The main aim of this reading is to explore the sociological concept of reality, an inherently challenging task.

Since reality is perceived through common sense by individuals in society, understanding it should also
employ common sense. However, common sense is often influenced by others' ideologies and theoretical
frameworks, potentially altering one’s perception of reality. The purpose of this work by Peter Berger and
Thomas Luckmann is not to engage in philosophical debates but to understand the reality of everyday life,
which is shaped by inherent factors and contributes to the subjective experience within a cohesive human
environment.
Everyday life appears as a coherent and subjectively significant universe to individuals. Sociologists examine
this reality, accepting it as given data within the framework of sociology, without delving into its
philosophical foundations. Nevertheless, we cannot entirely avoid the philosophical aspects. The world of
everyday life is accepted as reality by ordinary people as they navigate their lives. This reality starts with
their thoughts and actions and is sustained by their activities. Everyday life is experienced as the "here and
now," which contrasts with the concept of remoteness. Humans have pragmatic goals in the immediate
present, making everyday life crucial. According to Berger, everyday life can be considered a paramount
reality, a privileged form of reality that we are acutely aware of.
The "here and now" concept deals with the highest realism of consciousness as it governs daily
interactions, determining life’s realities. Consciousness is always directed towards objects, never existing in
isolation. This holds whether the object of awareness is part of the external physical world or an internal
subjective reality. Various objects, as elements of different reality domains, present themselves to
awareness, enabling consciousness to traverse multiple domains. This suggests that the world comprises
multiple realities, each accessed through language. Transitioning between realities involves a shock
followed by an adjustment, caused by the shift in awareness. Thus, understanding everyday life involves
viewing it through common sense as a distinct reality sphere.
The reality of everyday life is shaped by concepts of objectivity, inter-subjectivity, and temporal and spatial
dimensions, resulting in a complex structure. Berger and Luckmann first discuss the objective nature of
everyday life, arguing that it is a common-sense world that cannot be theorized without losing its
practicality. Hence, everyday life must remain unproblematic, taken for granted due to its objective nature.
The authors then move from the individual to society by studying inter-subjectivity, suggesting that the
objective nature of everyday life is conveyed through language and inter-subjectivity.
Everyday life also manifests as an inter-subjective world shared with others, distinguishing it from other
realities we know. Others perceive this common world differently. The knowledge shared in the ordinary
routines of everyday life is known as common-sense knowledge. These routines are unproblematic as long
as they are uninterrupted, but once disrupted by a problem, ordinary life attempts to assimilate the
problematic area back into the unproblematic. Common sense provides various recommendations on how
to achieve this.
The authors next discuss the significance of temporality and spatiality, emphasizing the importance of time
and space in reality. Each person has a subjective body clock that ensures the smooth passage of time and
maintains individuality in everyday reality. Our minds are organized by inter-subjective time, which binds us
and limits our options for escaping it. Time is thus a coercive force, shaping our future by synchronizing
socially determined time (the social calendar) with our inner time. Similarly, the spatial dimension involves
flowing through spaces with time.
Understanding everyday life requires comprehending language, which bridges the here and now, providing
a holistic experience. Language allows us to articulate our reality, serving two functions: familiarizing us
with our subjectivity and allowing us to understand others’ subjectivity. Language can store and transmit
vast quantities of meaning and experience across generations. In face-to-face situations, language’s intrinsic
reciprocity distinguishes it from other sign systems, enabling us to express our being to ourselves and
others without deliberate reflection. Thus, language makes our subjectivity more real to both ourselves and
our conversation partners.
Language serves as an index of subjective meaning, and its objective nature as a sign system helps convey
these meanings. It allows us to continuously objectify our evolving experience and detaches from our
immediate subjective meanings. Consequently, it can be seen as a system where connections are made in a
specific manner, with objectivity proportional to detachment.
Language links various zones within the realities of everyday life, integrating them into a meaningful whole
by transcending the 'here and now.' It is essential in everyday life, embodying both objective and subjective
aspects. Inter-subjectivity is mediated through language, which becomes external and objective once it
dominates our interactions.
Everyday life relies on a stock of knowledge, without which it cannot function. This knowledge is organized
in our minds based on relevance and familiarity, varying according to social groups. This relevance leads to
knowledge typification. To navigate everyday life, we need specialized knowledge, or recipe knowledge,
within a common pool of knowledge shared among specific social spheres. Thus, objective experiences
guide subjective ones.
The social distribution of knowledge means that no one knows everything others know, leading to complex
and obscure expert systems. This distribution from a socially available stock of knowledge is crucial.
Everyday life, therefore, is an objectification of subjective processes that construct an inter-subjective
common world.