Representing Reality: Discourse, Rhetoric and Social Construction`This is an admirable book which can be recommended to students with confidence, and is likely also to become an indispensable source of reference for those researching fact construction' - Discourse & SocietyHow is reality manufactured? The idea of social construction has become a commonplace of much social research, yet precisely what is constructed, and how, and even what constructionism means, is often unclear or taken for granted. In this major work, Jonathan Potter offers a fascinating tour of the central themes raised by these questions.Representing Reality overviews the different traditions in constructionist thought. Points are illustrated throughout with varied and engaging examples taken from newspaper stories, relationship counselling sessions, accounts of the paranormal, social workers' assessments of violent parents, informal talk between programme makers, political arguments and everyday conversations. Ranging across the social and human sciences, this book provides a lucid introduction to several key strands of work that have overturned the way we think about facts and descriptions, including: the sociology of scientific knowledge; conversation analysis and ethnomethodology; and semiotics, post-structuralism and postmodernism. |
What people are saying - Write a review
We haven't found any reviews in the usual places.
Other editions - View all
Representing Reality: Discourse, Rhetoric and Social Construction Jonathan Potter Limited preview - 1996 |
Representing Reality: Discourse, Rhetoric and Social Construction Jonathan Potter Limited preview - 1996 |
Representing Reality: Discourse, Rhetoric and Social Construction Jonathan Potter Limited preview - 1996 |
Common terms and phrases
actions activities analysis analytic approach argued argument attempt become beliefs building called central chapter claims Collins concern consider context contrast conversation course critical described descriptions detail developed discourse discussion distinction draw effect emphasize entitlement example experience explored Extract fact construction factual findings focus formulation going idea illustrate important interaction interest involved issues kind knowledge language linguistic look means metaphor narrative nature Note notion objects observation organized participants particular person philosophical position possible potential practices present problem produced question range realist reality reason relation representations response rhetoric role scientific scientists seen sense simple situation social sociology sorts speaker specific stake story suggests talk theory things tion topic traditional treated truth turn undermined understanding utterances various versions witness