A time and a place (or space) for everything--Katie Moore

There is a time and a place for everything, so they say.  Or, according to Burkitt, a “time and space.”  I found Burkitt’s article interesting for exploring the intersections between the official and unofficial realms of life, not as separate entities but as intricately intertwined and mutually influencing forces.  The two are often discussed separately, but the influences of official forms and institutions on everyday life and how everyday life often informs the official is gaining increasing attention, as “the unofficial realm is the living tissue of social like upon which official social life rests and, indeed, official ideas and ethics are often a crystallization of unofficial ideas and practices” (214-215).  Official institutions and forms are situated in space geographically (centralized stations of power with set codes and regulations) and in human bodies (as these codes and regulations are embodied in individuals in everyday life).  Through geographical spaces and human bodies, official forms are codified, while everyday life experiences are more open and fluid, and dispersed across space and time.

Initially it seems like the “informal” or “unofficial” relations and activities that Burkitt mentions are the most applicable to the folk; they are enacted in “the home, the streets, playgrounds, cafes, bars, restaurants, and other such spaces.”  However, reaching back to Martin’s article from a couple weeks ago, and our discussions of authenticity, the influences of power and official institutions cannot be separated from what seems to be a folk culture expressed in everyday life.  The codification of legitimacy through official realms of social fields directly influences the range of possible creations and reactions we have in everyday, unofficial contexts, although we often are not even conscious of the influences that direct us.  For an example, Burkitt proposes the family as the most intimate of social units, however crafted by official ideas governing what makes the “appropriate” family.  However, what makes a “family” is also constantly redefined over time by the “unofficial spheres of everyday life” such as love and companionship between gay couples who are now pushing for more rights and recognition in the official sphere.

I appreciated that Burkitt’s discussion included concepts such as friendship, love, and play into the discussion of everyday life and the interplay between the official and unofficial.  These are concepts that are hard for archaeologists to get at, even though we (especially historical archaeologists) claim to be the champions of the everyday life of the common man.  Although we can get at things like ritual, power, and trade, it is much harder to excavate emotions and ideas from the dirt.  However, friendship, love, and emotion are important parts of life that shape other aspects of culture and society that it is nearly impossible to understand from the archaeological record, save association with a journal or letter.  They influence how we define ourselves and our relationships with others, or Others.  These relationships are constantly changing over time and are governed by the spaces we occupy, which impacts our ability to communicate and perform certain activities or embodiments of our multiple selves in unofficial and official forums.