GEOGRAPHY OF EVERYDAY LIFE: AN INTERPRETATION BASED ON THE METHODOLOGY OF SOCIAL INTERACTIONISM OF ERVING GOFFMAN

Abstract

The study of everyday life involves the analysis of the actions of individuals in general and their relations with other individuals. Hereby, space can be considered as the basis which enables the connection between these different elements. Its comprehension is bound to the immediate apprehension of the everyday world. For Erving Goffman, everyday life can be compared to a theater where individuals perform different roles and do interact with other individuals through physical and verbal actions. In this sense, a neighborhood’s space can be understood as a stage where are different practices are performed by individuals and social groups. As such, the individuals behave as actors; they are the main protagonists of action building their own social structures. Therefore, specific moments have to be defined which do avoid estrangements between the persons involved. In everyday life, such a staging refers directly to spaces of materiality and their representations. As such, this methodology is a contribution to Social geography paving the way to an integrated analysis on the investigation of spatialities of everyday world. Key-Words: everyday life, lifeworld, representations, geography of everyday life.