Written by:
Yasemin Allsop, UCL Institute of Education, United Kingdom
Ekaterina Rzyankina, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Natalia Kucirkova, University of Stavanger, Norway
Jennifer Rowsell, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
Janina Wildfeuer, University of Groningen, Netherlands
Sumin Zhao, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Abstract: This visual essay investigated how material objects frame and represent our self and identity, specifically focusing on curating different parts of identity through objects on bookshelves in online spaces. For the purpose of this study, a mixed method methodology was adopted where data was collected through semi-structured interviews and visual analysis (audio/video). There were six participants in this study who are academics from different higher education institutions with a wide range of research interests. The interviews were administered by the participants in pairs via an online platform and the video calls were recorded for data analysis purposes. The data analysis showed that shelfies reveal a specific place of our working environment in very concrete materiality, yet they also contain references to the invisible non-representational side of the social spaces that we interact with. It was clear from the findings that both parts of our identities (personal and professional) were portrayed in shelfies through the use of different materials and objects which were arranged in different styles.

Keywords: shelfies, visual analysis, personal and professional identities; materiality; social space