Michel de Certeau

Michel de Certeau is a scientist, philosopher and writer that he has written The Practice of
Everyday Life. He mention spaces and places in its book and he describe spaces without
limits. He explain his description of space with human acts and practices in this book.

In the first chapter, firstly it explain the Manhattan and then Rome and New York is
compared. It seems that New York has never learned the art of growing old by playing on all
its past. It invents itself from hour to hour, it challanges future. Moreover, when people goes
up the World Trade Center, they see the city but they cannot satisfy it. They do not experience
the city.

People who experience a place attribute a meaning from themselves to the place. Places are
like a play and they analyse and claasify identities. Each identity create its special area in
these places. Also, stories from a symbolic whole. They become private and neighborhoods,
cities, or families contain this privacy in themselves. They have memories and people
remember the place with its memory. It is special from human to human and memories form a
character. People can tell about a place which is destroyed and not exist. Because its memory
is still exist. Freud care about spatial practises in childhood. It affects childrens’ development
and it shows its effects after a childhood.

In the second chapter starts Pierre Janet’s mention that is ‘‘Narration created humanity’’.
Stories link together with transportations and actors. These stories are spatial practises. They
concern Daily routines and practices. The practices also form spaces and places. Places are
described, they have certsin geometry or definition but human practices make spaces these
places. People can describe place with objects. However, they can describe space with living
creatures. In addition, spaces and places transform each other.

There is an example in the second chapter. It mention a descriptions New York residents’
apartments which are map and tour. Map gives the description with another place. They say
‘‘The girls’ room is next to the kitchen.’’ However, tour say ‘‘You come in through a low
door’’ Tour defines the room with human acts. As it seen in this example, everyday stories
tell us what one can do in it and make out of it. Stories have frontiers and bridges. Limits are
drawn by acts and route of story. Also, frontiers are transformed to bridge by interactions.
Bridges lead to crossing the limits.

In conclusion, space is dynamic and it can be flexible by daily practices, human activities,
and events in this area. It exist with practices.