Work

Whatever floats your boat: practice, class and distinction on Britain’s waterways

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Over recent years, increasing numbers of people in Britain have sought to live on inland waterways. In this paper we identify the different circumstances in which people come to live on the water; examine the differentiated ways in which boaters can access the waterway network and assess how different forms of regulation and practice impact on the social geographies of using canals. Drawing on interviews with people living on the water, we examine diverse groups of people compete to practice the waterscape in different ways. Based on this analysis, we identify new, emergent class structures of living on the water.

Source: Geoforum

DOI: 10.1016/j.geoforum.2025.104467

Authors: Agatha Herman, Richard Yarwood

Institutions: Cardiff University, University of Plymouth

Language: English

Topic: Water Governance and Infrastructure

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,390