Mediating Structures and Resistance to the Crisis of Life ‎Meaning in Modern Societies

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 .PhD student, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, ‎Tehran, ‎Iran.‎

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of ‎Tehran, Tehran, Iran. ‎

10.22081/jsr.2025.70454.1112

Abstract

Modernity has always been accompanied by both praise and lamentation. Like any other social phenomenon, modernity has a dual nature: one aspect has improved human life, while the other has made it more difficult. Among the darker aspects of modern societies is the crisis of meaning, especially the crisis of the meaning of life. In the modern era, the overall direction of human life has been in crisis, a view shared by theorists ranging from Émile Durkheim to Manuel Castells. This paper examines Peter Berger's sociological hypothesis for confronting the crisis of the meaning of life, focusing on the transformation of his perspective. The study follows a form of interpretivism inspired by John Plamenatz's method. Based on this approach, the paper explores Berger’s notion of "mediating structures"—a set of mediating institutions—as a solution to the crisis of meaning in life. It has been found that his view has undergone changes over time; nevertheless, the study argues that his perspective provides a minimal solution that is, on the one hand, applicable in general, and on the other, dependent on different cultural contexts and borders.

Keywords

References

*The Holy Quran
**Nahj al-Balagha
***Sahifah Sajjadiya
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History

  • Receive Date: 04 December 2024
  • Revise Date: 07 January 2025
  • Accept Date: 19 January 2025

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