Interpretivism and Social Construction
While the natural sciences often aim for universal, objective laws, the human sciences frequently adopt Interpretivism. This perspective asserts that truth is contextual and depends heavily on the relationship between the observer and the observed.
Constructivism vs. Social Constructionism
Though they sound similar, these two branches of Interpretivism focus on different scales of meaning-making:
- Constructivism: Focuses on the individual. It argues that meaning is not “discovered” in the world but actively generated by individuals as they interact with their environment and adjust their mental models.
- Social Constructionism: Focuses on the collective. It maintains that meaning is a shared phenomenon. Concepts like “money,” “justice,” or even “disease” are shaped by language, culture, and social conventions. They are “real” because we agree they are real.
The Theory of Truth
In these frameworks, there is no “view from nowhere.” Every observation is filtered through a cultural and linguistic lens.
Critical / Emancipatory Perspectives
A specific subset of interpretivism is the Critical Perspective. This approach assumes that what we call “truth” is often defined by those in power. The goal of critical research is not just to understand the world, but to “emancipate” people by deconstructing the power structures (of class, race, gender, or technology) that define our reality. For a critical theorist, science is never neutral; it either reinforces the status quo or challenges it.
The “Hard” vs “Soft” Science Divide
This philosophical shift explains the methodological divide between different disciplines:
- Positivism: Seeks to explain (Erklären) via causal laws (found in Physics/Chemistry).
- Interpretivism: Seeks to understand (Verstehen) via meaning and context (found in Sociology/Anthropology).
In the context of engineering and technology, this means acknowledging that a bridge or an algorithm is not just a physical object, but a social artifact that carries specific meanings and power dynamics.