Coming out of the geek cellar: the un-domestication of board gaming

Alexandra Kviat

Chapter 30 in Research Handbook on the Sociology of Consumption, 2026, pp 354-363 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: The practice of board gaming, traditionally associated with the domestic sphere, is currently expanding into the public realm of cafes, pubs and other spaces of consumption, leisure and socialising outside the home. Drawing on a multi-site qualitative study of the UK's social board gaming scene, the chapter examines this phenomenon as a case of ‘un-domestication’ – a process whereby things and practices are leaving the realm of home and entering the public consumption and leisure scene. The author introduces this concept to revisit, invert and expand the notion of domestication, previously applied primarily to the consumption of technology in the home. The chapter explores how board gaming is un-domesticated through a range of material-symbolic, social and discursive mechanisms, and outlines the key effects of this process, from commodification to destigmatisation, widening participation in the hobby, and community building.

Keywords: Board games; Domestication; Home; Public space; Consumption; Leisure (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035310500
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