A brief note on homemaking in the context of Housing Studies dissertation project works

A brief note on homemaking in the context of Housing Studies dissertation project works (information from perplexity.ai)

My question 1: "What is homemaking all about in the context of Housing Studies dissertation project works?"

The reply: "In the context of Housing Studies dissertation projects, "homemaking" refers to the process and practices through which people create, maintain, and experience a sense of home, especially under conditions of housing insecurity, constraint, or non-normative living situations. Homemaking is not simply about occupying a physical dwelling; it involves dynamic, ongoing political, cultural, psychological, and social activities through which individuals enact agency, identity, and belonging within their living spaces. It highlights how people actively make and remake imperfect or precarious spaces into spaces of safety and meaning.

Homemaking in such studies often challenges conventional definitions of home and housing, focusing on marginalized groups including the homeless or those living in insecure or unconventional housing. It interprets home as a human-centered, experiential, and relational phenomenon rather than just a physical structure, emphasizing self-determination, resistance, and the symbolic significance attached to home by inhabitants. Homemaking explores diverse ways people "make do" or create alternative versions of home despite limited access to orthodox or formal housing arrangements.

Key components often examined in homemaking within Housing Studies include:

• The symbolic, cultural, and psychological meanings attached to the idea of home,

• Concrete practices people engage in to maintain or perform home,

• The political and social context shaping experiences of housing and homemaking,

• The agency and resistance of people in vulnerable housing situations,

• Negotiations of identity, safety, familiarity, and belonging within housing insecurity.

Thus, homemaking is a rich concept in Housing Studies that addresses both how people experience and construct home and how broader social, economic, and political structures affect those processes in everyday life and in the context of housing disadvantage and homelessness."

My question 2: "Please highlight briefly 6 main ideas of homemaking."

The reply: "Here are six main ideas of homemaking in the context of Housing Studies:

1. Homemaking as Creative Resistance: People experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness engage in homemaking as an act of resistance, creatively constructing alternative versions of home despite lacking orthodox housing.​

2. Home as a Human-Centered Phenomenon: Homemaking shifts focus from structural housing conditions and deficits to the lived experiences, meanings, and agency of individuals in creating a sense of home.​

3. Multi-Directional Relationship: Homemaking is seen as a complex, multi-directional relationship between people and their material environment where both shape each other dynamically.​

4. Identity and Belonging: Homemaking involves processes of identity formation, belonging, and community-building, especially significant among vulnerable populations like migrants and homeless people.​

5. Emotional and Symbolic Dimensions of Home: Homemaking encompasses emotional, psychological, and symbolic elements, such as feelings of safety, familiarity, and personal history, beyond physical shelter.​

6. Social and Political Contexts: Homemaking is situated within social, political, and economic structures that influence access to housing and the possibilities for creating home. It reflects social marginalization but also resilience and adaptation.​

These ideas highlight homemaking as a dynamic and nuanced concept central to understanding housing experiences in marginalized and precarious contexts."

My question 3: "Please clarify the concept a bit more with reference to the following dissertation research theme: "homemaking of the nano flat by the middle class gen y couples in Hong Kong in 2025"."

The reply: "To clarify the concept of homemaking for the dissertation research theme "homemaking of the nano flat by middle class Gen Y couples in Hong Kong in 2025," here is an elaborated explanation:

Nano flats in Hong Kong are ultra-compact apartments typically ranging from about 19 to 27 square meters (approximately 200 to 290 square feet), sometimes even smaller than the size of a standard car parking space. These tiny living spaces arose out of severe housing affordability and land scarcity challenges in Hong Kong. They often feature space-saving designs such as multifunctional furniture and integrated storage to maximize the small area available.​

For middle class Gen Y couples in 2025, homemaking in a nano flat involves creative adaptation and customization of this extremely limited physical space to build a livable, personal, and meaningful home environment. It goes beyond just the space constraints—the couples negotiate comfort, privacy, identity, and relational dynamics within these compact dwellings despite spatial challenges.

Key aspects include:

• Innovative spatial arrangement and multifunctional use of furniture and décor to enlarge the perceived and functional living area.

• Emotional and symbolic shaping of the flat through décor, organization, and personalization to reflect the couple's identity and life stage.

• Developing routines and relational practices that sustain intimacy, privacy, and daily living in a small shared environment.

• Negotiating the tension between the limitations of the physical environment and aspirations for home comfort, social representation, and future plans.

• Engaging with broader housing market pressures and societal norms around housing adequacy and status, especially as middle class urban dwellers.

Thus, homemaking for this specific group contextualizes the general ideas of homemaking in Housing Studies into a particular, contemporary urban challenge and demographic, focusing on how they actively produce "home" despite living in constrained nano flats."

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