Explain the theory of Social Constructionism and differentiate it from Symbolic Interactionism.

 Social Constructionism (Berger and Luckmann, 1966)

The philosophy of „construction of reality‟ is central to the theory of social constructionism. Social constructionists take a variety of approaches in their understanding of the nature of reality, ranging from those who believe that there is some objective reality to those who feel that everything is socially constructed. Even though some social constructionists may believe that there is an objective reality independent from the observer but they additionally state that this objective reality is difficult to grasp. Despite their different orientations, all social constructionists believe that there are multiple social realities which are constructed jointly during social interactions with others including family members, peers, and even the media. Language is central in this entire process. The notion of „a „neutral observer‟ who reports „objective reality‟ is totally unacceptable to the social constructionists.

If there are multiple meanings or multiple realities, then it may become very difficult for the target audience to know what is happening in the world out there. Sometimes this is what happens when we read contradictory news in different newspapers and are left confused about the happenings of the world. It is then left to us which newspaper to believe and which not to believe. Often news which is reported consistently across several credible newspapers is considered as „truth‟ by the public. The process of meaning making is not so simple however and additional factors need to be considered in this process of meaning making. Although, millions may read the same newspaper yet each individual may understand the same news article in a different way depending on his or her own personal experiences and backgrounds. Two individuals react very differently to the same television comedy. One may construct it as “stupid” while other finds it “entertaining”. Hence, for every individual the „meaning making‟ process is very unique.

Symbolic Interactionism (Blumer, 1969)

The media's representation of family life has long served as a yardstick by which we can measure our own achievements and lives. Many Indian serials portray families that are rich, beautiful and successful as being ideal families. We pick up these ideas to develop similar kinds of representations for ourselves. Symbolic interactionists provide an analysis of such kinds of symbols and many others used in our daily lives. Like social constructionism, symbolic interactionists too state that all knowledge is socially constructed and that the existence of an objective reality needs to be questioned. In addition, the theory places importance on „symbols‟ that are generated through the meanings we attach jointly to objects in the social world. These symbols are usually in the form of language but include various others such as visual symbols and gestures. The media also develops and disseminates symbols that serve as the foundation for our collective understanding of society. For example, the media often depicts a worldview that only thin women are beautiful. These symbols for beauty, perpetuated by the media then create pressures for women to stay thin even at the cost of their health.

Subcribe on Youtube - IGNOU SERVICE

For PDF copy of Solved Assignment

WhatsApp Us - 9113311883(Paid)