Dimensional and Situated At-Home Cyberspace: An Autoethnographic Study of Chinese Women’s Experiences During the COVID-19

Since the onset of COVID-19 lockdowns, the shift toward online conferencing and digital technologies has transformed the space at home into a multifunctional cyberspace, interfacing with the external world. This study explores these technologically transformed home spaces through digital, architectural, cultural, and emotional dimensions. Specifically, it seeks to unravel the intricacies of cyberspace utilisation within the domestic environment to the post-80s generation of Chinese women during the pandemic. By adopting autoethnography, the research incorporates the researcher's positionality as a Chinese woman and a single parent. This methodological approach allows for rich, descriptive insights into user experiences, demonstrating that cyberspace is situated, reflecting culturally and socially significant realities dependent on context, and multidimensional, mutable, continuously reshaping under the influence of digital technology. The study offers a nuanced comprehension of the cultural factors that shape interactions within cyberspace, thereby broadening the scope of architectural research to include a wider array of user experiences. The empirical data generated provides valuable contributions to interdisciplinary research and practical applications. Additionally, the adopted methodology establishes a framework for future research to decipher the complex relationships between humans and technology.