How does working at home change people's activity patterns,
social networks, and their living and working spaces? How will it
change the way we plan houses and communities in the future? Will
telecommuting solve many of society's ills, or create new
ghettos?
Gurstein combines a background in planning, sociology of work, and
feminist theory with qualitative and quantitative data from ten years
of original research, including in-depth interviews and surveys, to
understand the socio-spatial impact of home-based work on daily life
patterns. She analyzes the experiences of teleworkers including
employees, independent contractors, and self-employed entrepreneurs,
and presents significant findings regarding the workload, mobility, the
distinct differences according to work status and gender, and the
tensions in trying to combine work and domestic activities in the same
setting. As organizational structures, technology, and family
priorities continue to change, the often overlooked phenomenon of
teleworkers has important implications on everything from employment
policies to community planning and design.