Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

Intersubjectivity refers to a shared perception of reality between or among two or more individuals. The term has been important in many aspects of sociology, from positivist and postpositivist research methods to studies of the lived experiences of individuals by ethnomethodologists and feminist scholars. The term presupposes that we, as human beings, cannot know reality except through our own senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, or tactile feeling. Accordingly, each individual's reality is necessarily subjective. We may extend and refine those senses through measuring devices such as telescopes, scales, cameras, and myriad other technologies, but ultimately each person's understanding of reality is individually subjective. One cannot see “blue” except through one's own senses. With social reality, we have even less certainty. It is easier to know that the sky is blue than it is to know that “James likes me.” However, most individuals also understand that we cannot change reality simply by thinking. Reality has an “obdurate” character ( Turner & Boynes 2002 ). If one were to wake up and decide that “blue” is “yellow,” it would be clear that one could not effect this change and make it real for many others. This is a duality of truths that presents a problem for people interested in studying how people live their lives; neither objectivity nor subjectivity is sufficient to ... log in or subscribe to read full text