The Portable Home: The Domestication of Public Space

Abstract

Much commentary indicates that, starting from the 19th century, the home has become the privileged site of private life. In doing so it has established an increasingly rigid separation between the private and public spheres. This article does not disagree with this basic conviction. But we argue that, in more recent times, there has been a further development, in that the private life of the home has been carried into the public sphere-what we call "the domestication of public space." This has led to a further attenuation of public life, especially as regards sociability. It has also increased the perception that what is required is a better "balance" between public and private. We argue that this misconstrues the nature of the relation of public to private in those periods that attained the greatest degree of sociability, and that not "balance" but "reciprocity" is the desired condition.

The Afghan War and ‘postmodern’ memory: commemoration and the dead of Helmand1

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A different glimpse into mobilities: On the interrelations between daily spatial mobility and social mobility

“…At the micro level, we argued that family mobility has furthered individualization, and has become a powerful means of both separation from and reconnection to others. All the members of a family now have increased mobility, and with that, families have a greater presence in public places than in the past (Kumar and Makarova 2013). Even those who do not travel or commute have become more mobile.…”

Society, Space and the Public Realm: Beyond Gated Individualism

“…You didn't have to communicate if you didn't want to … (FN2, August 2009) The testimonies gathered from allotment gardeners is suggestive that for them allotments constitute liminal spaces or 'a space of potential' wherein they move easily between engaging in public activity and civil integration practices, while at the same time safeguarding the space as a semi-private realm. Following Kumar and Makarova (2008) allotments are suggestive of the permeability of the public-private distinction, demonstrating how public and private dimensions sustain and support each other. I argue that the allotment and the community garden have the potential to animate the urban public realm, re-appropriating the 'public' in cities at a time when wider forces are undermining access to and usage of public space.…”