Vardagsliv

Vardagsliv is a Swedish term used in sociology and cultural studies to refer to everyday life—the routines, practices, and activities people engage in on a daily basis. It encompasses how individuals structure their days, make choices, and interact within family, work, and community settings. The concept focuses on the ordinary rather than extraordinary events and is commonly analyzed to understand how societies organize time, labor, and social relations.

Key components of vardagsliv include daily routines such as waking, cooking, cleaning, commuting, working or studying, caregiving, shopping, and leisure. It also covers patterns of consumption, use of technology, communication with others, and the social norms that guide these activities. Material aspects, such as housing and clothing, and immaterial aspects, such as expectations around gender and age roles, are both integral to vardagsliv.

Vardagsliv is shaped by broader social structures, culture, and policy. Variations arise across gender, class, ethnicity, age, and urban versus rural contexts. Policy changes—such as parental leave schemes, childcare access, and work-life balance regulations—can alter daily routines. Technological developments, including smartphones and online services, continually transform the rhythm and modes of everyday life.

Researchers study vardagsliv through methods like time-use surveys, diaries, ethnography, and qualitative interviews to reveal how people allocate time and resources, how well-being is affected, and how social inequalities are reproduced in daily practice.