Work, boredom and rhythm in the time of Covid-19

Bibliographic Data

ID3577359
AuthorsLouise Nash (0000-0002-9153-8417, University of Essex, corresponding author), Dawn Lyons, Dawn Lyon (0000-0002-8534-2194, University of Kent)
Year2023
Volume71
Issue3
Pages642-659
Publication date2023-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Sociological Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0038-0261 • E-ISSN: 1467-954X
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/00380261221147749
PMID38603236
OpenAlexW4317425577
LanguageEN
Citations received10
References cited42

This article uses Henri Lefebvre's Rhythmanalysis as a foundational text for researching boredom, and offers a critical analysis of UK-based media commentaries about boredom and homeworking written during 2020 and 2021. We situate the discussion within the rhythmic rupture caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and foreground rhythm as a lens for understanding reported experiences and reflections on boredom and work. For non-essential workers, lockdown offered an opportunity to reconfigure working lives away from the constraints of commutes and everyday work settings, yet our findings highlight the narrative representation and experience of a particular type of boredom and inertia known as acedia. The analysis discusses the presence of acedia and absence of rhythm across three themes: acedia and being stuck in time and space; embodiment, movement and rhythm; and the relationship between the present and the future. We conclude by considering what the experience of boredom might mean for how we reconceptualise our post-pandemic working lives

Aesthetics · Art · Boredom · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) · Literature · Narrative · Political science · Politics · Representation (politics) · Rhythm · Sociology · Medicine · Mind wandering and attention · Psychology · Social Psychology

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