Several Conceptual Clarifications on the Distinction between Constructivism and Social Constructivism

Abstract

Abstract:The present paper aims to contribute to the theoretical and operational understanding of the distinction between social constructivism and social-constructivism, both theories being referential for the foundation of a new ontology and social epistemology. In literature, the two models are often used in the same sense, both of which are used as theoretical references in research on the social construction of an institution or social phenomenon.

Social Construction of the Legal System. Research in the Northeastern Region of Romania

“…The evolution of the normative-institutional framework traces the social construction of the professional identity of the lawyer, precisely by redefining some operational concepts that the professional works with and around which he builds his discourse on the practice (Sandu, 2017). Professional self-reflexivity is poled by a series of institutional and normative frameworks wherein the professional carries out his activity -the axiological and methodological benchmarks that underlie his professional activity.…”

“…Social constructionism (Gergen, 2005;Berger & Luckmann, 2008;Sandu & Caras (Frunză), 2014) starts from questioning the meanings of human action, the behavior and the events, a questioning that is not objective, but subjective, referring to these meanings in the course of human interactions (Rosenfeld, 2017;Sandu & Unguru, 2017). The meanings of human actions and behaviors are socially defined, as they are constantly adapting, depending on the evolution of society as a whole, and of the community where the interpretative processes take place in particular.…”

The Social Construction of Probation Counselor: Comparative Qualitative Analysis in Romania and the Republic of Moldova

“…The theories on the social construction of reality -in this case, the social construction of a profession -that of probation counsellor -comes from two different sources, the first one being the sociological one, originated in the work of Berger and Luckmann (2008), and the second one in the social psychology (Payne, 1999). The sociological perspective targets the way (Sandu & Unguru, 2017) in which the social institutions are created, while the psychological dimension (Gergen & Gergen, 2003;Gergen, 2005) targets the emergence of constructs such as the one of identity of role, personality and perception (O'Donoghue, 2010). The meanings the individuals give to the world can differ from one social actor to the other, bu the process of deconstruction -reconstruction of senses (Sandu, 2016) makes the individuals identify the common acceptions of the terms used to define the social reality.…”

Framing Human Values and Ethical Behavior in the European Union Participatory Governance 2009-2017

“…Although the contextual analysis in the field argues that the human values are de facto requirements of the EU participatory governance, there are certain insights in the postmodernist framework that assume a cognizant and practical construction of the recurrent uses and meanings by enabling: 1) the modern and postmodern social approaches (Ungureanu, 2015); 2) the linkage between the values and the postmodern trends (Winter, 1994;Alonso, Jiménez-López, García-Vargas & Roales-Nieto, 2013); 3) the moral meanings of the values and principles (Ignătescu, 2013); 4) the theoretical and applied ethics (Ciulei, 2013;Caras (Frunza) & Sandu, 2014); 5) the linkage between the personal development, the appreciative socialization group, the rules and the values (Ponea & Sandu: 2011); 6) the communicative interaction of the social reality, the social construction and the social institutions (Sandu & Unguru, 2017). Sandu and Unguru's approach to the communicative action and the social construction contributes substantially to the "normative institutional framework" (Sandu & Unguru, 2017).…”

“…Sandu and Unguru's approach to the communicative action and the social construction contributes substantially to the "normative institutional framework" (Sandu & Unguru, 2017). Thus the main objective of the research is to explore the EU legal constructs and meanings of the social reality and values from a multi-level network analysis: institutional actors, participatory governance and interactions.…”