Coming soon · Book Profile
the social construction of reality
A systematic treatise arguing that everyday reality—what people take for granted as objectively real—is in fact produced, sustained, and internalized through ongoing social processes that the sociology of knowledge must analyze.
A profile of this book is on the way.
What it’s about
Berger and Luckmann redefine the sociology of knowledge by shifting its focus from intellectual history and ideology to the commonsense 'knowledge' that constitutes the fabric of everyday life. Drawing on Schutz's phenomenology, Marx's dialectics, Durkheim's objective facticity, Weber's subjective meaning, and Mead's social psychology, they trace how human activity externalizes a social order, how that order hardens into objective reality through institutionalization and legitimation, and how it is internalized by individuals through socialization to become subjective reality. The result is a powerful three-moment dialectic—externalization, objectivation, internalization—that explains how 'subjective meanings become objective facticities,' how symbolic universes shelter societies against chaos, and how identity itself is socially constructed. Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand why different societies inhabit radically different 'realities' and how those realities are built, maintained, and transformed.
The through-line
- Who it’s for
- A reader—student, scholar, or reflective person—who wants to understand how the social world becomes real and how their own sense of reality and identity is formed.
- The problem
- The taken-for-granted reality of everyday life appears self-evident and fixed, obscuring how it is actually produced and maintained. This leaves the reader disoriented about why different societies inhabit different realities and uncertain how to think rigorously about 'reality' and 'knowledge.'
- The plan
- Begin with a phenomenological analysis of the reality of everyday life to define key concepts.
- Study society as objective reality: how institutionalization and legitimation produce and stabilize the social order.
- Study society as subjective reality: how internalization through primary and secondary socialization forms persons and identities.
- Grasp the three-moment dialectic—externalization, objectivation, internalization—as the unifying framework.
- Apply the framework to analyze identity, deviance, alternation, and the maintenance of reality through conversation and plausibility structures.
- The payoff
- The reader sees society as a humanly produced, objectively real, and person-forming reality without reifying it. · The reader can analyze how realities and identities are constructed, maintained, and transformed. · The reader gains a crucial complementary perspective applicable across all areas of sociology and a renewed wonder at the social world.
See our guide
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Additional reading
- The Organism · Kurt Goldstein
Maslow sources the term 'self-actualization' from Goldstein and builds upon his holistic view of the organism.
- Explorations in Personality · H. A. Murray, et al.
Cited as providing an 'excellent discussion' on the basic principle of centering motivation theory on goals rather than instigation or behavior.
- Social Interest · Alfred Adler
Maslow credits Adler and his followers for stressing the importance of the 'esteem needs,' which he felt were neglected by Freudian psychoanalysts.
- Wisdom of the Body · W. B. Cannon
Provides the foundational concept of 'homeostasis,' which Maslow uses as the starting point for his discussion of physiological needs.
- Multipliers · Liz Wiseman
Explores how leaders can either amplify ('multiply') or diminish ('diminish') the intelligence and capabilities of their teams, a key concept for creating a positive, low-anxiety environment.
- The Fearless Organization · Amy Edmondson
Provides the foundational research and practical steps for creating psychological safety, which the book identifies as crucial for reducing interpersonal anxiety and encouraging people to speak up.
- Mindset · Carol Dweck
Explains the difference between a 'growth mindset' and a 'fixed mindset,' which is presented as a key tool for helping employees manage perfectionism and see failures as learning opportunities.
- Crucial Conversations · Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, et al.
Recommended as a resource for employees to learn how to navigate difficult, high-stakes conversations, directly addressing the book's theme of moving from conflict avoidance to healthy debate.
- Better Allies · Karen Catlin
The author is quoted on specific, actionable steps for allyship, making her book a practical guide for implementing the principles in Chapter 7.
- Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People · Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald
Explains the science of implicit bias, which is central to the book's argument that leaders need to be proactive allies because 'not being racist/sexist' isn't enough.