Introduction

Citation

Markova I & Jovchelovitch S (2008) Introduction. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, 38 (4), pp. 327-333. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-5914.2008.00384.x

Abstract
We are introducing the main five themes that are discussed in this Special Issue. The first theme concerns the historicity of the theory of social representations. The second theme concerns epistemology and science. The third theme is the relation between science and common sense. Central to this theme is the assertion of the importance of analyzing social representations as forms of knowledge in their own right, rather than as degraded or inferior forms of scientific understanding. The fourth theme in this Special Issue is related to psychoanalysis itself and expands in several directions. The final and rather broad theme is concerned with the various kinds of heterogeneity that the theory of social representations has introduced, in particular in thinking, communicating, social groups and public sphere. This theme in the Special Issue is related above all to Moscovici's ideas about natural thinking, cognitive polyphasia, communication systems or communication genres, e.g. diffusion, propagation, propaganda and conversation.

Journal
Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour: Volume 38, Issue 4