Social construction of reality

Basicly I am writing this as personal notes to Gareth Morgans appendix about social constructionism in his book 'Imaginization' to help me understand the theory I use in my thesis.

Here is a small overview of the contents of the chapter 'The theory behind the practice' with interesting quotes and notes:

1. Some philosophical background

"It has become clear that science, despite all the claims for objectivity, is just producing a form of socially constructed knowledge and that scientific 'truths' are only 'true' under accompanying sets of assumptions."

"... there are no sharp distinctions between subjective and objective worlds and that language and reality are part of an integrated life-world in and through which humans and their realities are coproduced."

2. Imaginization and the social construction of reality

Imaginization is an approach to understand social reality and to change and it belongs to the social-constructionist school.

"... images and ideas people hold of themselves and their world have a fundamental impact on how their realities unfold."

People shape their world and they can do it anew, but often they are trapped by cultural beliefs and social practices that shape their present reality. People have the ability change their view of their world and thereby change reality. The process starts with the individual and when more individuals push in the same direction then individual change becomes social change.

"Imaginization, as an approach to change, seeks to mobilize the potential for understanding and transformation that rests withing each and every one of us."

This basic philosophy can be used in most aspects of life!

2.1 The importance of images and metaphors

Social scientists get trapped in their perspectives and assumptions. They create an interesting way of seeing something and eliminate all other ways.

"Metaphor has a formative impact on language, on the construction and embellishment of meaning, and on the development of theory and knowledge of all kinds."

We use metaphors to understand the unfamiliar. I cannot help thinking that God is a metaphor. A small search in Google shows that I'm not the first to think that.

"Scientific knowledge is often seen as searching for, and offering, 'the truth'." But science is just an interesting and useful way of seeing the world.

3. Images of organization

This is the title of Morgan's first book, where he suggest seeing organisations in eight different ways. He points out that none of the metaphors are the right ones, but he encourage us to become our own theorists and to forge our own understandings and interpretations.

A question that I have always asked whenever I was presented with some kind of fact is "But what if...?" A question that have been most annoying to many people. I don't ask the question to annoy anyone, but it seems to me that the fact seems to come true or untrue depending on how I look at it. If I change the perspective, the situation becomes different. In all my life - even as a child - I have been told not to ask those stupid questions. But they always helped me to understand and make sense. Now I am happy to see that there actually are theories that support and encourage my questions and eager to understand.

4. Imaginizations as the art of creative management

5. Images can provide 'mirrors' and 'windows'
6. Imaginization as personal empowerment