Social Meanings

This paper is a abridgment of the book the social reflexion of legitimateness a treatise in the sociology of experience from Peter L. Berger and doubting Thomas Luckmann, written in 1966. This book belongs to the third generation of classics of sociology. Its twine is enormous and this is why a good understanding of their theories is a must for any sociologist. This is also why this book was chosen to be summarized.

Since unaccompanied one literature source has been used, the de nonation will be done in a simplified way. Instead of writing Berger/Luckmann 1966: 33 or ibid: 105, only the page number(s) will be given in p arnthesis.

The summary is divided into two parts. Part 1 deals with an introduction to the cosmos in everyday life; social interaction; expression and objective reality. Part 2 is the continuation of the summary and starts at the point legititimation of the institutional order. After that the theme inborn reality is tackled and a conclusion is presented in form of a short sum up at the end.

What the authors basically read in their work, is that the common man takes his reality and other realities for grant; he does not stop to think about what is real unless he is confronted by some sort of problem. Realities are taken as `known´ in human societies.



(3) The sociologist must be aware to the different realities though. He must ask himself if the differences among realities are not related to the differences among societies. If so, reality and knowledge are thus relative. The question is: How does any body of knowledge germ to be socially established as a taken-for-granted reality?

What is `real´ to a Tibetan monk may not be `real´ to an American businessman. The `knowledge´ of the criminal differs from the `knowledge´ of the criminologist. (p.3) The specifics of reality and knowledge pertain to specific social contexts. This direction: Objective and subjective reality are in majuscule part socially constructed.

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