Skip to main content

ETHNOS_APP

Home • Search • Journals • List 0

Fluid objects? An attempt to conceptualise the global rise of “coworking spaces”

Bibliographic Data

ID8360447
AuthorsVerena Brinks (0000-0002-2137-8040, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume54
Issue3
Pages435-442
Publication date2022-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueArea (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0004-0894 • E-ISSN: 1475-4762
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/area.12778
OpenAlexW4205608986
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited32

The paper explores the emergence and proliferation of “coworking spaces”. Driven by empirical observations during the last 10 years, the paper examines the analytical potential of the concept “fluid objects” to explain the global rise of coworking spaces. With remarkable speed, coworking spaces emerged worldwide during the last 15 years and receive enormous attention from researchers, policy‐makers, and the public. However, researchers still struggle to define coworking spaces and a closer look into the field reveals the diversity and heterogeneity of these facilities. How is it that such different places are nevertheless recognised as belonging to the same phenomenon? Within Science and Technology Studies (STS), the notion of “fluid objects” has been developed to describe entities obtaining their strength through adaptability and flexibility. The paper argues that fluidity is a useful conceptual foundation to better understand the emergence and proliferation of coworking spaces. The primary conceptual ideas presented in this paper are enhanced with empirical data, collected from different coworking spaces in Berlin, Amsterdam, and North Rhine‐Westphalia

Adaptability · Conceptual framework · Diversity (politics) · Economic geography · Economics · Empirical research · Epistemology · Field (mathematics) · Flexibility (engineering) · Foundation (evidence) · Geography · Management · Phenomenon · Political science · Pure mathematics · Social science · Sociology · Anthropology · Facilities and Workplace Management · Law · Mathematics · Real estate and construction management

  • How academic coworking spaces support the missions of entrepreneurial universities

    Valérie Mérindol, Ignasi Capdevila•Studies in Higher Education•2026

  • The new geography of “third places” in France

    Open Access•Clément Marinos, Stéphane Bourdin et al.•Applied Geography•2025

  • Coexisting or coworking? The reconfigured office spaces in two emerging global cities

    Yumeng Fu, Yunjing Li et al.•Journal of Urban Affairs•2023

  • Architectures of Knowledge

    Ash Amin, Patrick Cohendet•Architectures of Knowledge•2004

  • Communities of Practice

    Open Access•Etienne Wenger•Communities of Practice•1998

  • Working Alone Together

    Open Access•C Spinuzzi•Journal of Business and Technical…•2012

  • Co-constructing a Sense of Community at Work

    Open Access•Lyndon Earl Garrett, Gretchen M Spreitzer et al.•Organization Studies•2017

  • Co-Working Spaces and the Localised Dynamics of Innovation in Barcelona

    Ignasi Capdevila•International Journal of…•2015

  • ‘We are all herd animals’

    Open Access•Blagoy Blagoev, Jana Costas et al.•Organization•2019

  • The openness buzz in the knowledge economy

    Open Access•Anna Sofia Lundgren, Hans Westlund•Environment and Planning C…•2016

  • Sharing as a postwork style

    L Richardson•Cambridge Journal of Regions…•2017

  • Epistemic communities, localization and the dynamics of knowledge creation

    Patrick Cohendet, David Grandadam et al.•Journal of Economic Geography•2014

  • The ambivalence of coworking

    Open Access•Greig De Peuter, Nicole S Cohen et al.•European Journal of Cultural…•2017

  • The third wave of coworking

    Open Access•Alessandro Gandini, Alberto Cossu•European Journal of Cultural…•2019

  • Open Region

    Open Access•Suntje Schmidt, Felix C Müller et al.•European Urban and Regional Studies•2017

  • Institutional Ecology, `Translations' and Boundary Objects

    Open Access•Susan Leigh Star, James Griesemer et al.•Social Studies of Science•1989

  • Regions, Networks and Fluids

    Open Access•A Mol, John Law•Social Studies of Science•1994

  • The Zimbabwe Bush Pump

    Open Access•Marianne De Laet, A Mol•Social Studies of Science•2000

  • Freelance isn’t free.’ Co-working as a critical urban practice to cope with informality in creative labour markets

    Open Access•Janet Merkel•Urban Studies•2019

  • Curating the “Third Place”? Coworking and the mediation of creativity

    Open Access•Julie Brown•Geoforum•2017

  • Mushrooming entrepreneurship

    Open Access•Verena Brinks, Oliver Ibert•Geoforum•2015

  • Socio‐economic profile and working conditions of freelancers in co‐working spaces and work collectives

    Open Access•Vasilis Avdikos, Athanasios Kalogeresis•Area•2017

  • Affective atmospheres

    Open Access•Ben Anderson•Emotion, space and society•2009

  • Object Lessons

    Open Access•John Law, Vicky Singleton•Organization•2005

  • The spaces of actor-network theory

    Open Access•Jonathan Murdoch•Geoforum•1998

  • In the making

    Open Access•Suntje Schmidt•Geography Compass•2019

  • Situating Technoscience

    Open Access•John Law, A Mol•Environment and Planning D…•2001

  • Coworking spaces in mid-sized cities

    Open Access•Audrey C Jamal, Audrey Jamal•Environment and Planning A…•2018

  • The Complexities of the Global

    Open Access•John Urry•Theory Culture & Society•2005

Unique citing works3
Citations per year1
Citation span2023 - 2026 (4)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 3
Ethnos_APP • Open Source Project • MIT License • Frontend v2.0.0 • Privacy and Cookies • API Documentation: api.ethnos.app/docs • API Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17049435 • Frontend Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17050053 • cruz.rio.br • Expectantes Misericordiae