scholarly journals THE COMMUNICATIVE TURN IN GERMAN SOCIOLOGY OF KNOWLEDGE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-38
Author(s):  
HUBERT KNOBLAUCH

In this paper, I want to start with a short sketch on the development of the German sociology of knowledge which has been quite successful in the last decade. Thus success is very much due to its orientation to the “Social Construction of Reality”. Its reception led first to research on language and then to a turn from language to communication which led into what came to be called communicative constructivism. This turn took very much an empirical form, so that we shall sketch the programme implicit in the empirical movement leading to communicative constructivism. Before we address the general sociological background for this movement, i.e. communication society and refiguration, we shall outline its major theoretical features which distinguish communicative constructivism from its predecessor, social constructivism.

Author(s):  
Christina Rowley ◽  
Jutta Weldes

This chapter examines the role of identity in constructing U.S. foreign policy. Using a critical social constructivist approach, it argues that particular conceptions of U.S. identity constitute U.S. interests, thus providing the foundations for foreign policy. After providing an overview of the influence of interests on foreign policy, the chapter considers the basic assumptions of critical social constructivism, taking into account the social construction of reality and the concepts of discourse and articulation. It then analyses discourses as sites of power, identity, and representation, along with the importance of identity in U.S. foreign policy. It also looks at U.S. presidents’ articulations of state identity and foreign policy over the last six decades.


1967 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 137 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Simpson ◽  
Peter L. Berger ◽  
Thomas Luckmann

1968 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 122 ◽  
Author(s):  
James M. Gustafson ◽  
Peter L. Berger ◽  
Thomas Luckmann ◽  
Thomas Luckmann

Author(s):  
Jamil Farooqui

AbstractThe dominant premise in social sciences in general and in sociology of knowledge in particular is that the reality of everyday life depends upon socio-cultural condition and historicity of a society. In other word, it is socially constructed. There are two monumental works: Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann's The Social Construction of Reality, 1967 and John R. Searle's The Construction of Social Reality, 1995. They advocate that the reality is based on what the majority of people or society believes. It, further indicates that peoples' perceptions of reality differ and there is no way to prove that one reality is more correct that the other (A. Henderson, 1995). Thus, the social construction of reality is used to give a common ground of communication that unites the perception of reality among those who want to communicate effectively. The paper observes that this notion of reality and its construction is defective as it is not linked with truth and goodness. The social reality is the manifestation of some cardinal principles revealed by the Absolute Reality, which is the source and epitome of truth and goodness (Wallerstein, 1976). Those principles enable human to lead a peaceful, harmonious and successful life in the world. They are in the best interest of humanity and thus altruistic. As the revelation comes from Divinity, so the society is formed and shaped by Divine guidance. Humans' struggle of existence and to act and behave in day-to-day life is shaped by the Divine guidance. Hence, the reality that emerges is Divine constructed reality.Keywords: Social Reality, Reality Par Excellence, Objectivation of Subjective Process, Collective Intentionality and Plausibility Structure.AbstrakPremis dominan dalam sains sosial secara umum dan khususnya dalam bidang ilmu sosiologi adalah bahawa realiti kehidupan sehari-hari bergantung kepada keadaan sosio-budaya dan sejarah masyarakat. Dengan kata lain, ia dibina secara sosial. Terdapat dua karya monumental: Peter Berger dan Thomas Luckmann The Social Construction of Reality(Pembinaan Realiti Sosial), 1967 dan John R. Searle The Construction of Social Reality (Pembinaan Realiti Sosial, 1995. Mereka mengatakan bahawa realiti adalah berdasarkan kepercayaan majoriti orang-orang atau masyarakat. Selanjutnya, ia menandakan bahawa persepsi realiti rakyat adalah berbeza dan tidak ada cara untuk membuktikan bahawa satu realiti lebih tepat dari yang lain (A. Henderson, 1995). Oleh itu, pembinaan realiti sosial digunakan bagi memberikan persefahaman komunikasi yang menyatukan persepsi realiti di kalangan mereka yang ingin berkomunikasi dengan berkesan. Kajian ini mengamati bahawa tanggapan realiti ini dan pembinaannya rosak kerana ia tidak dikaitkan dengan kebenaran dan kebaikan. Realiti sosial adalah manifestasi daripada beberapa prinsip kardinal yang dinyatakan oleh Realiti Yang Mutlak, yang merupakan sumber dan lambang kebenaran dan kebaikan (Wallerstein, 1976). Prinsip-prinsip itu membenarkan manusia untuk hidup tenang, berharmoni dan berjaya di dunia. Ianya adalah untuk kebaikan manusia dan dengan demikian, altruistik. Wahyu itu datang dari Keilahian, jadi masyarakat ditubuh dan dibentuk oleh panduan Ilahi. Perjuangan kewujudan manusia dan tingkah-laku sehariannya ditubuh oleh panduan Ilahi. Oleh itu, realiti yang dihasilkan adalah dibina dari realiti keilahian.Kata Kunci: Realiti Sosial, Kecemerlangan Realiti Setaraf, Mengkonkretkan Proses Subjectif, Kesengajaan Kolektif Dan Struktur Bermunasabah.


2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 37-60
Author(s):  
Dilbar Alieva

The paper is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the edition of Berger and Luckmann’s The Social Construction of Reality. It was the occasion to convince about a real impact of this famous book, that was translated into Czech in 1999, on the thinking and the vocabulary of Slovak and Czech sociologists. But after initial interest in this book the sociological public gradually stopped at its formal recognition. However, even those sociologists who expressed interest in the theory of Berger and Luckmann, did not taken it as a theoretical whole, with own particular philosophical program. They are satisfied by choosing from social constructivism some original concepts, that as well as „symbolic universe“ must roofed their own account. It seems, that sociologists are afraid of social constructivism for its epistemological position, which is constant challenge to the realistic approach in sociology. However, these issues may be best resolved through discussions on philosophical and epistemological topics. We note three epistemological positions, each of which was a serious challenge to the idea of social construction. The first is the position of the classical epistemological realism. The second is the principle of philosophical apriorism, which is a prerequisite for any constructivism. The third position is presented by the theory of objectivation. This principle is a component of the social constructivism. We present each of these epistemological principles as one side of an imaginary triangle. The theory of social construction of reality is closed inside this triangle. This theory is the object of the philosophical influence of the three aforementioned teachings. They embody for it the pattern of philosophising, because they state the criteria of its philosophical competence. Therefore our proposed imaginary „epistemological triangle“ was used as a test tool for to ascertain the impact of various philosophical doctrines on ideological profile of social constructivism. The use of this triangle helped us to look deeper into the philosophical foundations of social constructivism and to verify their authenticity. It also helped us to dispel fears of social constructivism and of its allegedly excessive subjectivism.


1967 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald W. Light ◽  
Peter L. Berger ◽  
Thomas Luckmann

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