Towards a spatial understanding of identity play: coworking spaces as playgrounds for identity

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Authors

Based on thirty interviews conducted in ten coworking spaces in Amsterdam and Paris, we ask whether and how members of coworking spaces engage in identity play, and what mechanisms related to space seem to enable such identity play. We identify four types of spatial mechanisms members and hosts of coworking spaces claim to create or engage in, and show how these relate to experimentation with professional identity. In so doing, we highlight possible material and spatial aspects of identity play. This paper contributes to the literature on identity play by drawing attention to the physicality and constitutive nature of the holding spaces necessary for identity play, and to research on coworking spaces by drawing attention to their possible identity effects.

Original languageEnglish
JournalCulture and Organization
Volume28
Issue number5
Pages (from-to)448-470
Number of pages23
ISSN1475-9551
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 03.09.2022

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

    Research areas

  • coworking, coworking spaces, holding environments, Identity play, organizational space
  • Management studies

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