Calendars and keys: "home" and "work" classification

Nippert-Eng, C. Calendar and key: the classification of 'home' and 'work'. Sociol Forum 11, 563-582 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02408393

Commentary

This study describes the relationship between everyday categorization and an individual's daily activities.

The concept of "boundary work" can be seen as the practice of making mental frameworks concrete and giving them meaning by maintaining and challenging cultural categories. From this definition, "home" and "work" investigated work across a range of domain relationships, from highly "integrated" to highly "segmented".

They described boundary practices that included calendars and keys, clothing and appearance, food and drink, money, people and their representations (e.g., photos and gifts), speech and conversation, reading and habits, and breaks (including lunch and vacation). And the results suggest that people with clear boundaries are happier.