Constructivism vs. Social Constructionism: What'S The Difference?
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Mihaela VădeanuConstructivism vs. Social Constructionism: What'S The Difference?
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Mihaela VădeanuCONSTRUCTIVISM VS.
SOCIAL
CONSTRUCTIONISM: WHATS THE
DIFFERENCE?
DECEMBER 5, 2015 JOHNSOMMERSFLANAGAN 6 COMMENTS
11 VOTES
This is an excerpt from the beginning of Chapter 11 of Counseling and Psychotherapy
Theories in Context and Practice(2nd ed., John Wiley & Sons, 2012). Despite the heavily
intellectual content, I hope youll get the joke at the end.
Without question, the best way to begin a chapter on constructive theory and therapy is
with a story.
Once upon a time a man and a woman met in the forest. Both being academic
philosophers well-steeped in epistemology, they approached each another warily.
The woman spoke first, asking, Can you see me?
The man responded quickly: I dont know, he said. I have a plethora of neurons
firing back in my occipital lobe and, yes, I perceive an image of a woman and I can see
your mouth was moving precisely as I was experiencing auditory input. Therefore,
although Im not completely certain you exist out there in realityand Im not
completely certain there even is a realityI can say without a doubt that you exist . . .
at least within the physiology of my mind.
Silence followed.
Then, the man spoke again,
Can you hear me? he asked.
This time the woman responded immediately. Im not completely certain about the
nature of hearing and the auditory process, but I can say that in this lived moment of
my experience Im in a conversation with you and because my knowledge and my
reality is based on interactive discourse, whether you really exist or not is less
important than the fact that I find myself, in this moment, discovering more about
myself, the nature of the world, and my knowledge of all things.
There are two main branches of constructive theory. These branches are similar in that
both perspectives hold firmly to the postmodern idea that knowledge and reality is
subjective. Constructivists, as represented by the man in the forest, believe knowledge and
reality are constructed within individuals. In contrast, social constructionists, as
represented by the woman in the forest, believe knowledge and reality are constructed
through discourse or conversation. Constructivists focus on whats happening within the
minds or brains of individuals; social constructionists focus on whats happening between
people as they join together to create realities.
Guterman (2006) described these two perspectives:
Although both constructivism and social constructionism endorse a subjectivist view
of knowledge, the former emphasizes individuals biological and cognitive processes,
whereas the latter places knowledge in the domain of social interchange. (p. 13)
In this chapter, we de-emphasize distinctions between constructivist and social
constructionist perspectives. Mostly, we lump them together as constructive theories and
therapies and emphasize the fascinating intervention strategies developed within these
paradigms. This might be upsetting to staunch constructivists or radical social
constructionists, but we take this risk with full confidence in our personal safety. Thats
because most constructive types are nonviolent thinkers who very much like talking and
writing. Consequently, within our socially or individually constructed realities weve
concluded that were in no danger of harm from disgruntled constructive theorists or
therapists.
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the-difference/
