Collective and Individual Representations: A Journey through Philosophy, Sociology, and Psychology to Understand the Social Construction of Knowledge

Abstract

Representation is a central concept for understanding how individuals perceive the social and cultural world, and how knowledge is formed within communities. This study provides a comprehensive perspective on representation through multiple approaches: the philosophical view of Schopenhauer, the sociological perspective of Durkheim and contemporary sociologists such as Gordon Marshall, Frédéric Le Play, and Jean-Marie Sicard, and the social and cognitive psychology perspectives of S. Sélimi, Moscovici, and Jean Piaget.

The research emphasizes individual and collective representations and their operational mechanisms, including prejudices and social responses, highlighting the interactions and conflicts between individual and collective representations as described by Durkheim in the concept of collective versus individual consciousness.

The findings indicate that understanding both collective and individual representations is essential for analyzing social behavior, interpreting cultural phenomena, and comprehending the dynamics of communication and knowledge construction in society.