Constructivism: Relativist Knowledge and Reality

Overview

• Constructivism focuses on the construction of reality and knowledge, not on discovering a single, fixed reality.
• It contrasts with positivism, which assumes one objective reality and objective knowledge to be discovered.
• Constructivism appears in philosophy, sociology, and research, and overlaps with terms like constructionism and social constructionism.

Core Ideas of Constructivism

• Reality and knowledge are brought into being through the interplay of different forces.
• There is emphasis on how people and the physical world interact to construct what we call reality.
• Objects exist independently of humans, but their meanings do not; meaning arises through human perception and interaction.
• Different people and communities co-create different understandings of reality.

Ontology of Constructivism (View of Reality)

• Ontology is generally categorized as relativist.
• There is not one reality but many relative realities.
• Realities are:
  • Specific to particular contexts.
  • Co-created within those contexts.
• An individual’s reality differs from another’s because each person constructs reality with:
  • Their community.
  • Their society.
  • Other social and physical forces.
• Constructivists usually:
  • Do not deny an external world beyond human perception.
  • Argue that the external world is one force among many that help bring reality into existence through interaction.

Ontology Summary Table

Epistemology of Constructivism (View of Knowledge)

• Epistemology is often seen as relativist, though not completely relativistic.
• Different people generate varied, nuanced understandings of the world.
• These varied understandings are viewed as enriching knowledge rather than weakening it.
• Constructivists reject the idea that all meanings are equally valid.
• There is no single right or fully objective meaning, but:
  • Meanings can be judged by how relevant or fulfilling they are.
  • Meanings can be assessed by how carefully they attend to the object they describe.
  • Meanings can be evaluated by how well they mediate the interaction (dialectical process) between subject and object.

Epistemology Summary Table

Constructivism in Research Practice

• Constructivist researchers may use many different research paths and methods.
• All constructivist researchers recognize:
  • The role of subjective experience in the research process.
  • The influence of researchers’ and participants’ values on knowledge production.
• Many constructivists try to:
  • Use subjectivity as a resource.
  • Harness opportunities arising from subjective perspectives instead of trying to remove them.

Research Practice Table

Key Terms and Definitions

• Constructivism

  • An approach focusing on how reality and knowledge are constructed through interactions among people and between people and the physical world.

• Positivism

  • A contrasting position that assumes one objective reality and objective knowledge that can be discovered as it is.

• Ontology

  • The philosophical study of being; in this context, beliefs about what reality is like.

• Relativist Ontology

  • The idea that there are many realities, each relative to particular contexts and communities.

• Epistemology

  • The philosophical study of knowledge; how we know and what counts as knowledge.

• Relativist Epistemology

  • The view that knowledge and meanings are context-dependent and varied, but still open to evaluation and critique.

• Subject–Object Interaction (Dialectical Process)

  • The ongoing mediation between the knowing subject (person) and the object known (thing, phenomenon) that shapes meaning.