Title: Socially shaping connected homes:  Dimensions of household practices, technologies and home  

Lead by: Prof Bridgette Wessels

Date: May 25th, 2022  **note change of date**

Time: 10:00 – 12:30

Location: Advanced Research Centre, University of Glasgow

Register now

Abstract: Changes in household composition and household life and the pervasive use of digital and data-driven services are part of home life. Working from home, platform-based consumption, online culture, streamed entertainment, and digitally mediated relationships are accessed via 'lively technologies' (Lupton, 2016). These technologies use digital devices, data, algorithms, and AI as part of ‘connected homes’. The household relationships with each other and their digital life are shaped by household practices, culture, technical savvy and access to technology, e-services and platforms. This shaping process is resulting in an ad hoc and varied development of connected homes. Factors that influence the ways they are socially shaped include how households create senses of home. However, to date, little attention has been paid to what households need and desire from connected homes are and how digital technologies and services are negotiated in the ways in which they shape homes.

This workshop will address the different dimensions of home-life, work, consumption, relationships, culture and entertainment at home and their contribution to shaping connected homes. By taking a multidimensional perspective on the shaping of connected homes, the workshop will explore the development and design is needs for a household and home centric research. The workshop will draw on a collaborative pilot project called 'Co-creating connected homes with households to support wellbeing in a rural location'. The workshop is open to researchers, policymakers, developers, and practitioners in the socio-digital arena.


You can now read a briefing paper summarising learnings from one of the projects highlighted during this event:

Connected Homes final report

First published: 28 March 2022