Skip to content
Skip to main content

About this free course

Share this free course

Investigating psychology
Investigating psychology

Start this free course now. Just create an account and sign in. Enrol and complete the course for a free statement of participation or digital badge if available.

2 Perspectives: social constructionism

In this section you will use the CHIP resource to explore the social constructionist perspective.

Activity 2

a. 

True


b. 

False


The correct answer is a.

Answer

The social worlds that we live in are understood by social constructionists as ‘interpretive networks’. These networks are continually being constructed and reconstructed by individuals, groups and institutions.

a. 

True


b. 

False


The correct answer is b.

Answer

Social constructionism suggests that people make active choices rather than behaving in a way that is determined by social context.

a. 

True


b. 

False


The correct answer is a.

Answer

All knowledge is seen as an expression of the social and historical context in which it is produced.

a. 

True


b. 

False


The correct answer is b.

Answer

Social constructionists do not deny the existence of physiological differences. However, rather than trying to find out a fixed truth about physiology, they instead pay attention to how these differences are made sense of in different societies.

a. 

True


b. 

False


The correct answer is b.

Answer

Identity is seen as historically and culturally specific, dynamic, and constantly being ‘renegotiated’ through social interaction.

  1. What other perspectives have links to social constructionism?
To use this interactive functionality a free OU account is required. Sign in or register.
Interactive feature not available in single page view (see it in standard view).

Answer

Perspectives that have links to social constructionism include social representations, phenomenological, queer history/theory, and feminist perspectives.

  1. Read the descriptions of the perspectives linked to social constructionism, then summarise each description in no more than 50 words.
To use this interactive functionality a free OU account is required. Sign in or register.
Interactive feature not available in single page view (see it in standard view).