
Shopping as a couple 123
Elwys De Stefani
The collaborative organisation of next actions in
a semiotically rich environment: Shopping as a couple
1. Introduction: Moving as a couple in public space
Action in public space has been a crucial issue in the social sciences, which
have focused on the way in which sociality is not only displayed by indi-
viduals engaged in a joint social action, but also recognised by co-pres-
ent individuals. As Goffman’s (1963) notion of “civil inattention” entails,
awareness of “others” – be they individuals, couples or larger groups of
people – is in general not overtly displayed. However, individuals actually
do acknowledg ...