The Practice of Everyday Life (Michel de Certeau)

"The Practice of Everyday Life" by Michel de Certeau explores how individuals actively shape their daily experiences within larger social systems. He distinguishes between 'strategies' used by institutions and 'tactics' employed by individuals—everyday acts like walking, talking, or shopping—through which people creatively navigate and personalize their environments. These small, often unnoticed actions serve as subtle forms of resistance and identity expression, highlighting how ordinary people influence and reshape societal structures in their daily routines. Essentially, de Certeau shows that everyday life is a space of charismatic agency and inventive survival.