What is reality?
“Through co-action we come into being as individual identities, but the process remains forever incomplete. At any moment there are multiple options, and self-identity remains in motion.” – Kenneth Gergen
This toolkit utilizes the Social Constructionist framework to understand the concept and creation of reality.
Social Constructionism is the theory that reality is different for everybody due to a person’s various identities, experiences, and relationships. Due to this subjectivity, it is impossible for one universal Reality or Truth to exist. Major aspects that make up Social Constructionist thought include shifting from1:
Universal truths and realities → Individual truths and realities reflecting
cultural, social, and historical contexts
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Language reflecting reality → Language creating reality
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Taking aspects of society and reality for granted → Deconstructing the origins of dominant beliefs (discourses) within societies/cultures and identifying who they were made to benefit or oppress
Videos about the creation of reality & culture
Social constructionism | Society and Culture | MCAT | Khan Academy
“Social constructionism observes how the interactions of individuals with their society and the world around them gives meaning to otherwise worthless things and creates the reality of the society. Created by Sydney Brown.”
My psychosis, a different reality | Jeroen Zwaal | TEDxEindhoven
“In [Jeroen Zwaal’s] talk he shares his own experiences and story, starting from initially being the subject of a news article about a ‘confused person’ to becoming a person helping countless other people in making sense of their lives and experiences.”
How Culture Drives Behaviours | Julien S. Bourrelle | TEDxTrondheim
“Julien argues how we see the World through cultural glasses. By changing the glasses you can change the way you interpret the World.”