Social Context And Construction

Question 1

What is worldview?

Answer 1

A view or perspective on the universe that varies from person to person
Shapes how we behave in, engage with and perceive our environment
Tensions arise when we don’t acknowledge that other people

Question 2

What is the modernism period?

Answer 2

Beginning of 19th century to early 20th century
Believe world is knowable
Positivist, value free and foundationalist

Question 3

What is the post modernism period?

Answer 3

Late 20th century to now
Go beyond dichotomous thinking to believe world is complicated
Look at ethics and aesthetics
Alternative ways of thinking

Question 4

What is epistemology?

Answer 4

Our theory of knowledge

On a continuum from positivist to constructionist

Question 5

What is positivism?

Answer 5

Dominant epistemology in psychology
Value free and objective
Generalizable truths
Controlled settings

Question 6

What is contextualism?

Answer 6

CP epistemology
Recognition of own values
Relationship between researcher and participant
Deep understanding of context

Question 7

What is objectivism?

Answer 7

Epistemology

Belief that truths are universal and to be uncovered via scientific method

Question 8

What is constructionism?

Answer 8

Epistemology

Multiple realities exist and meanings are derived/constructed through engagement with the social world

Question 9

What is subjectivism?

Answer 9

Epistemology

Knowledge is really no more than a matter of personal opinion

Question 10

What is cultural hegemony?

Answer 10

Adopted values and beliefs held by the dominant culture used to maintain their position of power
Eg. Stereotypes, norms, events

Question 11

What is dominant culture?

Answer 11

Group with position of relative power over others
Have unearned privilege
Hold power and resources over other
Offered opportunities, resources and power that others are not
Construct social context

Question 12

What is the social other?

Answer 12

Not part of dominant culture
Relative position of disadvantage 
Less dominant aka subordinate
Denied access to resources
Position determined by dominant culture based on characteristics fixed or determined at birth

Question 13

What is internalized oppression?

Answer 13

Internalized sense of inferiority

Emerges from cultural hegemony

Question 14

What is conscientization?

Answer 14

Idea that we should critique or deconstruct the cultural hegemony and how it operates

Question 15

What is adopting a critical position?

Answer 15

Came from a need to research in a way that captures the complexity of how we construct others
Critiquing society or culture

Question 16

What do criticalists examine?

Answer 16

Influences of power relations
That facts are never separate from worldviews
Relationships are not fixed or stable
Language is central to subjectivity
Complexity of oppression
How mainstream research can maintain oppressive systems
Unearned privilege
Unheard voices

Question 17

What is social context?

Answer 17

All facets that influence an individual’s experience
Eg cultural heritage, social network, age roles
Bi-directional influence