Living is Dangerous: Research Challenges in Social Representations

Abstract

This essay includes two principal themes: firstly, conceptual and theoretical consequences of taking culture into consideration within social psychology; and, secondly, the methodological consequences of adopting a constructionist perspective. The framework of these reflections is the theory of social representations (SRT) created by Serge Moscovici. However, the methodological state of affairs of research within SRT is the same for any culturally constructed psychology. The challenges researchers have to face have to do with finding new ways for approaching our subject matter in our science. They reflect on methodology—renovation of which must not be feared.