The Multiple Reality: A Critical Study on Alfred Schutz's Sociology of the Finite Provinces of Meaning

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Title The multiple reality: A critical study on Alfred Schutz’s sociology of the
finite provinces of meaning
Author(s) Benţa, Marius Ion
Publication date 2014
Original citation Benţa, M. I. 2014. The multiple reality: A critical study on Alfred
Schutz’s sociology of the finite provinces of meaning. PhD Thesis,
University College Cork.
Type of publication Doctoral thesis
Rights © 2014, Marius Ion Benta.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Item downloaded http://hdl.handle.net/10468/1937
from
Downloaded on 2023-03-10T00:58:03Z
The Multiple Reality:
A Critical Study on
Alfred Schutz’s Sociology of
the Finite Provinces of Meaning
MARIUS ION BENT¸A
A Thesis presented for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
National University of Ireland, Cork
Department of Sociology
July 2014
Head of Department:
DR. KIERAN KEOHANE
Supervisor:
PROF. ÁRPÁD SZAKOLCZAI

Contents
Declaration 5
Acknowledgements 7
Abstract 9
Listofacronyms 11
Introduction: realitiesjust‘realenough’ 13
PART I 23
Chapter1: Methodologicalpreliminaries 25
1.1 A‘residual’discovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
1.2 Aliminaltime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Chapter2: Schutz’smethodologicaljourney 41
2.1 Theoreticalroots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
2.2 Theproblem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
2.3 Everydaylife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
2.4 Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
2.5 Attentiontolife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
2.6 Time-Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
2.7 Socialstructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
2.8 Thefundamentalanxiety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
2.9 Aparadoxicalepochè . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
2.10 Theparamountreality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Chapter3: TheSchutzianFPMmodel 77
3.1 Finiteprovincesofmeaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
3
Contents 4
3.2 Experiencingthemultiplereality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
3.2.1 Shocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
3.2.2 Symbolsandmeaningtranscendences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
3.2.3 ‘Polyphonic’experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
3.3 Fictionalworlds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
3.4 DreamasFPM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
3.5 ScienceasFPM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
PART II 107
Chapter4: Revisitingtheprovinces 109
4.1 BriefcritiqueoftheSchutzianmodel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
4.2 ThegeneralFPMstructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
4.3 Theepochèofthenaturalattitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
4.4 Life-Worldresources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Chapter5: Thelifeoftheprovinces 149
5.1 Theuniversalprojection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
5.2 Connectedrealities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
5.3 Morphology,constitution,anddynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Chapter6: Methodsofexperience 167
6.1 Behaviour,action,experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
6.2 Biographicalsituation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Chapter7: Experienceasdiscourse 175
7.1 Narrativetools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
7.2 Paradigmandsyntagm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Chapter8: AncientFPMportals: paintedscreens 187
Conclusion 195
Bibliography 201
Declaration
ThisworkisbasedonmyresearchcarriedoutatSociologyDepartment,National
University of Ireland, Cork, from 2001 to 2004, as part of the HEAI-supported
‘IdentityProject.’ Partsoftheinvestigationspresentedinthistexthavebeenpub-
lished in several articles of which I am the sole author and which are listed in
the Bibliography. No part of this thesis has been submitted elsewhere for any
other degree or qualification, and it is all my own work unless referenced to the
contraryinthetext.
5

Acknowledgements
I am greatly indebted to Professor Árpád Szakolczai, who has guided, with im-
mense wisdom and patience, my steps in conducting the present research by
ceaselesslysupportingandencouragingmywork. Myunderstandingofinterpre-
tivesociologyhashighlybenefitedfromthenewinsightsthatIreceivedfromour
Postgraduate Seminars, from our discussions, and from the extensive feed-back
that he offered me. From these encounters, I have also learned to seek a mea-
sured order in the realities of words and ideas and to inquire into the measure of
actions and things. I am thankful to the Higher Education Authority of Ireland
(An tUdarás Um Ard-Oideachas), University College, Cork, and the Sociology De-
partmentforthefinancialsupportprovidedtomyresearch. MythanksgotoPro-
fessors Kieran Keohane, Paddy O’Carroll, Piet Strydom, and Bridget McAdam-
O’Connell,toEleanorO’Connor,RobMooney,TadghGrimley,VeskoBondov,Pat
Twomey,MargaretO’Neill,AifricO’Grada,andtoallthefaculty,staff,andfellow
students who have provided me with a warm and truly intellectual environment
during my Irish years. I am grateful to my friends Adrian Duda, Ciprian Sper-
anza, Alina S. Rusu, Mária Kórpás, and Ca˘lin Nicu for their priceless support
and constant encouragement. My thanks also go to my teachers in Cluj, who
have stimulated my research interests and have paved my way to this doctorate:
Professors Marius Laza˘r, Rudolf Poledna, Ion Copoeru, Eniko˝ Vincze, Vasile S.
Dâncu, Marc Richir, Mihai Ma˘niu¸tiu, Marian Papahagi (†), Vasile Buhai, Vasile V.
Morariu and to my friends Silviu Totelecan, Adrian S¸chiop, Adrian Ciupe, Liviu
Bujan,MirceaMinica˘,Ancu¸taMa˘ries¸,LuciaKeserii,andotherswithwhomIhad
endless talks on fascinating topics. I thank my parents for their unconditional
loveandsupport. IthankGodforthegraceofthisinfinitelymeaningfulreality.
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Abstract
This work is a critical introduction to Alfred Schutz’s sociology of the multiple
reality and an enterprise that seeks to reassess and reconstruct the Schutzian
project. In the first part of the study, I inquire into Schutz’s biographical con-
text that surrounds the germination of this conception and I analyse the main
textsofSchutzwherehehasdealtdirectlywith‘finiteprovincesofmeaning.’ On
thebasisofthisanalysis,Isuggestanddiscuss, inPartII,severalsolutionstothe
shortcomings of the theoretical system that Schutz drew upon the sociological
problem of multiple reality. Specifically, I discuss problems related to the struc-
ture,thedynamics,andtheinterrelationingoffiniteprovincesofmeaningaswell
asthewaytheyrelatetothequestionsofnarrativity,experience,space,time,and
identity.
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