Making Social Life: Theories of Action and Meaning

Abstract

Theories which account for the Making of Social Life in terms of action, language and meaning are the focus of this chapter. In the first part, we examine a range of theories which centre on active, creative social action. Although we begin by looking at theories where actors are shaped by society, the emphasis in the action theories discussed is on the creative construction of social life by actors in settings. In the second part of the chapter the emphasis shifts to theories which seek the key to social life in the nature of language and discourse. We argue that these theories are capable of providing critical accounts of discourses in society even though post-structuralist theories seem to abandon the search for knowledge for a postmodern vision of endlessly diverse interpretations. Finally, we see how some recent theories of the self and identity re-assert the idea of creative social actors.