1. Sociology as a Form of Consciousness
Edited 3/31/01
Sociology as a Form of Consciousness
Peter Berger 1

2. Berger's Leitmotif's (1) debunking (2) unrespectability (3) relativism
(4) cosmopolitan
plus add anthropological leitmitofs
(1) holistic
(2) cross-cultural 2

3. Discussion 1
1. According to Berger what is the distinctiveness of the
sociology perspective compared with an economist,
lawyer, politician? Give examples.(social interaction,
breadth, looking behind official, relativistic...
2. Someone using Berger's perspective might say “The
Baptist church is no different from the IRS” or “there is
no difference in the Baptist church and the Catholic church”.
What would they mean? Give examples.
3. Go into the post office or a military operation and you
are likely to see an organization chart posted on the wall.
In general what does an organization chart tell us and
not tell us? Give examples.(official vs. unofficial, chart
may indicate indirectly(e.g. position with no responsibilities)
4. Why do people fall in love? What slant would Berger give
to this question? Give examples.
5. What are the meanings and differences between the terms
“social problem” and “sociological problem” as used
by Berger? Give examples. 3

4. Discussion 2
5. What are the meanings and differences between the terms “social problem”
and “sociological problem” as used by Berger? Give examples.
6. What would Berger say to the statement “beliefs and intentions pretty much
determine consequences”? Give some concrete examples.
7. What is the individual equivalent to ideology according to Berger. Give examples.
8. Sociology is interested in “nuts, sluts, ”. In terms of Berger what could
this mean? Give examples.
9. What are “Of course..” statements. How does Berger view these. Give examples.
(Of course we a a capitalist country, Of course those who work hard can make it
in the US.--hi consensus it’s “common sense”)
10. Berger argues there is a broad similarity between communism, psychoanalysis
and Catholicism (choose any religion). What does he mean by this?
Give examples. 4

5. Quiz Don’t Print! _____________Last Name, First name (Please Print)
____________(1) Berger's most important leitmotifs was?
____________(2) The "object par excellence", the major focus
of the discipline Berger sees as?
____________(3) “Killing someone is an undeniable wrong”.
Would a sociologist (e.g. Berger) make a
statement like this? T or F
____________(4) Which leitmotifs most accurately applies to
question 3?
____________(5) At one level the IRS, Catholic church, etc.
are all the same according to Berger
because they are all______________.
____________(6) Decreasing the crime rate would be a
sociological problem to Berger T or F? 5

6. Quiz Answers Don’t Print!
(1) Berger's most important leitmotifs was __debunking,
unrespectiability, relativism, cosmopolitan
(2) The "object par excellence", the major focus of the
discipline he sees as society
(3) “Killing someone is an undeniable wrong”.
Would a sociologist (e.g. Berger) make a statement like this?
T F
(4) Which leitmotifs most accurately applies to question 3
relativism
(5) At one level the IRS, Catholic church, etc. are all the same
according to Berger because they are all bureaucracies
(6) Decreasing the crime rate would be a
sociological problem to Berger T or F 6