Why Is It So Difficult to Understand the Theory of Social Representations?

Abstract

Voelklein and Howarth's article characterizes social representations theory (SRT) in the light of criticism from British discursive psychology and focuses on a number of critical issues that are consistently misinterpreted in theoretical interpretations of SRT. I argue that on a more general level, difficulties in proper understanding of SRT stem from its underlying dialectical assumptions. Some critical points related to SRT that are most often misinterpreted are discussed: aggregate and systemic concepts of sociality, individual agency, the role of social practice, among others.