Abstract
A bookstore-café, where work and non-work activities are conducted, is examined herein. As a result of the blurring of public and private spheres, it is argued that encounters in this bookstore and its café have an identifiable structure, complete with specific features, resulting in five distinct findings. Both gaze and the use of belongings to create boundaries of personal space are employed by patrons to manage anxiety caused by being in public view. Data was obtained from thirteen ethnographic participant-observations, two hours each in length, conducted over a two-month period. This project contributes to existing research by showing how, in subtle ways, people behave in public spaces, thereby informing our understanding of the norms underlying social behavior in public settings.
Recommended Citation
Christie, Erin
(2009)
"A Bookstore-Café: An Exploration of the Blurring of the Public and Private Spheres,"
Kaleidoscope: A Graduate Journal of Qualitative Communication Research: Vol. 8, Article 2.
Available at:
https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/kaleidoscope/vol8/iss1/2