Discussion: Situating everyday life

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After each week’s lecture everyone will get together in small groups to discuss the required readings and take part in workshop activities. Each group will also be given a form to complete and submit at the end of class. During this time, the TA and I will circulate around the room, interacting with all the groups and helping as needed.

Each Monday morning I’ll post the week’s discussion questions to the blog in order to help guide you through the required readings - and today we’ll start questioning everyday life by asking when and where the everyday takes place, and for whom.

Questions for September 14

• Williams argues that culture is “ordinary” - something that all people feel and do, and not just something that only some people have or want. If you were to curate a new museum of ordinary culture what would you consider ‘masterpieces’?

• Goffman describes how we present ourselves and interact with others depends on where we are, who we’re with and what we’re doing. Where are some of the “front” and “back” regions of your everyday life? What are some of the activities or identities you suppress when you come to class, and why?

• Friedan suggests that people and things are not always as they appear, and that success does not necessarily bring fulfillment. Can you think of a situation or occasion when you were supposed to be ‘free’ but it didn’t feel that way to you?

- Anne

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