Foundations of Home–Based Work

What does home-based work (HBW) look like in neighbourhoods, and how do family dynamics, policies and neighbourhood amenities impact the ways people engage in work? This workshop is based on our interdisciplinary project which is concerned with the spatial, social and technological dimensions of HBW in Singapore. By HBW, we mean paid employment done in the home, for non-domestic purposes. This includes home-based businesses (e.g. baking, dressmaking) and piece-workers, gig economy workers (e.g. drivers and deliveries), and telecommuters (e.g. designers, data analysts).

Our first project objective is to chart and theorise the social geographies of HBW: what is the policy framework surrounding this kind of work; who is involved in it; what kind of living do they make; in which housing types and neighbourhoods is this work happening? Next, we want to document local ecologies of resilience and adaptability in HBW: both at home and within the community/neighbourhood. Finally, we suggest pathways for accommodating HBW in our lives through design and policy recommendations.

This workshop will present key findings from our research, Q&A, and a guided tour around the exhibition of data visualisations, models and drawings.

Exhibition Poster

Speakers

Assoc Prof Lilian Chee

Lilian teaches Architectural Theory and Design at the National University of Singapore, where she co-leads the Research by Design Cluster. She is also Academic Director of the NUS Museum, and leads the Social Science Research Council-funded Foundations for Home-based Work.

Assoc Prof Natalie Pang

Natalie is Deputy Head at the Department of Communications and New Media, and Principal Investigator at the Centre for Trusted Internet and Community, both at the National University of Singapore. She is also University Librarian at the NUS Libraries.

Prof Audrey Yue

Audrey is the Head of Department of Communications and New Media, and Deputy Director of the Centre for Trusted Internet and Community both at NUS. She is Editorial Board Member of International Journal of Communication, Television and New Media, Sexualities, and Feminist Media Studies.

Prof Jane Jacobs

Jane is an Honorary Research Fellow with the School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Melbourne, and an Adjunct Professor with Monash Indonesia, Jakarta. She has published on postcolonial geographies, architecture and society, and high-rise urbanism.

Related links

NUS News: When remote work isn't always 'work from home'

Flexible work arrangements have gained prevalence in the post-Covid world. But the commonly used phrases “working from home” or “home-based work” do not always mean precisely that anymore, with many office workers eyeing what researchers call “third spaces” instead.

Exhibition: Visualising Home-Based Work

Explore the spatial, social and technological dimensions of home-based work in Singapore. Exhibition runs from now until 9 May at the NUS Central Library.