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Will you help me fix this? Exploring conviviality as an interactional element in communal repair spaces

Karvinen, Ronja LU (2025) HEKM51 20251
Department of Human Geography
Human Ecology
Abstract
The term conviviality has become a key pillar in degrowth visions for societal change. Conviviality acts as a critique of a system which limits people’s ability for creative and autonomous action, while offering a vision for a society embedded in freedom and collaboration. These same principles are today enacted by a growing movement of communal repair initiatives, which seek to foster autonomous and collaborative action through repair. Communal repair spaces act as a grassroots alternative to a system in which consumer repair is constricted both culturally and legally. There is a growing field of research looking at the environmental and social effects of communal repair, but little research has looked at how these spaces could be... (More)
The term conviviality has become a key pillar in degrowth visions for societal change. Conviviality acts as a critique of a system which limits people’s ability for creative and autonomous action, while offering a vision for a society embedded in freedom and collaboration. These same principles are today enacted by a growing movement of communal repair initiatives, which seek to foster autonomous and collaborative action through repair. Communal repair spaces act as a grassroots alternative to a system in which consumer repair is constricted both culturally and legally. There is a growing field of research looking at the environmental and social effects of communal repair, but little research has looked at how these spaces could be understood through the lens of conviviality. This study explores the social and material interactions taking place at two communal repair spaces in Sweden, Bike Kitchen Lund and Repair Café Malmö. Using participant observations and conversations, the research outlines a set of interactional themes that characterize these spaces, and analyses these themes in relation to the concept of conviviality. The analysis of the themes indicates clear enactments of some of the core aspects of conviviality, such as autonomy, creativity and collaboration, while also highlighting some of the key barriers for cultivating such practices. The findings of this study are used to offer practical suggestions on how to foster convivial interactions in contexts beyond communal repair spaces. (Less)
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author
Karvinen, Ronja LU
supervisor
organization
course
HEKM51 20251
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
conviviality, degrowth, autonomy, creativity, collaboration, repair, repair cafes, bike kitchens
language
English
id
9188473
date added to LUP
2025-07-31 11:32:14
date last changed
2025-07-31 11:32:14
@misc{9188473,
  abstract     = {{The term conviviality has become a key pillar in degrowth visions for societal change. Conviviality acts as a critique of a system which limits people’s ability for creative and autonomous action, while offering a vision for a society embedded in freedom and collaboration. These same principles are today enacted by a growing movement of communal repair initiatives, which seek to foster autonomous and collaborative action through repair. Communal repair spaces act as a grassroots alternative to a system in which consumer repair is constricted both culturally and legally. There is a growing field of research looking at the environmental and social effects of communal repair, but little research has looked at how these spaces could be understood through the lens of conviviality. This study explores the social and material interactions taking place at two communal repair spaces in Sweden, Bike Kitchen Lund and Repair Café Malmö. Using participant observations and conversations, the research outlines a set of interactional themes that characterize these spaces, and analyses these themes in relation to the concept of conviviality. The analysis of the themes indicates clear enactments of some of the core aspects of conviviality, such as autonomy, creativity and collaboration, while also highlighting some of the key barriers for cultivating such practices. The findings of this study are used to offer practical suggestions on how to foster convivial interactions in contexts beyond communal repair spaces.}},
  author       = {{Karvinen, Ronja}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Will you help me fix this? Exploring conviviality as an interactional element in communal repair spaces}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}