We present a series of photographs which were taken by a council worker during the transition period (3 months) of relocating her paid work from the traditional office into her home. The use of photographs was part of a research project methodology in which we investigated the shifting relationships between ‘home’ and ‘work’ in the context of organizational flexibility initiatives. The photos provided the research team with an opportunity to discuss the changing identity of the homeworker in the light of her changing relationships with work colleagues as well as friends, family and social networks in general. In particular, mundane activities which are bound by space and time enabled this particular worker to establish a ‘new sense of self’ in which paid work played a less central role. Through the use of these photographs, the research team were able to glimpse aspects of this identity-changing relocation and interpret and theorise these factors in the ongoing process of identity construction.

Prof Susanne Tietze (Nottingham Trent University) and Dr Gill Musson (University of Sheffield)