Social constructionism and medical sociology: a reply to M. R. Bury

Abstract

Abstract M. R. Bury has recently published a wide‐ranging criticism of social constructionism as it has been applied to the sociology of medicine. Bury's major misgivings are identified and replied to. It is argued that the constructionist sociology of medical knowledge is not in fact inherently weakened by incoherence or by a failure to recognise the difficulties which surround the questions of realism, reflexivity, or relativism. Nor does social constructionism necessarily cast doubt upon the sincerity of medical practitioners or the possibility of medical progress. Copyright © 1987, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved