Is Constructivism Just Nonsense? Exploring Different Perspectives

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In summary, constructivism is a theory that suggests that our understanding of the world is shaped by our mental constructs and social influences. It is often seen as the opposite of essentialism, which believes in inherent and unchanging truths. While there are valid points to constructivism, there is also a lot of contradictory and controversial ideas within the theory. Some people may see it as nonsense, while others may find it a valuable perspective for understanding society and our identities.
  • #1
kexue
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A friend of mine studies sociology and gender studies. She seems to be an strong believer of constructivism. The other day she try to convince me that there is no truth and other stuff I really did not fully understand or just sounded like blatant nonsense to me.

I did not want to be so direct in saying that since she is good friend.

What do you people here make of constructivism? It's nonsense, isn't it?
 
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  • #2


kexue said:
A friend of mine studies sociology and gender studies. She seems to be an strong believer of constructivism. The other day she try to convince me that there is no truth and other stuff I really did not fully understand or just sounded like blatant nonsense to me.

I did not want to be so direct in saying that since she is good friend.

What do you people here make of constructivism? It's nonsense, isn't it?



What's the alternative? Everything we know about anything is simply 'information'. But what is information really?

Constructivism is the same as saying we can't know much about what exists outside of our mental constructs, which is generally right.
 
  • #3


kexue said:
A friend of mine studies sociology and gender studies. She seems to be an strong believer of constructivism. The other day she try to convince me that there is no truth

Some of it is crap, some of it isn't.

In a nutshell, it represents the extreme 'nurture' aspect, of the nature vs. nurture argument.

Most people these days understand that at least part of our personality is a function of how we were raised, and the society we grew up in, and not just what tribe or species we're from.

This is very different from how things used to be, and still are, in some parts of the world. Social Constructionism is basically a response, or reaction, to varying kinds of 'essentialism', which define people more based on their inherent nature. Born a peasant, die a peasant.

Sexism, racism, and nationalism are often predicated on a type of essentialism:
Women are the weaker sex.
People with darker skin are less intelligent
We are the conquerers, so our culture is superior.

SC will often distinguish between sex and gender, sex being the biological facts, and gender being the learned social component. This gets even more complicated when you introduce things like Transexuality, Androgyny, Metrosexuality and Homosexuality. Then the question gets asked, what does 'sex' really mean?

The ideas of self-identity, self-determination, and cultural relativism, are also quite central.

Bear in mind, there are all sorts of crazy theorizing and politicking going on within the bounds of social constructionism. There is a lot of crap.

Where science-minded people and SC people tend to butt heads most, is on the social implications of science. Scientists will tend to say that science is an unchanging, or improving, 'method'.
They will look at science in an essentialist way.

Whereas SC people will talk about the culture of science, and some will say how scientific truth is just as much a social convention as who takes out the garbage. That latter being the extreme view.

Now to a certain extent, SC people are correct, but they tend to overstate it. And scientists tend to get grouchie when you question the 'Truth' of science. Even though science really doesn't address truth in an absolute way.

The 'truth' is, scientific theories are constructed, what areas are investigated are often based on personal interest, and who advocates/accepts which theories, is often a function of societal pressures, and political interests.

Where SC often goes too far is in equating scientific knowledge with mere opinion.
 
  • #4


Thanks Wavejumper and JoeDawg.
 

What is constructivism?

Constructivism is a theory in psychology and education that suggests individuals actively construct their own understanding of the world through experiences and interactions with their environment.

How does constructivism influence learning?

Constructivism emphasizes the role of the learner in the learning process, as opposed to the traditional view of passive learning. It suggests that individuals construct knowledge by building on their previous experiences, and that learning is a continuous and active process.

What are the key principles of constructivism?

The key principles of constructivism include the idea that learning is an active process, individuals construct their own understanding, and that social interaction and collaboration are important for learning. It also emphasizes the importance of prior knowledge and the role of the learner's own experiences.

How is constructivism different from traditional approaches to learning?

Traditional approaches to learning often focus on the teacher as the source of knowledge and the student as a passive recipient. In contrast, constructivism places more emphasis on the learner's active participation in constructing their own understanding and the importance of social interactions and collaboration.

What are the implications of constructivism for teaching?

Constructivism suggests that teachers should create learning environments that encourage active participation and collaboration among students. Teachers should also help students make connections between their prior knowledge and new information, and facilitate their construction of knowledge through hands-on experiences and inquiry-based learning.

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