Max Weber introduced the idea of separate, historically evolving spheres of life as a way to analyse social formations on a societal level. This article develops the notion of spheres of life on the level of actors themselves. It proposes answering the questions of what spheres of life exist and how they relate to each other by looking at the actors’ perspectives. Using the concept of articulation outlined by Hans Joas, the article proposes that ideas about spheres of life are shaped in continuous processes of articulation by elites and laypersons alike. By elaborating Joas’ distinction between ‘attractive-motivating’ values and ‘restrictive-obligatory’ norms, the article suggests that spheres of life can be distinguished analytically according to their experiential quality and relation to morality. The notion of spheres of life can thus serve as a useful theoretical lens for analysing how social and moral orders are (re)produced and changed in everyday life.
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