‘Home’ as an essentially contested concept and why this matters

Figures & data

Table 1. Applicability of Gallie’s criteria for essential contestability to the ‘concept of home’.

Criteria of essential contestability	Satisfaction by the concept of home
Fit
1. Appraisive	Home ascribed some value, be it positive or negative.
2. Internally complex	Literature refers repeatedly to multiple internal elements of the home.
3. Variously describable	These elements are weighed in an indefinite number of ways.
4. Open character	Its meaning and significance has changed over time and is open to changing in the future.
Function
5. Recognition of contestation	There are divergent approaches to the home in the literature and continuing academic debate on its best conceptualisation.
6. An original exemplar	Home studies shares a common analytical starting point which provides the implicit focus of modern conceptual debates.
7. Progressive completion	The multiplicity of approaches is positive and has led to the development of new conceptions in the home studies literature.