Danish bathroom stories – a socio-technical study of what the present renovation boom is about

Summary

This paper explores changes in ordinary daily behaviour in relation to bathroom renovations in Denmark. Much suggests that new expectations evolve in connection to such renovations and that these changes could have long-term environmental impacts. The aim of this paper is to get a deeper understanding of how the production and reproduction of cultural meanings are interconnected with the changes in the bathroom. On the basis of general remarks about cultural meanings in connection to the bathroom, I discuss some general characteristics of modern bathroom ideas. My point is to elucidate the simultaneous rootedness and contextual determination of bathroom ideas. Hereafter, I examine two empirical examples in order to study the actual process of bathroom renovations. Through this, I carry out an empirical unfolding of the interconnectedness of material, social and cultural dimensions in everyday life. These two examples show how cultural meanings connected to the bathroom are changed through the process. The bathroom setting changes, the informants’ rou-tines changes and the role of the bathroom changes. An example of new cultural meanings is how an element of pleasure is added to the idea of showering as a duty. The two examples also show how specific contexts trigger specific changes. In conclusion, the paper points out that renovations are part of a revolutionising of everyday life and its surroundings. Here, various contextual connec-tions are made and varying driving forces are at play. It also points out that new dimensions sup-plement the existing bathroom ideas during the renovation process. Finally, it raises the demand for a more thorough analysis of potential inherent long-term changes in our bathroom ideas.