Being a nomad in one’s home: The case of Italian women during Covid-19

Abstract

How did women relate to space and time when working at home during the COVID-19 pandemic? We contextualized women’s relationships with their home spaces as they became nomads in their own homes during the lockdown. In face-to-face focus-group interviews conducted with 50 women who had experience with smart work or telework in Tuscany, Italy, we observed a range of strategies among women who dealt with forced closures during COVID-19. Justification and acceptance of inequality became a part of the daily life of the women, who fought against unequal distribution of time and space via negotiation, evidence, adaptation, or requests to return to workplaces. During COVID-19, Italian working women were in search of space and time in their own homes, trying relentlessly to respond to the demands of their families and fulfil work-related requirements.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• gendered spaces
• traditiona gender roles
• housework
• smart work