THE REALITY AND ITS INSTANCES: REVIEW ON BERGER`S AND LUCKMANN'S THEORY OF THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF REALITY

Abstract

One of the key issues in Sociology of Knowledge it is the discussion of social understanding of reality and its confluence impact with the reality in itself. Indeed, discussion as above, is giving us the opportunity to reshape our understanding about the reality, and consequently to conceive it in different context. In order to find the real modalities of the reality, its definition in social contexts can help further in building an episteme about reality as commonly used in our daily aspect. In fact, Berger`s and Luckmann`s theory on “Social Construction of Reality”, is sharing the polarities between individual and social concept of reality in one hand, yet in another explaining distinctions that depicts subjective and objective reality. Moreover they too makes us aware of knowledge `produced` by the people, and instantly embedded through institutional level. Obviously, Berger`s and Luckmann`s “The Social Construction of Reality” attempts to reminiscence on objective or subjective social concept on reality. As the discussion on social knowledge goes further, Berger and Luckmann describes the embodiment of the social knowledge in the phases of habitualization, institutionalization and legitimation. The threefold phase as described above depicts the legitimation of the knowledge itself and its intensifying character from social reality to the objective real. In this context, the paper relies on Berger`s and Luckmann theory on Social Construction of Reality to clarify some of the theories of social knowledge and its legitimation as discussed also from other authors as well. Moreover, social construction of reality - or constructivism-, in history of ideas, is considered a very new social theory. In fact, by its subject, since it deals with theory of knowledge, it encompasses not only the individualistic and scientific point of view of the knowledge, but rather the knowledge conceived through interpersonal and social-interactions. Furthermore, constructivist theory goes back to the social theories of Husserl, Schultz, Heidegger, and especially to recent philosophers like Foucault and Habermas. Most of the `constructivist` ideas brought by abovementioned philosophers in this regard are related to a theory which intends to undermine the individualistic epistemological system and to lead to `consensus idea of reality`. The reality, herewith, it is not what subjectively contemplated into, but rather objectively `shared` through intercommunication and in intersocial relations. Intercommunicative understanding of reality, thus, becomes a standard in which the societies build their understanding of different social behavior and practices. In its final analysis the paper will end up with the argument that the concept of reality it’s differently stated in different practices in society having in mind the theories of objective and subjective reality as will be exposed in details in further chapters of the paper.