Peter L. Berger | |
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Born | Peter Ludwig Berger March 17, 1929 Vienna, Austria |
Died | June 27, 2017 Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S. | (aged 88)
Alma mater | Wagner College (B.A. 1949) The New School (M.A. 1950, Ph.D. 1954) |
Known for | Co-author of The Social Construction of Reality |
Spouse | Brigitte Kellner Berger |
Children | Thomas Ulrich Berger, Michael George Berger |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Sociology, Theology |
Institutions | Boston University |
Influences | Max Weber, Alfred Schütz |
Peter Ludwig Berger (March 17, 1929 – June 27, 2017) was an Austrian-born American sociologist. He was known for his work in the sociology of knowledge, the sociology of religion, study of modernization, and theoretical work to sociological theory.
Berger was best known for his book, co-authored with Thomas Luckmann, The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge (New York, 1966), which is thought to be one of the most influential texts in the sociology of knowledge, and played a central role in the development of social constructionism.[1]
In addition to this book, some of the other books that Berger has written include: Invitation to Sociology: A Humanistic Perspective (1963); A Rumor of Angels: Modern Society and the Rediscovery of the Supernatural (1969); and The Sacred Canopy: Elements of a Social Theory of Religion (1967).[2]
Berger has spent most of his career teaching at The New School for Social Research, Rutgers University, and Boston University. Before retiring, Berger had been at Boston University since 1981 and was the director of the Institute for the Study of Economic Culture.[3]