ABSTRACT

This chapter takes as its point of departure the methodological challenge of exploring the interconnections of subjective and structural aspects of persons conducting their everyday life in and across social practices. The chapter research on the everyday life of children and families, address possible implications of understanding and aiming to organize research collaboration that enables exploration of and critical reflection on contradictory life conditions in and across social practices. Smith is a leading scholar in the development of Institutional Ethnography as a methodology to link the everyday world of experience and the larger social structure. The problems in the day care institution were formulated and played out in ways that produced divisions and antagonism and exploring a shared problem with the boys as well as the professionals meant working to understand and overcome these divisions. As mentioned, the main focus of the project was children's everyday lives across day care institution and home.