ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author investigates the nature of the problematic relation to social space and the difficulties agoraphobics find in its 'performance'. She draws theoretical perspectives that can speak to both the 'everyday' and the 'existential' aspects of social space, namely the sociological writings of Erving Goffman and the existentialist philosophy of Jean-Paul Sartre. The author outlines what she takes to be the relevant aspects of Sartre's philosophy for understanding the existential backdrop to agoraphobic life-worlds. She also draws out Sartre's account of the role of 'the gaze' of others in constituting self-identity. The author attempts to connect Sartre's philosophical account to Goffman's empirically based work on individuals' use of strategies to protect themselves against the social intrusions of others. She addresses the potential therapeutic value of Sartre's and Goffman's insights. The theories of Sartre and Goffman might help constitute a hermeneutics of agoraphobic experience.
