Peter L. Berger – författare

A general and systematic account of the role of knowledge in society aimed to stimulate both critical discussion and empirical investigations.This book is concerned with the sociology of ‘everything that passes for knowledge in society’. It focuses particularly on that ‘common-sense knowledge’ which constitutes the reality of everyday life for the ordinary member of society.The authors are concerned to present an analysis of knowledge in everyday life in the context of a theory of society as a dialectical process between objective and subjective reality. Their development of a theory of institutions, legitimations and socializations has implications beyond the discipline of sociology, and their ‘humanistic’ approach has considerable relevance for other social scientists, historians, philosophers and anthropologists.

Much discussed but poorly understood, globalization is at once praised as the answer to all the world's problems and blamed for everything from pollution to poverty. Here Berger and Huntington bring together an array of experts who paint a subtle and richly shaded portrait, showing both the power and the unexpected consequences of this great force.The stereotypes of globalization--characterized as American imperialism on the one hand, and as an economic panacea on the other--fall apart under close scrutiny. Surveying globalization from individual countries of the five major continents, Many Globalizations shows that an emerging global culture does indeed exist. While globalization is American in origin and content, the authors point out that it is far from a centrally directed force like classic imperialism. They examine the currents that carry this culture, from a worldwide class of young professionals to non-governmental organizations, and define globalization's many variations as well as sub-globalizations that bind regions together.Analytical, incisive and stimulating, Many Globalizations offers rare insight into perhaps the central issue of modern times, one that is changing the West as much as the developing world."Provocative.... Taken together, the trenchant, well-written essays included in this collection provide indisputable evidence that an identifiable global culture is indeed emerging."--World Policy Journal"Analytical and penetrating, belongs...on the desks of anyone with an abiding interest in the forces shaping the world."--Publishers Weekly

This state-of-the-field overview of Pentecostalism around the world focuses on cultural developments among second- and third-generation adherents in regions with large Pentecostal communities, considering the impact of these developments on political participation, citizenship, gender relations, and economic morality. Leading scholars from anthropology, sociology, religious studies, and history present useful introductions to global issues and country-specific studies drawn from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the former USSR.

This state-of-the-field overview of Pentecostalism around the world focuses on cultural developments among second- and third-generation adherents in regions with large Pentecostal communities, considering the impact of these developments on political participation, citizenship, gender relations, and economic morality. Leading scholars from anthropology, sociology, religious studies, and history present useful introductions to global issues and country-specific studies drawn from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the former USSR.

This book identifies the key 'actors' whose visions and strategies are crucial to the pattern which change will take in South Africa. These actors, their visions and 'strategic logic' were subjected to a critique by their researchers in the light of contemporary South African 'realities'.

This book produces a faithful description of contemporary realities and a more reflective presentation of future possibilities about the nature of change in South Africa. It provides some insight into the research project, entitled 'South Africa Beyond Apartheid'.

Normative conflicts center on fundamental disagreements over issues of public morality and the identity of a society. In thinking about normative conflicts on a global scale, two principal questions arise. First, are there common characteristics of such conflicts worldwide? Second, which institutions polarize such conflicts and which can serve to m

Normative conflicts centre on fundamental disagreements over issues of public morality and the identity of a society. In thinking about normative conflicts on a global scale, two principal questions arise. First, are there common characteristics of such conflicts worldwide? Second, which institutions polarize such conflicts and which can serve to mediate them? This pathbreaking book, edited by renowned sociologist Peter Berger, examines both questions through findings gained from a study of normative conflicts in eleven societies located in different parts of the world and at different levels of economic development.On both points, the findings have proved surprising. Although there are, of course, normative conflicts peculiar to individual societies, two features emerged as common to most of the societies examined: one concerns disputes over the place of religion in the state and in public life the other is a clash of values between a cultural elite and the broad masses of the population. Often the two features coincide. For instance, in many countries the elite is the least religious group within the population, and therefore, resentments against the elite are often mobilized under religious banners.On the institutional question, the study started out with a bias toward the institutions of so-called civil society",that is, the institutions that stand between the personal life of individuals and the vast mega-structures of a modern society. The finding is that the same institutions can either polarize or mediate normative conflicts. The conclusion suggests one must ask not just what sort of institutions one looks to for social cohesion, but what ideas and values inspire these institutions.Comprising reports from some of the leading scholars dealing with normative conflict, this book is an important contribution to understanding the cultural fault lines that threaten social cohesion.

The companion volume to Capitalism and Equality in America: Modern Capitalism, Volume IContributors include: Peter L. Berger, Boston University; James O'Leary, Catholic University; Nicholas Eberstadt, Harvard University's Center for Population Studies; Grace Goodell, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies; Laura L. Nash, Harvard University's School for Business and Government; Alan M. Kantrow, Harvard Business Review; Jason Brown, United States Agency for International Development; Myron Weiner, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Gustav Ranis, Yale University's Economic Growth Center; John Fei, Yale University's Economic Growth Center; Gustav F. Papenek, Boston University; Brian Griffiths, Policy Unit of the Office of the Prime Minister, England; Rachel Griffiths; John O'Sullivan, London Times. Co-published with the Institute for Educational Affairs.

‘The Hidden Form of Capital’ presents evidence from several parts of the changing world about how the realm of the spirit affects the economy. Instead of adding to the theoretical speculation on the role of culture in economic progress, this book provides evidence from recent analytical studies in Europe, Asai, Africa, Russia, and the United States.

The papers collected in this volume were presented at a conference sponsored by the Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs (formerly the Council on Religion and International Affairs). The conference, " In Search of an East Asian Development Model," was held at the Carnegie Council’s headquarters in New York in June 1985. The purpose was to discover if there is any such thing as an East Asian development model. Was it rooted in common cultural characteristics which arose only in Asia and therefore had no relevance elsewhere, or did the cultural and social characteristics thus revealed have transcendent features, applicable at all times and in all places? Was the recognition of general Asian economic success a post facto situation, an attempt at later rationalizations to fit a logic and inevitability into a process that essentially lurched along without any particular direction?

This book is the summation of many decades of work by Peter L. Berger, an internationally renowned sociologist of religion. Secularization theory—which saw modernity as leading to a decline of religion—has been empirically falsified. It should be replaced by a nuanced theory of pluralism. In this new book, Berger outlines the possible foundations for such a theory, addressing a wide range of issues spanning individual faith, interreligious societies, and the political order. He proposes a conversation around a new paradigm for religion and pluralism in an age of multiple modernities. The book also includes responses from three eminent scholars of religion: Nancy Ammerman, Detlef Pollack, and Fenggang Yang.

Peter L. Berger is arguably the best-known American sociologist living today. Since the 1960s he has been publishing books on many facets of the American social scene, and several are now considered classics. So it may be hard to believe Professor Berger's description of himself as an "accidental sociologist." But that in fact accurately describes how he stumbled into sociology. In this witty, intellectually stimulating memoir, Berger explains not only how he became a social scientist, but the many adventures that this calling has led to. Rather than writing an autobiography, he focuses on the main intellectual issues that motivated his work and the various people and situations he encountered in the course of his career. Full of memorable vignettes and colorful characters depicted in a lively narrative often laced with humor, Berger's memoir conveys the excitement that a study of social life can bring. The first part of the book describes Berger's initiation into sociology through the New School for Social Research, "a European enclave in the midst of Greenwich Village bohemia." Berger was first a student at the New School and later a young professor amidst a clique of like-minded individuals. There he published The Social Construction of Reality (with colleague Thomas Luckmann), one of his most successful books, followed by The Sacred Canopy on the sociology of religion, also still widely cited.The book covers Berger's experience as a "globe-trekking sociologist" including trips to Mexico, where he studied approaches to Third World poverty; to East Asia, where he discovered the potential of capitalism to improve social conditions; and to South Africa, where he chaired an international study group on the future of post-Apartheid society.Berger then tells about his role as the director of a research center at Boston University. For over two decades he and his colleagues have been tackling such important issues as globalization, the secularization of Europe, and the ongoing dialectic between relativism and fundamentalism in contemporary culture.What comes across throughout is Berger's boundless curiosity with the many ways in which people interact in society. This book offers longtime Berger readers as well as newcomers to sociology proof that the sociologist's attempt to explain the world is anything but boring.

‘The Hidden Form of Capital’ presents evidence from several parts of the changing world about how the realm of the spirit affects the economy. Instead of adding to the theoretical speculation on the role of culture in economic progress, this book provides evidence from recent analytical studies in Europe, Asai, Africa, Russia, and the United States.

Woran kann man glauben? Darf der moderne Mensch auf Erlösung hoffen? Hat Jesus noch eine besondere Bedeutung?Es sind grundlegende Fragen an das Christentum von heute, die der amerikanische Religionssoziologe Peter L. Berger in seinem neuen Buch stellt. Er hinterfragt aus einer skeptischen Grundhaltung heraus die wesentlichen Aussagen des Apostolischen Glaubensbekenntnisses und stellt diese in einen Diskurs mit verschiedenen Strömungen innerhalb der Theologie und mit Positionen moderner Denker von Sigmund Freud bis Simone Weil. In Bergers kritischer und anregender Auseinandersetzung mit Grundfragen des Christentums schimmern stets seine ganz persönlichen Antworten durch, die zeigen, wie man als moderner Mensch und kritischer Christ in einer pluralen Gesellschaft dennoch glauben kann.Dieser Titel ist die Übersetzung des in den USA und in Großbritannien erfolgreichen Buches "Questions of Faith" (Blackwell Publishers, 2004).

Amid the variety of human experiences, the comic occupies a distinctive place. It is simultaneously ubiquitous, relative, and fragile. In this book, Peter L. Berger reflects on the nature of the comic and its relationship to other human experiences. Berger contends that the comic is an integral aspect of human life, yet one that must be approached and analyzed circumspectly and circuitously. Beginning with an exploration of the anatomy of the comic, Berger addresses humor in philosophy, physiology, psychology, and the social sciences before turning to a discussion of different types of comedy and finally suggesting a theology of the comic in terms of its relationship to folly, redemption, and transcendence. Along the way, the reader is treated to a variety of jokes on a variety of topics, with particular emphasis on humor and its relationship to religion. Originally published in 1997, the second edition includes a new preface reflecting on Berger’s work in the intervening years, particularly on the relationship between humor and modernity.