphane Le Lay et al.•Revue française des affaires…•2022

  Incluir item

• Gravel cycling craft and the senses

  Open Access•Robert Cook, Richard Cook et al.•The Senses and Society•2023

  Incluir item

• Matter in or out of place? Bicycle parking strategies and their effects on people, practices and places

  Rachel Aldred, K Jungnickel•Social & Cultural Geography•2013

  Incluir item

• Kindred spirits

  Open Access•Thomas Thurnell‐read, Thomas Thurnell-Read•The Sociological Review•2021

  Incluir item

• With a little help from my friends

  Open Access•Erika Andersson Cederholm, Malin Akerstrom•The Sociological Review•2016

  Incluir item

• Body pedagogics, transactionalism and vélo identities

  Open Access•Chris Shilling•The Sociological Review•2022

  Incluir item

• The New 'Hidden Abode

  Open Access•Steffen Böhm, Chris Land•The Sociological Review•2012

  Incluir item

• Work and Intimacy

  Open Access•Jesse Potter•Sociological Research Online•2019

  Incluir item

• The Ghost of the Stable Path

  Open Access•Jesse Potter•Work Employment and Society•2020

  Incluir item

• Anthropotropism

  Open Access•Gemma Newlands•Sociology•2022

  Incluir item

• Constructing Mobile Places between 'Leisure' and 'Transport

  Open Access•Rachel Aldred, K Jungnickel•Sociology•2012

  Incluir item

• Surf 's Up

  Open Access•Chris Land, Scott Taylor•Sociology•2010

  Incluir item

• Lifestyle enterprising

  Erika Andersson Cederholm•Community Work & Family•2015

  Incluir item

• Indirect Relationships and Imagined Communities

  Craig Calhoun•Social Theory for a Changing…•2019

  Incluir item

• The Interpretation of Cultures

  Clifford Geertz•The Interpretation of Cultures•1973

  Incluir item

• The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life

  Erving Goffman•The Presentation of Self in…•1990

  Incluir item

• Outsiders

  Howard S Becker•Outsiders•1985

  Incluir item

• The Work–Life Balance in Social Practice

  Open Access•Tess Kay•Social Policy and Society•2003

  Incluir item

• The New Economy and the Work–Life Balance

  Open Access•Diane Perrons•Gender Work and Organization•2003

  Incluir item

• Hard and Disappearing Work

  Peter Bramham•Leisure Studies•2006

  Incluir item

• Capitalism and Social Progress

  Charles W Smith, Phillip Brown et al.•Contemporary Sociology A Journal…•2002

  Incluir item

• The Occupational Community of East Anglian Fishermen

  Trevor Lummis•British Journal of Sociology•1977

  Incluir item

• Working part-time

  Open Access•Tracey Warren•British Journal of Sociology•2004

  Incluir item

• Work Satisfaction and Social Reward in Quota Achievement

  Donald F Roy•American Sociological Review•1953

  Incluir item

• Bicycle Messengers and the Road to Freedom

  Open Access•Ben Fincham•The Sociological Review•2006

  Incluir item

• From 'As Good as Gold' to 'Gold Diggers

  Open Access•Lisa Leimar Price, Linda Price et al.•Sociologia Ruralis•2006

  Incluir item

• Lay Immunology, Local Foods and Rural Identity

  Open Access•Gareth Enticott•Sociologia Ruralis•2003

  Incluir item

• The Hoghead

  David H Shayt, Frederick C Gamst•Technology and Culture•1983

  Incluir item

• Friends, Relations and Colleagues

  Open Access•Lynne Pettinger•The Sociological Review•2005

  Incluir item

• The Nostalgia for Permanence at Work? The End of Work and its Commentators

  Open Access•Tim Strangleman•The Sociological Review•2007

  Incluir item

• Generally Speaking People are in it for the Cycling and the Beer

  Open Access•Ben Fincham•The Sociological Review•2007

  Incluir item

• The Restructuring of Career Paths in Large Service Sector Organizations

  Open Access•D Grimshaw, Huw Beynon et al.•The Sociological Review•2002

  Incluir item

• Getting Onboard

  Open Access•J Raisborough•The Sociological Review•2006

  Incluir item

• Back to the 'old school

  Open Access•Benjamin Fincham•Qualitative Research•2006

  Incluir item

• Constructing an artistic identity

  Open Access•Alison L Bain, Alison Bain•Work Employment and Society•2005

  Incluir item

• The Occupational Culture of the Boxer

  Kirson Weinberg, S Kirson Weinberg et al.•American Journal of Sociology•1952

  Incluir item

• Quota Restriction and Goldbricking in a Machine Shop

  Donald F Roy, Donald Roy•American Journal of Sociology•1952

  Incluir item

• The Professional Dance Musician and His Audience

  Howard S Becker•American Journal of Sociology•1951

  Incluir item