The history of everyday life is a historiographical approach that focuses on people's daily practices, routine behaviors, habits, social relations, and cultural activities in past periods. This approach places the lifestyles of ordinary people at the center, outside the traditional historiographical focus on political, military, and diplomatic matters, and is referred to in German literature as Alltagsgeschichte. This German term has found a place in historiography in other languages as well. It examines the lifestyles of individuals and small communities, their consumption patterns, family relationships, working conditions, dietary habits, and everyday spaces. Thus, in addition to large historical processes, it seeks to understand small-scale changes experienced by people and the impacts of these changes on society.
Conceptual Framework of the History of Everyday Life
The history of everyday life aims to reconstruct the general narrative of the historical discipline based on the ordinary experiences of individuals and communities. According to this approach, major events and transformations traditionally considered important in history can be understood more comprehensively through detailed analyses of everyday life. Everyday life practices provide important data reflecting the cultural, economic, and social structure of society. People's daily routines, their use of time, work and family relationships, and consumption patterns are among the key elements evaluated within this scope. At the same time, how individuals interact in terms of their social roles is also highlighted in the historical analysis of everyday life.
Emergence of the History of Everyday Life
The history of everyday life emerged distinctly and became widespread in historiography, especially in the second half of the 20th century. One of the fundamental factors behind the emergence of this approach was criticism of the limitations of traditional historiography. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, historiography generally focused on political, diplomatic, and military events; leaders, great states, and significant wars constituted the center of historical narratives. However, criticism arose that this approach did not sufficiently explain the experiences of broader segments of society.
The Annales School, a French historical tradition, played a significant role in the development of the history of everyday life approach. This movement began with historians such as Marc Bloch and Lucien Febvre, who started the journal "Annales" in 1929, placing economic, social, and cultural structures at the center of historiography. Later Annales historians such as Fernand Braudel began to evaluate historical events through long-term social structures and routines. Braudel emphasized the continuity and transformations of everyday practices within historical processes, adopting the method of explaining historical processes through slowly changing social structures (longue durée), rather than rapidly changing events.
The Alltagsgeschichte movement, which developed in Germany during the 1970s and 1980s, emerged primarily as a result of dissatisfaction with structural and economic analyses in social history. During this period, historians argued that structural history writing (Strukturgeschichte), led by Hans-Ulrich Wehler and Jürgen Kocka, did not adequately reflect the everyday experiences of ordinary people. In response, historians of Alltagsgeschichte turned toward micro-scale studies and developed the approach of "history from below." Thus, the daily life experiences of individuals and small communities were placed at the center of historical processes, alongside major structural transformations.
Important representatives of the Alltagsgeschichte approach include Alf Lüdtke, Hans Medick, Lutz Niethammer, and Detlev Peukert. Alf Lüdtke contributed to the methodological development of everyday life history, particularly recognized for his work on people's daily practices and social experiences. Hans Medick combined microhistorical methods with Alltagsgeschichte studies, contributing to historiography through the biographies of individuals and small communities. Lutz Niethammer integrated oral history methods into everyday life historiography, focusing on documenting individuals' past experiences through direct testimonies. Detlev Peukert analyzed how major historical events were reflected in the daily lives of ordinary people, particularly in his studies on Nazi Germany. These historians expanded the boundaries of traditional historiography, pioneering the central role of individuals' and ordinary people's experiences in historical research.
Furthermore, the widespread use of oral history enabled recording the memories and experiences of different segments of society, enriching the primary sources of everyday life history. Efforts to amplify the voices of "ordinary people" during the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s also contributed to the academic prominence of everyday life. In light of these developments, historiography began to address the everyday lives of ordinary individuals in a more detailed and comprehensive manner, rather than focusing solely on grand narratives and major events.
Methods, Sources, and Areas of Research
Sources used in everyday life historiography consist of documents rarely used in classical historical studies. These sources include family letters, diaries, personal memoirs, photographs, court records, oral history interviews, and economic records. These documents have the capacity to directly and thoroughly reflect the life experiences of individuals from different social strata. Researchers often use the microhistorical method to interpret these sources. Microhistory, through small-scale and detailed studies, aims to explain larger social processes based on individuals' everyday lives. In addition, the methods of historical anthropology deeply examine the meanings behind people's behaviors, symbols, and cultural expressions.
The history of everyday life encompasses diverse research areas. These include clothing and fashion history, domestic life arrangements, dietary habits, entertainment and leisure practices, health and hygiene habits, and working life. For instance, the food culture of societies is analyzed in the context of different economic conditions and migration movements across various periods. Clothing practices carry traces of social stratification, economic changes, and cultural transformations. Space utilization and architectural arrangements are also important subjects within everyday life history; historical analysis of urban spaces, marketplaces, and cafés as shared areas facilitates understanding social relations and cultural practices.
Relationship Between Social Structure and Everyday Life
Everyday life historiography is closely related to social structure and power relations. The daily lifestyles of different classes are viewed as direct reflections of inequalities, conflicts, or cohesion within society. For example, differences arising in the life practices of various social classes during economic crises or wars are analyzed, revealing the effects of such periods on people. Additionally, difficulties faced by individuals in their daily lives and the strategies developed in response to these challenges are examined. Interactions and conflicts among social classes, ethnic, and religious groups are explored through this approach, allowing for a more comprehensive exploration of the social dimension of history. From this perspective, everyday life historiography contributes to a better understanding of the ongoing tensions, collaborations, and conflicts among various segments of society.
