Social Representations

Considered the leading contemporary European social psychologist for his groundbreaking work on social influence and crowd psychology, Serge Moscovici has played a definitive role in shaping the trajectory of modern social inquiry. Bringing together the key texts in which he outlines and defines his benchmark theory of social representationsincluding several essays never previously published in Englishhis indispensable sourcebook illustrates the enormous range and scope of Moscovici's work. Moscovici purports a theory of social representations remarkably distinct from the dominant themes in contemporary U.S. social psychology. In contrast to the traditionally individualistic emphasis, Moscovici's work is embedded in a broader social and cultural tradition and is passionately concerned with the social context in which meaning is constructed and lives are enacted. His radical and lucid approach offers fresh and multifarious ways of seeing the world while his clear and coherent perspective provides a rich contribution to a discipline which has been notoriously fragmented. Addressing contemporary social phenomena rather than being trapped within the artificial limits of laboratory experimentation, Moscovici draws upon the diverse traditions of the wider social sciences, making him a primary voice within the community of social theorists. Sure to fascinate any researcher, scholar, student, or practitioner of social psychology, Social Representations provides a representative and long overdue collection of Moscovici's unique and important work.