Social Constructionism
Home exam BUSN40- Question 3
Viktoria Chan
900531-2229
BUSN40, Autumn 12
Master; Manage people, knowledge & change at work
To: Sverre Spolestra
Question 3.
An adequate definition of the term social contructionism doesn’t exist since writers differ in characterising it. The critical reasoning beyond is the radical doubt in the taken-for -granted ways of understanding the world and ourselves where the world we refer us to is not necessary real (Gergen 1985). Except for the general emphasize Hacking (1999) further states that we shouldn’t ask for the meaning but ask for the point. The aim with the paper is thus to understand his statement followed by recognizing the point with a book entitled “the social Construction of the knowledge worker”.
Before digging into the reasons for why ask for the point and not the meaning, we need to differentiate the two very diffusively terms; meaning and point. Ask for the meaning means that we ask for what something stands for (www.thefreedictionary.com) and the definition of it (Hacking 1999). Whereas asking for the point refers to something deeper, i.e. the reason behind and the underlying objectives for which isn’t implicitly expressed as we talk about (www.thefreedictionary.com).
Take the master program of Manage knowledge, people and change as an example; the point with the program might be to provide knowledge about this area of work as a preparation for future employments. Asking for the meaning refers more or less to what the program stands for and what the definition of program is. It doesn’t tell what the purpose is but more of explaining it. Hacking therefore means in order to understand the purpose of why we talk about social constructionist is to create awareness and conscious.
In terms of questioning the point of understandings of objects, ideas, entities etc. there need to be something we can question about. To explain this Hacking (1999) is using a methodology; social construction of X,
Viktoria Chan
900531-2229
BUSN40, Autumn 12
Master; Manage people, knowledge & change at work
To: Sverre Spolestra
Question 3.
An adequate definition of the term social contructionism doesn’t exist since writers differ in characterising it. The critical reasoning beyond is the radical doubt in the taken-for -granted ways of understanding the world and ourselves where the world we refer us to is not necessary real (Gergen 1985). Except for the general emphasize Hacking (1999) further states that we shouldn’t ask for the meaning but ask for the point. The aim with the paper is thus to understand his statement followed by recognizing the point with a book entitled “the social Construction of the knowledge worker”.
Before digging into the reasons for why ask for the point and not the meaning, we need to differentiate the two very diffusively terms; meaning and point. Ask for the meaning means that we ask for what something stands for (www.thefreedictionary.com) and the definition of it (Hacking 1999). Whereas asking for the point refers to something deeper, i.e. the reason behind and the underlying objectives for which isn’t implicitly expressed as we talk about (www.thefreedictionary.com).
Take the master program of Manage knowledge, people and change as an example; the point with the program might be to provide knowledge about this area of work as a preparation for future employments. Asking for the meaning refers more or less to what the program stands for and what the definition of program is. It doesn’t tell what the purpose is but more of explaining it. Hacking therefore means in order to understand the purpose of why we talk about social constructionist is to create awareness and conscious.
In terms of questioning the point of understandings of objects, ideas, entities etc. there need to be something we can question about. To explain this Hacking (1999) is using a methodology; social construction of X,
References: Alvesson, M. (2004), Knowledge work and Knowledge- intensive firms, New York: Oxford university press. Burr, V. (2003), Social constructionism, 2nd ed, London: Routledge. Gergen, K. J. (1985), ”The Social Constructionist Movement in Modern Psychology”, American Psychological Association, Vol. 40, No. 3, pp. 266-275. Hacking, I. (1999), The social construction of what?, ch.1, London: The president and fellows of Harvard college. The free dictionary, (electronic), Search word: point, available: 2012-10-27, http://www.thefreedictionary.com/point The free dictionary, (electronic), Search word: meaning, available 2012-10-27 http://www.thefreedictionary.com/meaning