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Social Constructionisms: Approaches to the Study of the Human World
Social constructionism is one of the key ideas in the social sciences, offering different frameworks for understanding the human world. But what does it mean when we say that something is 'socially constructed'? What exactly do we construct in our social interaction? And what actually 'does' the constructing?
This dynamic text invites critical reflection on these questions and more, outlining the various ways that social constructionist theory has been utilised in the social sciences. Hjelm introduces the basic assumptions of social constructionism - before examining the differences between various constructionist traditions and perspectives - from Berger and Luckmann's sociology of knowledge, to constructionist approaches in social psychology and discourse analysis.
Through a diverse range of case studies on religion, crime, gender and the media, the chapters demonstrate how to apply constructionist ideas in empirical social research. Social Constructionisms is thus an invaluable source for students and scholars across the social sciences.
This dynamic text invites critical reflection on these questions and more, outlining the various ways that social constructionist theory has been utilised in the social sciences. Hjelm introduces the basic assumptions of social constructionism - before examining the differences between various constructionist traditions and perspectives - from Berger and Luckmann's sociology of knowledge, to constructionist approaches in social psychology and discourse analysis.
Through a diverse range of case studies on religion, crime, gender and the media, the chapters demonstrate how to apply constructionist ideas in empirical social research. Social Constructionisms is thus an invaluable source for students and scholars across the social sciences.
- GenresSocial Science
144 pages, Hardcover
Published May 22, 2014
About the author
Titus Hjelm
18 books102 followersFollow my reviews (titus_hjelm) now on StoryGraph!
I have been meaning to leave Amazon and its affiliates for a while now, but 20 January 2025 really cemented that decision. Thank you for the comments and likes. The story continues at StoryGraph!
I am Professor in the Study of Religion at the University of Helsinki, Finland. Previously I was a Reader in Sociology at UCL, UK. In addition I'm a (semi)professional metal and blues musician.
In addition to writing the books below, and many scholarly articles, I have served as co-editor of the Journal of Religion in Europe (2011-2022) and Editor in Chief of Sociology of Religion (2023-)
Readingwise, when I'm not reading scholarly stuff, I divide my time between 'serious' fiction (Vasily Grossman and Olga Tokarczuk come to mind as recent highlights) and Fantasy/Horror (Stephen King, always). I guess studying the real world makes me want to escape it when reading fiction. On the other hand, a good novel can tell us much more about the real world than the best sociological work.
I have been meaning to leave Amazon and its affiliates for a while now, but 20 January 2025 really cemented that decision. Thank you for the comments and likes. The story continues at StoryGraph!
I am Professor in the Study of Religion at the University of Helsinki, Finland. Previously I was a Reader in Sociology at UCL, UK. In addition I'm a (semi)professional metal and blues musician.
In addition to writing the books below, and many scholarly articles, I have served as co-editor of the Journal of Religion in Europe (2011-2022) and Editor in Chief of Sociology of Religion (2023-)
Readingwise, when I'm not reading scholarly stuff, I divide my time between 'serious' fiction (Vasily Grossman and Olga Tokarczuk come to mind as recent highlights) and Fantasy/Horror (Stephen King, always). I guess studying the real world makes me want to escape it when reading fiction. On the other hand, a good novel can tell us much more about the real world than the best sociological work.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 5, 2017
Clear and to the point. Very inspiring and even funny at times. Made the subject much more comprehensible and approachable. Also gave great suggestions for further reading.
Displaying 1 of 1 review