Constructivism and Standpoint Theory

It may be going too far to say that Social Constructivism is contingent upon Standpoint Theory, but the two paradigms undoubtedly intersect. 

Since blog postings generally stand alone, forgive me for re-stating the Alison Wylie quote from the last post:

"[T]here would be no incongruity in claiming that, with respect to particular epistemic projects, some social locations and standpoints confer epistemic advantage. In particular, some standpoints have the especially salient advantage that they put the critically conscious knower in a position to grasp the effects of power relations on their own understanding and that of others."

Constructivism assumes that knowledge is created in relation to, not copied from, perceived objects, the objective "realness" of which is irrelevant. This knowledge is constructed from within a coherent system by which individuals and cultures attempt to understand the world and cope with its complexities.

Similarly, Standpoint theory offers the possibility of greater objectivity from particular social locations concerning objects, which in themselves are socially determined, reflexive, and locally confined– objects which again do not have "realness" in the traditional sense.

Thus, Standpoint Theory would support and affirm one of the basic contentions of Social Constructivism, namely that knowledge of the world is achieved within an active relationship to the facts at hand and their relevance for day to day life.

The implications for pedagogy are myriad. To begin, classroom content is valuable as it relates to students' day to day lives and their ability to cope with real problems. Facts can be known as they relate to these real lives and real complexities. Additionally, as Wylie asserts, students, who come from different standpoints may have a greater chance at understanding than the teacher, possessing knowledge of great value for the group, regardless of past education. The value of the student's social location is not only determined by race, gender, class, or other traditional social determinants, but also by his or her subdominance under the teacher's authority. The value of empathy, collaboration, and critical thinking are confirmed for the classroom by the intersection of Standpoint Theory and Constructivism, since knowledge is connected to the individual. So much is the case not just for the humanities, but science too, so far as it can be emancipated from the confines of traditionally objective "realness," can benefit from the application of these theories.