Chapter 11 Joel Best

Question 1

Summary of the constructionist stance

Answer 1

Constructionist Stance by Joel Best
Adler and Adler ©2009
•Constructionism is a marriage between labeling and conflict theories.
•This perspective frames the majority of articles in your text.

“Reality, that is everything
we understand about the
world, is socially constructed.”

Constructionism by Best Cont.’d
•Born of two developments:
1) The Social Construction of Reality by Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann (1966)
2) Labeling Theory, leading approach to study of deviance in the 60’s (labeling theory came under fire in the 70’s- construnctionism is an answer of sorts)