Life world

From Geography

"life-world" ( or "Lebenswelt", in German) is a concept in phenomenology, that refers to the 'taken-for-grantedness' in the everyday. Phenomenology calls for looking at the essence or logic of phenomenon, by studying the foundational structures of human action and thought which the natural sciences presuppose. The everyday experience is then of paramount significance. Life-world in this context refers to that which is self-evident to humans within our natural attitude in the everyday.

For instance, we take it for granted that other humans are also part of out reality. In this sense "life-world" is not an isolated, individual concept, but an intersubjective reality that is shared universally. And agents are then rather pragmatic creatures whose 'natural' attitude is to take things for granted while setting about changing others in a desired manner(Campbell, 1981,pp.202). Life-world is seen as the universal basis for inter-subjectivity. It is almost a realm of reality in which one engages but also that which one can change while operating in it. Yet it can also limit an individual's free possibilities of action.

Thus, in its totality life-world is both the arena as well as that what sets the limits, of my and our reciprocal action. (Schutz & Luckmann, 1974, pp.3-6)

Within the social sciences, understanding life-world becomes important to understand how this commonnness is created, what are its structures and the significance of this on social action. But also, individually each one of us has to understand our own life-world to the extent of being able to act and operate upon it.

References

• Campbell, Tom. (1981). Seven theories of human society (pp.197-215). Oxford University Press: Oxford
• Schutz, Alfred & Luckmann, Thomas. (1974). The Structures of the Life-world". Translated by Zaner, Richard.M., Engelhardt, H.Tristram.Jr. Northwestern University Press. London.

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