Re-visioning Academic Medicine Through a Constructionist Lens

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Philosophy of Science
• Medical Education

Background:

• Constructionism challenges taken-for-granted assumptions in academic medicine.
• It highlights the social and historical contingency of meaning-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explain constructionism, its underpinnings (ontological, epistemological, axiological), and methodologies.
• To differentiate constructionism from constructivism, emphasizing the social construction of meaning.
• To advocate for a constructionist lens in academic medicine research and education.

Main Methods:

• The commentary outlines constructionism's epistemological focus on knowledge construction through social interaction.
• It highlights the importance of qualitative methodologies and methods, particularly those examining language and dialogue.
• Key values include dependability, authenticity, credibility, confirmability, reflexivity, and transferability.

Main Results:

• Constructionism privileges the social over the individual in meaning construction.
• It distinguishes between micro-constructionism (language minutiae) and macro-constructionism (broader discourses).
• Epistemologically, constructionism posits that knowledge is socially constructed via interaction.

Conclusions:

• Understanding constructionism is crucial for re-envisioning academic medicine.
• It encourages a focus on language, dialogue, context, and the researcher-researched relationship.
• Adopting a constructionist approach promotes critical inquiry into established practices and assumptions.