Morkina, Yu. S. Social Constructivist Approach to the Phenomenon of Consciousness

Abstract: The subject under review is the consciousness and consciousness phenomena. As they are given to us, consciousness phenomena are complex systems of meanings and direct perceptions. Socialconstructivistapproach represents that outside of social consciousness the aforesaid phenomena wouldn’t have been perceived as meaningful. Phenomenologist Alfred Schutz says that each person comes to the word that has been already established, created by the society and ‘illuminated with meanings’. Psychologists trace back the development of cogitation and child’s perception of the world and note that a child cannot establish the world of meaningful phenomena without adults. Research methodology combines historical genetic method and the method of theoretical reconstruction, on one hand, with the critical analytical method on the other hand. Theauthor also uses phenomenological methods and interdisciplinary approach to studying consciousness phenomena. Studies of consciousness and consciousness phenomena have a number of methodological difficulties that may turn into real philosophical issues. Theauthorofthepresent article shows that the social constructivism approach to consciousness phenomena is one of the attempts to provide the solution of the aforesaid issues. The author analyzes such solutions using psychological and social research data as well as phenomenological methods.

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