[Themaintainers] Consumer well-being + Refurbishment Services

[Ishi Crew]

This is an interesting post (as are ones from last month on liberalism,
coherence and peer production) but I have not been following this list
recently due to information overload (and stress) (and this takes a toll on
maintaining my physical environment, physical and mental health) .  I
wonder if I should go to that conference (since its an hour metro ride or
2-3  hour walk away,  or should I save the 100$ if I were to go for 1 day,
or more for the entire conference since I have a budget constraint ).

 I'd go to see if there are study or research opportunities--I'm sort of
working on a semi-mathematical project on resource and task allocation,
suggested by an informal environmental/global climate change study  and
research group  (which could be called 'citizen science' or 'participatory
action research').  (There are many related approaches to this problem ,
mostly using advanced calculus or computer algorithms--I'm trying to do a
simple formalism.)  .
      (I've done a bit of both academic research (in theoretical biology),
and also maintenance (ie physical labor on home repair ) but am not really
suited to either full time (the choices have been either get a PhD and do
full time computer modeling--if you can get tenure, or else full time
roofing, carpentry, plumbing , etc. Theoretical biology deals with issues
like how ecosystems maintain stability---or don't---and how flora and fauna
allocate resources in an ecosystem--basically same kind of issue studied by
economists for society. )

Doing full time work at either of those things I found had limited 'hedonic
and eudaimonic value' for me (the model was either become a professor and
hire people to do maintenance while you do research, or else work in
maintenance for a professor.  Many people in environment I grew up in did a
mix of academic and maintenance work. ).

Some of us just 'fall through the cracks'  --some say this is because we
are clumsy, incompetent, or undisciplined; others say this is because
society is poorly maintained---has alot of cracks in the infrastructure
(and 'superstructure' as Marx might have called it --the set of ideas or
values that 'hold society together').   (In area I live they are
continually repairing roads, sidewalks, electricity infrastructure, and
more --and people fall on streets around here at times due to cracks in the
road. I used to take guitar lessons across from Gaullaudet at CU---and i
broke a guitar i recently bought due to some uneven ground --and spent some
time trying to repair it, but that may take alot  more work and supplies
than I did , so I bought another one--save that for another time if I get
around to it).  Persona with disabilities (or special abilities) often fall
through the cracks.
   (There's a classic song called 'things done changed', with the line 'i
can't maintain'    --some local youth made a mural with that lyric in a
local park---when it was refurbished.  That park used to be loaded with
trash and could be a dangerous place to walk through--now its sort of fixed
up , though the demographic has sort of changed.)

On Mon, Sep 30, 2019 at 5:13 AM Julia Durgee <juliadurgee at gmail.com> wrote:

> *Hello, Maintainers,*
>
> Professor Jeffrey Durgee
> <https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=WlwBCTkAAAAJ&hl=en>, published
> this 2018, qualitative research paper on *emotional benefits* of *refurbishing
> one's possessions:*
>
> 1) Enhances sense of self and well-being
> 2) Strengthens connections to family members and fellow fans/consumers
> 3) Increases appreciation for Refurbisher/Service Provider
>
> This article will provide warm fuzzies.
> I hope you enjoy the upcoming Maintainers 3 conference.
>
> Thank you,
> ~Julia Durgee (proud daughter)
>
> [image: image.png]
>  Abstract
> Purpose
>
> The purpose of this paper is to explore how services might impact a
> general consumer sense of everyday well-being or life satisfaction.
> Design/methodology/approach
>
> It was decided to focus on the existential benefits of refurbishing
> services and see how they might impact owner sense of self and overall life
> satisfaction. A qualitative study was fielded which consisted of analyses
> of website testimonials of customers of refurbishing services for products
> such as pianos, watches, boats, bicycles and other durables. Also analyzed
> were results from one-on-one qualitative interviews of customers of
> refurbishing services and selected refurbishers of similar products.
> Findings
>
> The study suggests that refurbish services provide a mix of hedonic and
> eudaimonic benefits. They provide an enhanced sense of self and general
> well-being insofar, as the newly restored item connects owners to loved
> ones, to other collectors or fans and to their own personal life histories.
> It also connects them to the refurbishers and their “magic”. Insofar as
> refurbishers invite customer involvement in the process, they co-create how
> the process will proceed, so customers feel a special involvement and gain
> an understanding of the workings of the item and how to best use it.
> Practical implications
>
> Refurbishing services might offer, like all the new internet-mediated
> sharing services, a more sustainable alternative to the buy-and-dispose
> consumption behaviors found in most world economies.
> Originality value
>
> This paper provides insights into the lives of products after purchase and
> the roles of relevant service providers. It also provides examples of how
> service providers in general might deepen and facilitate customers’
> feelings about themselves and their daily lives. It shows how service
> providers can enhance customer hedonic and eudaimonic appreciation of
> provider knowledge, skills and efforts.
>
>
>
> (Thanks to Professor Carole Turley
> <https://www.gsd.harvard.edu/person/carole-voulgaris/> for telling me
> about the Maintainers' cool mission.)
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> Themaintainers at lists.stevens.edu
> https://lists.stevens.edu/mailman/listinfo/themaintainers
>
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