Bauman’s metaphors in motion: The tourist metaphor and digital nomadism

Zygmunt Bauman?s artistic form of sociology, characterised by its use of metaphors, provides a distinct perspective to analyse contemporary social phenomena like digital nomadism. Bauman?s metaphors, such as ?liquidity?, ?tourists?, and ?vagabonds?, vividly capture the fluidity and mobility of contemporary society. In ?liquid modernity?, social structures are constantly in flux, and individuals are often on the move, either by choice or necessity. Digital nomads represent multiple facets of Bauman?s ?tourist? metaphor. They are mobile, flexible, and often from the global North, moving freely between locations and engaging in consumer culture. This way of life embodies the changing identities and experiences typical of ?liquid modernity?. Bauman?s ?tourist? metaphor highlights the privileged nature of digital nomadism, where mobility is a class divide, distinguishing the ?haves? from the ?have-nots?. Prioritising transient experiences and surfacelevel interactions over substantial cultural immersion, digital nomads mirror tourists and thus exhibit what Bauman calls ?tourist syndrome?. This perspective challenges traditional notions of community and highlights the tension between mobility and belonging. By applying the ?tourist? metaphor to digital nomads, this paper demonstrates the usefulness of Bauman?s poetic sociological imagination in capturing contemporary social phenomena.