Social Representations: Essays in Social Psychology

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 representations -- including several essays never previously published in English -- this indispensable sourcebook illustrates the enormous scope of Moscovici's work.Moscovici offers 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 passionately concerned with the social context in which meaning is constructed and lives are enacted. His radical approach offers fresh and multifarious ways of seeing the world while his clear, coherent and unifying perspective provides a rich contribution to a discipline which has been notoriously fragmented. Moscovici draws upon the diverse traditions of the wider social sciences, making him a primary voice within the community of social theorists.Certain 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.