Providing a Flexible Conceptual Framework to Define “Second Home”: A Systematic Review

Although second home ownership is a growing phenomenon and a common lifestyle in most parts of the world, especially in rural areas, there is still no specific conceptual classification to define this phenomenon in the theoretical literature. Due to the complexity and variety of second homes; many definitions, terms and conceptual features have been mentioned regarding this fuzzy concept, increasing the conceptual disturbances in this field even more. To fill this gap, this research aims to provide a flexible conceptual framework to define “second home” through a systematic review of various sources.

In this research, by conducting a systematic review process, 75 international articles were identified for study. Then, the conceptual framework of second homes was formulated in the form of categories, subcategories and conceptual codes using the content analysis method.

The results show that, in total, six categories, including physical characteristics, the pattern of expansion and tenure, spatial characteristics, sensory-emotional characteristics, socioeconomic characteristics and usage characteristics form the “second home” conceptual framework. In this framework, the conceptual categories are stable and repeatable in all contexts, while the conceptual codes are fluid and adaptable in geographical and temporal situations.

So far, no systematic review has been done to reduce the conceptual dispersion in the second home literature. The proposed framework highlights two characteristics of fluidity and stability, which help to disambiguate the “second home” concept and it is a suitable alternative for numerous definitions and different conceptual features of the second home. The results of this research can aid scholars in clarifying the second home concept and applying it in different contexts.