Housing and Moralities: Construction of Home and Middle-Class Identity in Post-Socialist Context
Keywords:
housing, narrative, emotions, post-socialism, constructivism, moral ethosAbstract
Constructing the personal and social identity in the current complex era might be seen as non-trivial achievement. In the context of post-socialist housing market and in the practice of creating the home I present the fi ndings of my fi eld research based on several interviews with “middle-class“ people from Czech Republic acquiring their home during recent years. Combing the narrative and content analysis the article presents broad and deep insight into the people᾽s understanding of space, places and morality. Th e conclusion is that the realm of housing is more important, than might have been regarded in the connection of performance of certain roles – good parent, capable husband or wife and successful person in general. Th us it reveals the values and ethos, which are regarded as principal by the middle-class people. Moreover the issue of emotions is tackled and proved to be crucial in the people decision making and moral evaluation. Th e article thus provides the presentation of original method of analysis and persuasive presentation of ordinary people everyday life with regard to their valued ethos, objects and beliefs.
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