Constructionism

From Geography

Revision as of 09:46, 6 September 2011

Constructionism is a postmodern method. The basic assumption of construtionism is that there's nothing like the objective truth. Human observe with a subjective view. 'All elements of the taken-for-real worlds are constituted on the basis of intersubjective constituting processes'(Werlen, 1981). This means that every part of the social product is created by human practices, who make use of their meaningful constituting processes.

Constructionists see the reality as a social product. Human built social reality with social actions and are giving meaning this social reality. Humans are acting in a framework. An import example of a framework is language. With language the world around is been described and with language constructions of the thruth are been made.

The realization that reality is a social product made by subjects, encouraged the process of deconstruction of social products. Deconstructing is the way of subdividing the social reality in categories. The second step is for example to categories an author in terms of a class, culture, race and gender. (Johnston, Gregory, Pratt and Watts, 2000)

References:

Johnston, R.J., Gregory, D., Pratt, G. Watts, M., The dictionary of Human Geography, ( Blackwell Publishing, Oxford 4th edition 2000)

Werlen, B., Everyday Regionalizations, (Rriedrich-Schiller University, Elsevier 1981)

Published by Meryl Burger (s0801704)