Conflicts, situated inequality and politics of everyday life

Abstract

This article discusses theoretical challenges in conceptualising the dialectical relationship between historical conditions and the situated interplay between people in concrete everyday practice. The concept of conflict may help us move beyond tendencies within psychology to separate history and situated practice, structure and activity, and micro- and macroprocesses – and to regard social life as unambiguous or as governed through hegemony. Research on the everyday social life of schools describes societal conflicts about education and how school children deal with unequal conditions when handling the conflictuality of their everyday lives. Analyses of coordination and conflicts between various parties (e.g. children, parents, teachers and psychologists) elucidate connections between intersubjective efforts to make things work in everyday practice and historical struggles related to the school as a social institution. Concepts are required that enable understanding of these processes as historical and political, driven by intersubjectivity related to concrete dilemmas, connected to personal and collaborative conduct of everyday life – processes we term the politics of everyday life. From a social practice perspective, we discuss how to grasp the ways in which people constitute the conditions for each other in a situated interplay in which they deal with common problems and – through these activities – also produce history.

Situated Pedagogy in Danish Daycare—The Politics of Everyday Life

“…However, these (unequal) participation opportunities are created in situations in practice between children and other participants in institutional contexts, and it cannot be predicted when inequality might emerge and which children might end up in vulnerable situations (Højholt and Røn-Larsen 2021). Hence, it must be observed and explored over time how different participation opportunities develop for different children.…”

Parental care in trajectories of forced migration: Ruptures and changing conditions for family life

“…With the concept history in person, the everyday life of refugee families, including parental care, is theorized as fundamentally socially (Højholt & Kousholt, 2019) and historically shaped by political struggle (Holland & Lave, 2001). Furthermore, the concept grasps the active subjective contribution of children and parents to make history by dealing with common problems of family life (Højholt & Larsen, 2021).…”

“…Their different perspectives and Adel's changed position in the family were conflictual and called for renegotiation of the family configuration, while Beri had to develop her parental care practice in relation to their different personal experiences of loss and separation as well as evolving self‐understanding. This extract illustrates how historical events in Syria, migration routes and Danish immigration and integration laws condition parental care, while it also highlights how children and parents constitute conditions for each other's efforts and pursuits (Højholt & Larsen, 2021).…”

Addressing Ethical Dilemmas in Research with Young Children and Families. Situated Ethics in Collaborative Research

“…This framework can provide common ground for a dialogue on ethics that seriously considers the ambiguity and instability of ethical conduct and links discussions of ethics to broader political issues in the various contexts in which research takes place. Linking reflections on ethics to politics of everyday life (Højholt & Røn Larsen, 2021) shifts our focus from how to adhere to universal principles to what changes we want to promote. Doing so takes seriously the potential of research to bring about (political) change for those who participate in it (Danaher et al, 2013, p. 144;Stetsenko, 2015).…”