Product Description

Introduction to Social Constructionism is a readable and critical account of social constructionism for students new to the field. Focusing on the challenge to psychology that social constructionism poses, Vivien Burr examines the notion of 'personality' to illustrate the rejection of essentialism by social constructionists. This questions psychology's traditional understanding of the person. She then shows how the study of language can be used as a focus for our understanding of human behaviour and experience. This is continued by examining 'discourses' and their role in constructing social phenomena, and the relationship between discourse and power. However, the problems associated with these analyses are also clearly outlined. Many people believe that one of the aims of social science should be to bring about social change. Vivien Burr analyses what possibilities there might be for change in social constructionist accounts. She also addresses what social constructionism means in practice to research in the social sciences, and includes some guidelines on doing discourse analysis. Introduction to Social Constructionism is an invaluable and clear guide for all perplexed students who want to begin to understand this difficult area.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #306486 in Books
• Published on: 1995-05-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Customer Reviews

Absolutely Excellent!
I can't praise this book highly enough. It is an exceptionally clear and simple introduction to this complex subject. This book is genuinely aimed at those with little or no knowledge of social contructionism, making explicit issues that many accounts implicitly assume knowledge of. It is divided logocally into chapters introducing key debates and areas of study that can be treated as stand alone readings.

It provides exactly what it says on the cover.
Those who seek a critical perspective and a better understanding of social constructionism and the role of discourse within the field of psychology should consider Burr's text. Social constructionism is an alien perspective to many students of psychology, as it challenges postitvisit/essentialist psychology, the sole focus of traditional degree courses. Many texts concerned with his topic seem to be pitched at those who already possess an in-depth knowledge and focus upon advancing current debates in the field. This is the most accessible text for anyone new to social constructionism ( and recommended to me by a social psychology lecturer ).