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1993
Commments on Social Constructionism and PostmodernismRealities and Relationships- / -
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| Caricature of Current Modes of Response |
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| Each of the four modes has its function -- the challenge being to know when and how to use which |
It could be argued that the presenters needed to control the environment and establish boundaries because they hoped to give form to a new movement. They therefore indulged in practices considered necessary to consensus and boundary formation important to the creation of a distinct identity.
Was such a defensive posture really necessary? It is surely designed to give social constructionism a bad name and to mark it as an immature initiative.
Within the terms of social constructionism, it is indeed questionable to what extent potential adherents should be exposed to any criticism or challenges. To the extent that it wishes to define itself as a new religion, it should be treated with all the respect that new religions are accorded. Potential critics should simply back off and accept that the new religion should be allowed to practice whatever strange rites they find significant -- as their contribution to multiple realities. The dialogue between self-elected priesthoods as potential adherents should not be disturbed.
Perhaps most annoying following exposure to such dynamics was the the dilemma of how or whether to respond appropriately. Getting into the above critical mode is not especially fruitful and does not move things forward. But as with steering an automobile, if the wheel is jerked far to one side (as the presenters did), the vehicle drifts off the road and energy has to be put into pulling it in the other direction -- to an exaggerated degree. However it would be better to be using a light touch, one way or the other, and to focus on where the road is leading. The polarization of the meeting could have been better dealt with through such metaphors. The conference made little if any use of metaphor as a way out of such messiness.
From these perspectives "social constructionism" has no more claim to universal relevance than other belief systems. The ideas that "postmodernists" and "social constructionists" seek to label as "theirs" will however continue to thrive -- as have the best of many religions. But they will not be confined to "ism" and "ist" labels or to simplistic attempts at institutionalizing them.
