Epistemological Reconfiguration of Sociological Knowledge: from Representation to Performativity

Abstract

In the context of complex and fluid character of modernity social knowledge does not have time to represent social reality. Every accurate representation is being blurred by rapidly changing referents. Epistemology, based on the representational paradigm does not correspond to the dynamic nature of modern society. This article discusses the process of replacing representational epistemological paradigm by the performative one, what can be observed in social sciences since the second half of the XX century.