Leisure Geographies and Domestication in Middle-Class Households

This paper presents the findings of a study that delved into the role of artifactual agents in shaping leisure experiences within middle-class households in Cali, Colombia. In-depth interviews were conducted with members of 26 households, supplemented by mapping and ethnographic visits to 10. The collected data identified home typologies based on family cohesion and attachment to tradition. These typologies are crucial in defining the interplay between artifacts and leisure. In homes with less traditional tendencies, leisure expands spontaneously, albeit at the cost of impoverished free time. In individualistic households, the bedroom emerges as the central hub for leisure, often overshadowing the communal dining room. Leisure is portrayed as a creative mechanism influencing the personalization of domestic spaces through artistic endeavors. In conclusion, this study underscores the significance of artifacts as influential agents in shaping leisure and advocates for a non-anthropocentric approach to understanding domestic leisure.