Abstract

The distinction between the private and the public realm - at first sight a simple and straightforward distinction - is in reality a very complex and dynamic cultural construction playing a prominent role in almost every society - albeit in very different ways. In this introductory essay an attempt is made at reconstructing three constellations of the private/public distinction: the premodern, modern and post-modern. These are not presented as empirical models but rather as an ideal-typical, analytical framework constructed for heuristic purposes and in such a way that most of the aspects of the private/public distinction are being mapped.

How to Cite:

Weyns, W., (1998) “Grensschermutselingen: een sociologische verkenning van de grens tussen privé en publiek domein”, Tijdschrift voor Sociologie 19(3), 247–279. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/sociologos.86449