A general and systematic account of the role of knowledge in society aimed to stimulate both critical discussion and empirical investigations. This book is concerned with the sociology of �everything that passes for knowledge in society�. It focuses particularly on that �common-sense knowledge� which constitutes the reality of everyday life for the ordinary member of society. The authors are concerned to present an analysis of knowledge in everyday life in the context of a theory of society as a dialectical process between objective and subjective reality. Their development of a theory of institutions, legitimations and socializations has implications beyond the discipline of sociology, and their �humanistic� approach has considerable relevance for other social scientists, historians, philosophers and anthropologists.