...questions to which we genuinely don't know the answers are important principles of this work. There are many possible directions that any conversation can take (there is no single correct direction). The person consulting the therapist plays a significant part in determining the directions that are taken. It seems appropriate to begin any exploration of narrative therapy with a consideration of what is meant by the `narratives' or `stories' of our lives. 2. THE ROLE OF STORIES Narrative therapy is sometimes known as involving’re-authoring' or’re-storying' conversations. Stories are central to an understanding. Stories consist of: • events • linked in sequence • across time • according to a plot 3. LISTENING WITH AN OPEN MIND Social Constructionist Theories place an emphasis on listening to clients without judgment or blame, affirming and valuing them. Totalizing language is avoided. NP focuses on the capacity of humans for creative and imaginative thought. Morgan (2000) summarizes the theoretical foundations of narrative therapy as follows: cooperation of the person with the counsellors is of primary importance. values to change their relationships with their problems. counsellors. “A conversation can move along many different ways and there is nothing called the right way” way to go along....
Words: 1521 - Pages: 7
...Critical Realism and Social Constructivism: Homelessness in Australia Name: University: Course: Tutor: Date: Abstract This Essay looks into the contrasts between Critical Realism and Social Construction, in relation to social issues in Australia. The social issue that is being tackled in this case is the homelessness in Australia. It explains the two phenomena in terms of the sociological perspectives on their difference and deviance. The content of this essay will be illustrated through different materials on the state of the homelessness in Australia. The structure of the Essay is in the form of arguments and evidences to back up those arguments. Introduction Critical Realism theory has to do with the objects of science. This includes both the transitive and intransitive objects. The transitive objects are those that are constructed socially and change according to how much and how fast the theories of science do change. Intransitive objects on the other hand have nothing to do with the social issues, and do exist independent of the human’s knowledge of their existence. Social constructivism comes about when we come up with theories about them using our intellect, history and even social issues which are used to explain several phenomena. This can be seen in the explanation of gravity, which exists independent of our knowledge of it. Social construction has occurred in this subject, whereby intellect gained from areas like history...
Words: 2164 - Pages: 9
... Social constructivist perspective for understanding schizophrenia, mental health and illness Mentor: Student: *name *name Spring, 2013 Contents: 1 INTRODUCTION 3 2 Social constructivist perspective of schizophrenia 4 3 CONCLUSION 7 REFERENCES 8 INTRODUCTION In this paper we analyze the concept according to which mental illness is as much a socially constructed disease as it is a physiological one and especially the example of schizophrenia, one of the oldest, most documented, and least understood of all the behaviors that fall under society’s category of mental illness. One of the most influential theoretical positions evident in the sociology of health and illness over the past 30 years has been social constructivism. A central assumption within this broad approach is that reality is not self-evident, stable and waiting to be discovered, but instead it is a product of human activity. In this broad sense all versions of social constructivism can be identified as a reaction against positivism and naive realism. There are multiple intellectual roots of a social constructionist approach to illness. Some of the basic building blocks are evident in the writings of early sociological thinkers (Durkheim, Mannheim, Thomas), but one of the most important intellectual foundations of the social construction of illness is social problems theory and research from the 1960s...
Words: 2130 - Pages: 9
...Postmodern Approach to Social Constructivism Laura Romine Liberty University Abstract As the world looks at the reality of communal exchange, thumbing back to historical debates of empirical and rational schools of thought, delineations from dualism to social interchange and collaboration refine hypothesis’ of undisputable truth. Reminiscent of the psychoanalytic movement with greats such as Freud, Jung and Adler, therapy, more of an art than science, and current day philosophies drive which models influence today’s truth. Reality is fashioned by language, how we feel, act and think, revealing “stories” we tell the self as contextual meanings. These beliefs now evolve one’s creation and truth. The therapist, joining in recognition of new perspectives, empowers and helps the client see that forward progress is strength within oneself. In a social constructivist point of view, the therapist detaches from the expert status of defining the problem. From family therapy and the multicultural lens, therapists now challenge cultural factors that, in turn, shape the client’s perceptions in the format of brief therapies. Keywords: brief therapies, collaborative, family therapy, social constructionism Postmodern Approach to Social Constructivism In the 21st century a paradigm shift motivated the field of psychology to unlock a fresh world view revealing the objet d'art of collective exchange. Referring to the modernistic creation of self, it is said that the anthropological...
Words: 4358 - Pages: 18
...International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 4, Issue 2, February 2014 1 ISSN 2250-3153 www.ijsrp.org Construction of Positivity in Indian Scenario Construction of Positivity in Indian Scenario Construction of Positivity in Indian Scenario Construction of Positivity in Indian Scenario Construction of Positivity in Indian Scenario Construction of Positivity in Indian Scenario Construction of Positivity in Indian Scenario Construction of Positivity in Indian Scenario Construction of Positivity in Indian Scenario Construction of Positivity in Indian Scenario Construction of Positivity in Indian Scenario Construction of Positivity in Indian Scenario Dr. Jamal Akhtar*, Sarah Kazmi Rizvi** *Professor, Department Of Psychology, Govt. MLB Girls PG College (Autonomous), Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India ; email: jamal.akhtar28@gmail.com ** M.B.A., Delhi School of Economics, Delhi University, Delhi, India ; email: sarahkazmi90@gmail.com Abstract- Positivity refers to the degree to which something is positive or the quality or state of being positive. Positivity is that which accepts the world as it is, takes inspiration from it and sees the brighter side of it. Positive Psychology, a newly developed branch of Psychology, is an evolving branch of psychology developed by Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszenmihalyi in 1998. It was developed in order to get an insight and understanding in to various dimensions of the concept of positivity. The aim of this branch of...
Words: 3285 - Pages: 14
...perspective. Psychology is a subject which is based on theory and uses various scientific methods to both collect and analyse data. There are many different psychological perspectives adopted by psychologists who take different viewpoints from each other, even though the topic they are interested in is the same. This essay aims to address the question that there is a lot to be gained from studying a topic in psychology from more than one perspective, by looking at the topics of language and meaning from the perspectives of the social constructionists, evolutionary psychologists and cognitive psychology. And the topic of the psychology of sex and gender from the perspectives of social constructionists, evolutionary psychology, biological psychology and psychodynamic psychology. One advantage of studying a topic in psychology from various different perspectives is that each perspective has a different "object of knowledge” and therefore the questions that each perspective will pose, the evidence they collect and the methods they use to collect that evidence will be different. Which in turn causes each perspective either to conflict, coexist or complement each other? If we look at the topic of the psychology of sex and gender from a social constructionist perspective, the object of knowledge we would be concentrating or interested in is that of the social and cultural context of how sex and gender affect our lives, as social constructionists believe that the world is constructed...
Words: 1477 - Pages: 6
...How do the Theories of Emotion, Motivation and Development explain the events and public response to the James Bulger case of 1993? Theories allow people to see the world in a clear manner and allow them to perform actions based on what is rational. There are many theories that have evolved over the past century in Western cultures that attempt to explain how personalities develop, why people behave in certain ways, the type of environmental conditions that motivate them into acting in specific ways, and how these factors are interrelated. Some of the theories base their explanations on the social and emotional circumstances in the early years of an individual. This Essay aims to analyse the theories of emotion, motivation, and development and apply them to the events and public response to the James Bulger case of 1993. “ ‘I can never forgive Thompson and Venables for the horrendous, calculated, cold blooded murder of James.’ Said Denise Fergus the mother of the boy.” (Day. 2008). In an act that shocked the world, two ten year old boys, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson kidnapped and murdered James Bulger aged just two. The murder of James Patrick Bulger took place in Kirkby, Merseyside, England, on the 12 of February 1993. Bulger was a victim of abduction, torture and murder by two 10-year-old boys, named Robert Thompson (born 23rd August 1982) and the other one named Jon Venables (born 13th August 1982). It started with Bulger's disappearance on the 12 of February 1993...
Words: 2960 - Pages: 12
...Dr Mariusz Czepczyński Katedra Geografii Ekonomicznej Uniwersytetu Gdańskiego Economic Geography Department Human Geography Research methodologies in human geography Discursive studies Discursive approaches – a social framework of intelligibility within which all practices are communicated, negotiated or challenged (Michel Foucault, 1926-1984) In social sciences - an institutionalised way of thinking, a social boundary defining what can be said about a specific topic Power relations are immanent to discourses, the discourse is conceived as the ideological superstructure. ‘Polymorphic tactics’ of discourses: specific discourses are not tied to the subject, rather the subject is a social construction of the discourse. Search for objectivity/ legitimating Plato’s and Socrates debates: what is real and how do we know what we infer about the real is true? Empirical evidence based upon observations and experimentation in the physical world is conducive to the verification of scientific judgments, and adherence to the rules of deduction and the process of inductive reasoning implements the determination of the validity and soundness of scientific arguments and conclusions. Whether independent propositions exist as do the objects of objectivism, or as the timeless truths concerning an object once it has become the intended object of a mental act, their reason for being would appear to be essential only to the process of discovery. Taking an objective...
Words: 816 - Pages: 4
... Kulamani sahoo & Anita Behera M.phil scholar Ravenshaw university,Cuttack Email: klmnsahoo@gmail.com/ anitabehera44@gmail.com Phone.no-9853555132 In this paper the author had described about the constructivist classroom and how it differs from the traditional classroom. Knowledge is not attained but constructed. This statement is a new challenge in the present classroom. Construction of understanding is a core element in the highly complex process of teaching and learning underpinned by constructivist teaching. Constructivism is the latest buzzword among the teaching community across the world and National curriculum framework (2005) has shown the direction to nit in Indian classroom situation. Constructivism basically a theory based on observation and scientific study about how people learn .the basic idea about constructivism is that the learner must construct knowledge; the teacher cannot supply it. In the constructivist classroom the teacher must encourage students to use active techniques ,e.g. experiments, real world, problem solving , to create more knowledge and then to reflect on and talk about what they are doing and how their understanding is changing. In constructivist classroom focus shifts from the teacher to the students. In constructivist classroom learning is interactive; teachers have dialogue with students. Knowledge is dynamic and changing with experience in constructivist classroom. Students in constructivist classroom are active and work primarily...
Words: 2078 - Pages: 9
...For the purpose of this assignment I am going to discuss the social construct of disability by focusing on eugenics and language. In addition to the medical and social model of disability, segregation and the oppression of disability. Furthermore the Medias influence on social constructs. Within the United Kingdom there are an estimated 9 million disabled adults. (Office for Disability Issues updated Department for Work and Pensions estimates based on Family Resources survey 2009/10). Despite the high number, people with impairments are treated as a separate homogenous group to the rest of society. Firstly, to understand where we are today with disability as a social construction I will provide a historical account of disability in western society. To pinpoint precisely the origins of society’s attitude towards disability and disabled people would be almost impossible (Barton 1996). One theory that has been suggested, is that the view that our perceptions of impairments and disability are influenced by psychological fear of the unknown, the anomalous and the abnormal (Barton 1996 cites Douglas 1966). Historically, disability has been a source of oppression where disabled people have been socially excluded from many areas of social life. The exclusion can be traced back to an era when biblically ideas formed of society. The religious model of disability produced notions of what was acceptable and not acceptable; this included the exclusion of imperfections of the body. Imperfect...
Words: 2468 - Pages: 10
...example of social constructionism. Social construction is the frame through which society views an idea. It could be the idea of a crime (for example, drug abuse is a socially constructed crime not an inherent crime) or the idea of an event (for example, the beating of Rodney King as police brutality instead of necessary to protect the officers). Nothing is black-and-white, there are many different ways to view a situation. Juries are selected to be a group of peers – this is what our justice system is based off of. If an objective peer would do the same thing in the same situation, perhaps you’ll be acquitted. However, the peer-based system is flawed. The first reason is because it can be hard to find a peer for some groups. The more educated a person is, the less likely it is that their jury will be intellectual equals. On the flip side, with an extremely under-educated person, the same principle applies. The juried system works best with an average person sitting before an average group of peers. However, this same idea – of average juries for average citizens – can skew the trial in an unfair direction. Legal studies professor Hiroshi Fukurai wrote about the peer trial being a detriment to justice, giving the example of Ku Klux Klansman trials shortly after the Civil War. These men were tried for murder and torture of abolitionists and escaped slaves, and many were found not-guilty by a jury of white Republican males (Fukurai 1999). The social construction...
Words: 508 - Pages: 3
...CAUTHE 2007 Conference Tourism: Past Achievements, Future Challenges HOSPITALITY: A SOCIAL LENS: CHALLENGING THE EXISTING ORDER Paul Lynch University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom paul.lynch@strath.ac.uk Alison Morrison University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom ABSTRACT This paper locates developments in hospitality research, notably relating to hospitality studies, in the context of Kuhn’s (1962) evolution of scientific theory. The paper highlights the development of the ‘hospitality lens’ by Lashley, Lynch and Morrison (2007) and suggests it can facilitate the study of hospitality in any social situation from a strengthened social scientific perspective. It is argued that the study of hospitality should be not just for understanding hospitality but also society itself. Such an approach is suggested as both logical and healthy for the subject development with adoption of more critical perspectives on hospitality. The considerable implications of adopting a ‘new’ hospitality research agenda are described with reference to the conceptualization of hospitality, the nature of research and the research community, subject implications including journal publication outlets, and the higher education context. Keywords: Hospitality lens; ‘new’ hospitality; subject development. INTRODUCTION This paper moves beyond any pre-occupation with the vocational roots of hospitality higher education debate as it is considered that that debate has had its day. Rather, the content is framed within...
Words: 5121 - Pages: 21
...Part A: Theorising the organisation (worth 50% of the overall marks for the assignment) Modern, symbolic-interpretive, post-modern and critical theory perspectives provide us different ways to analyse and understand organisations and organisational behaviour. Choose two of the four theoretical perspectives and discuss how each perspective provides us different ways to analyse and understand organisations and organisational behaviour. The two perspectives that I have chosen are the Modernist perspective and Symbolic-interpretive perspective. A Modernist perspective caaries the believe that the very idea of knowledge would never be complete and that behind every fact hides many more. It is with this believe that followers of the perspective would analyse the world by testing the ideas they gather against the very nature they observe using their five senses. Results from this tests, should they always return the same result, would than be considered a fact. This fact is than considered a ‘truth’ and is thus treasured and recorded. One of the main studies that is the result of such a perspective that of the General System Theory, originally put forth by Bertalanffy from as early as 1950. The study was concerned with the ways in which individuals and groups bond and is used to identify the presence of systems and the way they interrelate with each other to form other systems or to become part of a system themselves. He noted that the subsystems, systems present within...
Words: 3047 - Pages: 13
...Identity theory applies to all creeds and cultures. We all develop understandings about ourselves, the type of person we are and wish to be and indeed do not wish to be. This essay examines the strengths and weaknesses of the social constructionist theory of identity, wherein it is proposed that our identities are constructed though language and social relations. In doing so, we shall also consider the psychosocial perspective, demonstrating that the evidence does indeed support the statement made although not overwhelmingly so. A core component of social construction identity theory is that our identity is continually evolving throughout our lives (Phoenix, 2007, p. 76). Such identity -movement does not stop per se, it is neither fixed nor rigid but fluctuates continually. Our numerous social interactions directly impacts our identity –thinking to such an extent that our identities are constantly shaped and re-shaped as a direct result of these interactions. In fact, social identity theory goes a step further and proposes that we actively create our identities though our language and essentially through the many forms of social communications, voice, written, electronic (tweets etc), (Phoenix, 2007, p. 71). We interact with people oftentimes in the manner which we wish to be perceived by others, not just in what we say but in how we say it, what we write and how we wish to portray ourselves to others all of which is evidenced through our social behaviourisms. In other words...
Words: 2033 - Pages: 9
...Society defines reality as the states of things as it actually occur (Turner, 2012), but what if it is constructed by people in this society to turn it the reality that people thought it was reality? Nowadays society has a very rough idea about what is reality and what is constructed society. They can only understand the captivation of the catchword “reality construction” when they understand which thoughts are meant to be replaced by it in the first place: reality so-called. Different background or places of people have different perception of reality. A understanding of reality will be different in western country as they will feel that having a tan skin is prettier by seeing an advertisement where the model have the tan skin. But in country such as Asian, society will prefer more on pinkish skin but not tan skin as tan skin will be known as a lower class of people. What influences the society is their brain. Our brain constructs the reality that we thought it is a reality. Brain is trapped in the darkness inside of your skull, and all it ever sees are electrical and chemical signals. For example, all the colors people see, and so on, that doesn’t really occur; that’s an interpretation by the brain (Eagleman, 2012). Even though nowadays society has done much research on constructed reality, yet the norm that already been planted on the people mind is hardly to be eliminated. From the advertisement that is provided, it shows that the woman is pinned under a man and another...
Words: 1411 - Pages: 6
