By stressing the importance of subjectivity and interpretation, social constructionism offers a different conception of reality from the traditional approach to housing policy analysis. This book provides an up-to-date review of the social constructionist perspective and considers its philosophical basis. It discusses how social problems are constructed and, in turn, how this informs policy-making. It is divided into two parts. The first section is theoretical and discusses the variety of conceptual approaches utilised within the constructionist paradigm. The second part provides a number of empirically based case studies from the UK and Australia to illustrate the different methodologies that form the social constructionist corpus. The book also evaluates both the criticisms that have been made against the social constructionist perspective and the strengths and weaknesses of constructionist methods. It therefore contributes to the development of a future research agenda for social constructionist research in housing and urban policy.

This book provides an up-to-date review of the social constructionist perspective and considers its philosophical basis. It discusses how social problems are constructed and, in turn, how this informs policy-making. It contributes to the development of a future research agenda for social constructionist research in housing and urban policy.

Studies in housing have often concentrated on an abstract institutionalised approach isolated from the broader base of the social sciences. This book is the first to treat housing as a subject of social theory. It provides a critique of current research and theorises housing in relation to political science, social change and welfare developing a case study to illustrate these applications. By being sometimes controversial, this book will stimulate debate among housing theorists and sociologists alike. The Author is currently Senior Research fellow at the Swedish Institute for Building Research and Docent in Sociology at Uppsala University. He has written widely on Housing, Urban Studies and Sociology and his books include THE MYTH OF HOME OWNERSHIP and THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN NIGHTMARE.

Argues that versions of realist and social constructionist ways of thinking about the social world are compatible with each other.

An invaluable, clear guide to social constructionism for all perplexed students who want to begin to understand this difficult area. Introduction to Social Constructionism is a readable and critical account of social constructionism for students new to the field. Focusing on the challenge to psychology that social constructionism poses, Vivien Burr examines the notion of 'personality' to illustrate the rejection of essentialism by social constructionists. This questions psychology's traditional understanding of the person. She then shows how the study of language can be used as a focus for our understanding of human behaviour and experience. This is continued by examining 'discourses' and their role in constructing social phenomena, and the relationship between discourse and power. However, the problems associated with these analyses are also clearly outlined. Many people believe that one of the aims of social science should be to bring about social change. Vivien Burr analyses what possibilities there might be for change in social constructionist accounts. She also addresses what social constructionism means in practice to research in the social sciences, and includes some guidelines on doing discourse analysis.

Cross-disciplinary and critical in its approach, The SAGE Handbook of Housing Studies is an elucidating look at the key issues within the field. It covers the study of housing retrospectively, but also analyses the future directions of research and theory, demonstrating how it can contribute to wider debates in the social sciences. A comprehensive introductory chapter is followed by four parts offering complete coverage of the area: Markets: examines the perception of housing markets, how they function in different contexts, and the importance of housing behaviour and neighbourhoods Approaches: looks at how other disciplines - economics, geography, and sociology - have informed the direction of housing studies Context: traces the interactions between housing studies and other aspects of society, providing context to debate housing through issues of space, social, welfare and the environment. Policy: is a multi-disciplinary and comprehensive take on the major policy issues and the causes and possible solutions of housing problems such as regeneration and homelessness. Edited by leading names in the field and including international contributions, the book is a stimulating, wide-ranging read that will be an invaluable resource for academics and researchers in geography, urban studies, sociology, social policy, economics and politics.

This dynamic Research Handbook explores key perspectives, topics and methodologies used to understand housing, the home and society. Pairing social theory with a broad range of case studies from the Global North and South, it offers a unique insight into the field.