CHAPTER II
IDENTITY AND THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF REALITY:
THE THEORY
2.1 The sociology of knowledge: brief history of development
Within the discipline of sociology the social construction
of identity is rooted theoretically in the sociology of knowledge.
A short account of the development of this area of theory is
necessary before an adaptation of the general theory is made for
the present study.
The beginnings of the sociology of knowledge may be found
in Marx's writings on ideology, specifically in the first chapter
of the German Ideology (Marx/Engels, Arthur,ed., 1970:41)..
⅛
Marx introduced a new apprehension of man that was
sociological rather than philosophical -
The Young-Hegelian ideologists, in spite of their
allegedly 'world shattering' statements, are
the staunchest conservatives. The most recent
of them have found the correct expression for
their activities when they declare they are only
fighting against 'phrases'. They forget, however,
that to these phrases they themselves are only
opposing other phrases and that they are in no
way combating the phrases of this world.
It has not occurred to any one of these philosophers
to inquire into the connection of German philosophy
with German reality, the relation of their criticism
to their own material surroundings.
Hence the radical nature of Marx's new approach was to go
back to man as the root, not philosophy (Marx/Engels, Arthur, ed.,
1970:47). -
We set out from real, active man, and on the basis
of their real life process we demonstrate the
development of the ideological reflexes and echoes
of this life process.
According to Marx, "life is not determined by consciousness
but consciousness by life".
*Man is used in a generic sense throughout this text.
,Man, (mankind) includes 'woman', *he' includes 'she' throughout.