Structures of everyday life - Philosophical Concept | Alexandria
Structures of everyday life, also understood as material life or la civilisation matérielle, represents a profound yet often overlooked dimension of history. It delves into the seemingly mundane routines, practices, and objects that shape human existence across time. It moves beyond traditional narratives of great leaders and dramatic events, encouraging us to question the very fabric of society itself. While easily dismissed as trivial, these structures – foodways, housing, clothing, tools, and gestures – offer revealing insights into the mentalities, constraints, and possibilities of past societies.
Early explorations of this field, though not explicitly termed "structures of everyday life," can be found in 19th-century social surveys and folklore studies. However, its formal articulation is deeply intertwined with the Annales School, particularly the work of Fernand Braudel, whose La Méditerranée et le Monde Méditerranéen à l'époque de Philippe II (1949) laid the groundwork. This influential text, examining the Mediterranean world, dedicated its first part to the geographical and environmental constraints that shaped human activity, thereby emphasizing the slow-moving forces shaping history beyond political events.
Over time, the concept has broadened through the work of scholars like Michel Foucault and Pierre Bourdieu, who explored the power dynamics inherent in seemingly neutral everyday practices. Fascinating, yet often troubling, are its connections to colonial expansion, industrial production, and the resulting consequences on the laboring populations. It reveals how rituals and traditions, now vanished, once structured entire communities, and how even the humblest object could hold cultural significance, prompting further analysis of overlooked historical materials.
The legacy of examining structures of everyday life persists today, influencing disciplines from anthropology to cultural studies. Contemporary reinterpretations often focus on consumer culture, digital technologies, and environmental sustainability, revealing the continuing relevance of daily habits in shaping history. By peering into the minutiae of daily life, it beckons us to reflect on our routines and to ask: what seemingly invisible structures and forces are shaping our lives right now, and what narratives will future generations extract from our everyday practices?