Powering homemaking : everyday domestic life in times of rising energy prices

Abstract: Recent research in both geography and in neighbouring disciplines argues that we need to pay more attention to the cultural and symbolic significance of home in order to understand domestic energy consumption. In this thesis I consider how ideals of home are renegotiated in times of increase energy prices. By focusing on the experiences of the body-subject I describe how ideals of home and the flow of energy interact in people’s everyday homemaking practices. I build my analysis from a combination of semi-structured interviews, walk-alongs and photo-elicited interviews with people living in detached houses in Sweden. Although often producing feelings of stress, rising energy price also allowed the participants to ascribe their home new meaning and to feel a sense of connection to others. Often the participants express feelings of being part of a shared societal effort. By finding a new less energy intensive routine the participants interact with their home in new ways and ascribes their home new meanings. These new routines become a way to creatively engage with and reflect on long entrenched embodied ideals of home.