On challenges to the private–public dichotomy

In theoretical work as well as in empirical studies the private and the public have primarily been approached as a dichotomy. However, changes over time and the increasing level of complexity within both spheres have made it difficult to draw a sharp line between these spheres. A space, neither private nor public, also occurs, with blurred boundaries in both directions. In the literature there is no adequate conception accounting for the space between the private and the public, and we argue for the necessity for such a concept to include important aspects of life in sociological research. Thus, for the purpose of the present article we introduce the ‘private–public interspace’ as a concept with reference to this specific space. Here we use ‘public’ with reference to an arena for encounters between people as opposed to scholars such as Arendt, Weintraub and Wolfe who use ‘public’ with reference to ‘the state’ in their discussions on limitations of the private/public dichotomy. Our discussion draws on empirical data from a study of women who have had breast cancer and their descriptions of experiences with openness about their illness.