Constructionism

From Geography

Constructionism is a postmodern method. The basic assumption of construtionism is that there's nothing like the objective truth. Humans observe with a subjective view. "All meanings of elements of the taken-for-real worlds are constituted on the basis of intersubjective constituting processes"(Werlen, 1981). Everythings should be seen in the correct context, it is the framing and subjective view of humans that give meaning to a element. It is only when a group/society has agreed on a meaning of a element or object that it will become meaningfull. 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. Humans built social reality with social actions and are giving meaning to this social reality. Humans are acting in a framework. An import example of a framework is language. With language the world around has been described and with language constructions of the truth are being 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)

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