ABSTRACT
The aim of this chapter is to outline how the theory of the communicative construction of reality came about. As central as the concept of communicative action may be, so too is its entrenchment in phenomenologically-oriented sociology crucial. The history of the problem it addresses provides the starting point for the considerations that bestow order to this chapter. Three movements are mentioned in particular, which have led to the communicative construction of reality: phenomenological sociology as initiated by Alfred Schutz; the qualitative turn toward the empirical study of communicative processes; and the social-constructivist, constructionist or post-constructivist movements in social theory. All three are closely connected both in terms of individuals and institutions. At the same time, however, they refer to different scientific discussions and discourses that are integrated in the theory of communicative construction.
