Applying Rita Felski's Theory Of Everyday Life
The concern of sociologist to investigate the concept of ‘everyday life’ has been a long running historic debate that can be traced as far back, according to some theorists, in works from ancient Greece and medieval Christianity. However Henri Lefebvre argues ‘everyday life’ is a product of the nineteenth century (Lefebvre.1984 pg.38). To understand the scope of these concerns and investigations this essay will begin with an explanation of the theory of ‘everyday life’ and précis the concerns of several prominent sociologists who recognised the importance of everyday life in shaping their own philosophies. Using Rita Felski’s example of ‘space’ in everyday life where the division between men’s public work and women’s private work appears
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Habit is something that is associated with repetitiveness and routine, and is ‘ingrained’ (pg 26). However, whilst habit may appear as a natural occurrence, postmodern theory dictates that the habitual must be handled with ‘critical vigilance’ (pg 27). On the other hand, Felski states that, according to Heller, routine and habit is a prerequisite for survival. It is something that is essential for ‘impulse and innovation’ (pg 27). She reaffirms that the everyday, according to feminist perspective, is a gender issue; with one line of feminism portraying everyday as the means in which ‘gender hierarchy is reproduced’ (pg 30), and another conversely stating that it is a ‘source of value’ and strength (pg 30).
Felski therefore provides a broad narrative from traditional, feminist, postmodern and phenomenological theory. Her methodical explanation of these definitions of everyday life is thorough and at the same time she questions them by providing counter arguments. One of Felski’s conclusions is that by romanticising everyday life and associating it as a women’s issue detracts from the fact that men also live ‘repetitive, familiar and ordinary lives
Habit is something that is associated with repetitiveness and routine, and is ‘ingrained’ (pg 26). However, whilst habit may appear as a natural occurrence, postmodern theory dictates that the habitual must be handled with ‘critical vigilance’ (pg 27). On the other hand, Felski states that, according to Heller, routine and habit is a prerequisite for survival. It is something that is essential for ‘impulse and innovation’ (pg 27). She reaffirms that the everyday, according to feminist perspective, is a gender issue; with one line of feminism portraying everyday as the means in which ‘gender hierarchy is reproduced’ (pg 30), and another conversely stating that it is a ‘source of value’ and strength (pg 30).
Felski therefore provides a broad narrative from traditional, feminist, postmodern and phenomenological theory. Her methodical explanation of these definitions of everyday life is thorough and at the same time she questions them by providing counter arguments. One of Felski’s conclusions is that by romanticising everyday life and associating it as a women’s issue detracts from the fact that men also live ‘repetitive, familiar and ordinary lives