Theory of the Constructed Ordinary and Extraordinary

A sociological and philosophical framework proposing that what counts as "ordinary" (normal, everyday, unremarkable) and what counts as "extraordinary" (exceptional, amazing, or strange) is not inherent in events or objects but is socially and culturally constructed. The same phenomenon—say, a person hearing voices—can be ordinary in one culture (spiritual communication) and extraordinary (pathological) in another. The theory examines how power, institutions, and ideologies shape the boundaries between mundane and miraculous, between sense and nonsense. It reveals that the ordinary is not simply what happens most often but what dominant frameworks define as such.

Theory of the Constructed Ordinary and Extraordinary Example: "Her theory of the constructed ordinary and extraordinary showed that the 'ordinary' act of commuting by car is actually extraordinary in its resource consumption—but ideology has made it seem normal."

Theory of the Constructed Ordinary and Extraordinary by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal April 16, 2026