Social constructionism is the way that we as humans construct meaning of the world through our experiences in a social context. I understand that my networks are all constructed and that various networks may have multiple ways in which they view and construct meaning. Drawing from my own experiences, I often enter new networks not knowing how I will engage with others or how the network will benefit me, what one network constructs on dance discipline the other may contrast in view, which gives me a collection of experiences for me to draw my own conclusions. I explored social constructivism which focuses on an individual's learning that takes place because of their interactions in a group, in my previous blog exploring web 2.0.
When entering or constructing new networks I now understand that there meanings are not set or predetermined and I have an active role in there construction, as they are continually evolving. ‘As writers like Merleau-Ponty have pointed out tellingly, the world and the objects in the world are inderminable.’ Crotty, M (2005 pp 42-44)
This brings me back to the ‘polymath’ idea introduced on Stephanie’s blog that refers to multi-talented, multi-tasking creatives as 'polymaths'. I have mentioned my passion for working within community organisations and through my involvement with the W.I, I have entered and constructed many new networks. These networks started with loose ideas and themes but through interacting numerous meanings have evolved. I feel that society is moving forward and we no longer have just one professional, this in turn means we will interact and move in and out of various constructed networks and thus have a broader knowledge outset of the world, so the more I expand my networks the more I can create multiple meanings.
W.I Meeting
References
http://stephaniethomas-blog.blogspot.com/2011/03/inquiry-task.html
Durrant, A. (2010) The Networked Professional Reader.
Crotty. M (2005) The foundations of social research: meaning and perspectives in the research process. London: sage
http://missnicolecarman.blogspot.com/2011/02/exploring-web-20.html
http://missnicolecarman.blogspot.com/2011/02/exploring-web-20.html
Nicole, Social Constructivism was something that was hard for me to get my head around but reading your blog on it has made things a bit clearer for me, how did you make sense of it all?
ReplyDeleteI’ve had to read the reader several times and do additional research to completely understand each concept. Relating my networks to the theories gave them more weight. Give yourself time to take the theories in, I read the reader then a few days later again and I gradually started to form an understanding.
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