Taking as a starting point the definition of social representation as a form of practical knowledge, this paper aims at situating the social psychology approach among the other disciplines which deal with the issue of knowledge. Accepting the implicit interdisciplinarity of this field of study, the paper analyzes both the common aspects of the field and the specific contribution of social psychology. In the transdisciplinary perspective, social representations emerge as a multidimensional concept which allows for a critical analysis of both the nature of knowledge and the relationship between the individual and society demonstrating its compatibility with post-modern epistemology. The specific contribution of social psychology is analyzed first from a theoretical point of view, emphasizing social psychology's vocation for studying social representations as socially structured fields which have structuring effects on social reality. Second, the methodological contribution is discussed with special emphasis on the use of qualitative methodologies, and more specifically the use of single case studies.
Social Representation; Social Psychology; Knowledge; Constructivism
