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Pages:
3 pages/≈825 words
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Style:
MLA
Subject:
Literature & Language
Type:
Essay
Language:
English (U.S.)
Document:
MS Word
Date:
Total cost:
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Topic:

Social Constructionism and Non-Western Aesthetics

Essay Instructions:

Basic Info/Requirements:
• 22% of the total grade.
• DUE DATE: OL1: Oct. 4; OL2: Oct. 5
• Length: minimum 700-1000 words (not counting title page information), 12 pt. font, standard
margins, in a standard font (Times, Calibri, Arial, etc.).
• Citations should follow either MLA or Chicago Manuals of Style.
• In-text or footnote citations are expected of all used references.
• All references should be given in a bibliography in accordance with the style guide chosen.
Overview
This assignment will focus on a particular concept or idea from an individual assigned text. In deciding on
a concept, you should also think about what you may want to write about for the final essay and chose
your concept accordingly.
You will begin by elaborating the meaning of the concept/idea within the context of the relevant
text and then proceed to work out its implications, as well as its relation to other assigned texts or
related concepts. You should also critically reflect on its importance as well as its limitations, its practical
and/or conceptual issues. This conceptual analysis can be done following a OPVCL model (origin,
purpose, value, context, limitations), but it should focus on the logical analysis and interpretation of the
primary text. Any assigned text may be used as the primary text, but relation to other assigned texts, as
well as other secondary research is encouraged, though not required. The emphasis will be on the
elaboration of the concept from your text with as much precision and detail as possible. In making this
conceptual analysis, ample evidence, paraphrase, direct quotation and reference of your primary text is
expected.
Example
Let us suppose you want to focus on the concept of Form (eidos) in Plato’s Republic “Book X.” First, you
may want to gather all the textual occurrences of the concept as you understand it (e.g. in the discussion
of the Form of the bed, etc.). Next, you will want to read this material closely and use this as evidence to
try and construct an initial definition of the concept (e.g. the Form of something exhibits such and such
qualities, characteristics, etc. It is related to ordinary beds in such and such as way. It is related to images
and imitations of beds in such and such a way, etc.) Then, using this you can analyze other parts of the
text to deepen and substantiate your initial claim, as well as to elaborate how the concept operates in
Plato’s philosophical system and what kinds of problems it is employed to solve or explain (e.g. Form is
deeply related other concepts that are essential to Plato’s moral philosophy and theory of knowledge in
such and such a way… Because Plato believes that truth is a certain way, Form stands as an explanation
of how truth exists, and this is related to wisdom and virtue in a particular way, etc. And these in turn
affect his concept of art…). In this part of the work, you may be interested to know what experts on
Plato’s philosophy have said about the concept of Form. Isolating what the concept does in practice can
also lead you to an understanding and elaboration of what the importance of the concept is used for. Next,
you can detail what might be problematic or implausible about Plato’s concept and why it seems this way.
You can also look at related concepts in other texts or thinkers (for example the idea of form/matter in
HUMN2001 – Conceptual Analysis (Fall 2021)
Aristotle, or what the difference is between Plato’s idea of Form and what Wei-Ming calls the ‘standards
of inspiration’ in Mencian thought, etc.). Optionally, alongside these considerations, you may or may not
be interested in looking at other works by the author, or other sources that may help with the context or
origin of the concept (e.g. other books in the Republic where the theory of forms in elaborated, or the
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy article of Plato’s concept of form). However, if one does this it
should be understood that these are secondary to the careful textual analysis of the concept in the primary
text. All other considerations are subsidiary.
Further Resources on Citation and Conceptual Analysis:
MLA Style Guide:
https://owl(dot)purdue(dot)edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_format
ting_and_style_guide.html
Chicago Style Guide:
https://owl(dot)purdue(dot)edu/owl/research_and_citation/chicago_manual_17th_edition/cmos_formatting_and_st
yle_guide/chicago_manual_of_style_17th_edition.html
Conceptual Analysis (read the ‘What is it?’ section on the left):
https://libguides(dot)usc(dot)edu/humanitiesresearch/conceptual

Essay Sample Content Preview:

Student Name
Instructor
Course
Date
Social Constructionism and Non-Western Aesthetics
Generally, social constructionism mostly addresses the various ways the cultural or social settings can give rise to varying unique ways of behaving and thinking, which can then be utilized to understand the evolution/influence of the ‘western’ knowledge forms to the non-western art/aesthetics, among other aspects. The study/assigned text acknowledges that the world barely comes suitably 'prepackaged' into the African, Indian, Native American, or Chinese Aesthetics, among others, as these categorizations must have emerged from cross-cultural comparisons especially against the Western aesthetics (Blocker 3). While this assigned text also recognizes aspects, traditions and objects like ‘art’ have been often misrepresented considering the society can be viewed as more of an objective or subjective reality, constructivism/social constructivists posit that knowledge is mostly constructed while hugely disassociating this perspective from various ontological aspects/issues. More specifically, constructivism is a concept that holds that all the societal characteristics thought entirely biological or unchallengeable are mostly a result of human interpretation and definitions that have been shaped by historical or cross-cultural contexts (Franks, 417). Some of these points of view can then be used to describe the role or place of some Western culture terms like art/criticism, religion, mythologies, and other mentioned concepts within the novel non-western aesthetics or thought systems.
OVERVIEW- ORIGIN, AND VALUE OF SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONISM
Generally, constructivism was hugely introduced by sociologists Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckman in 1966 from various ideas motivated by legendary thinkers like Karl Max and Durkheim, but more specifically by Mead's symbolic interactionism theory that suggests that social interaction directly influences identity construction (Andrews 1). Also, this context was established as an answer to the social reality questions, for language deconstruction as well as its influence on the society's knowledge of the reality and as a criticism to scientific/science practice, among other valuable aspects and past movements (Andrews 2). Thus, it is hugely vital to other fields and society in general. Blocker notes that the Western aesthetics/colonial masters have progressively mislabeled art or various cultural aspects within the non-western regions or societies, including the Native Americans, where these objects or natural aspects’ value have been generally presumed especially beyond the cultural frameworks (6). More specifically, the interaction of people within a society, even in the mentioned colonialism eras, leads to knowledge creation and the current society emerges from the same as well influence to these individuals towards capitalization or routines. This knowledge and identity can then be directly associated with the mentioned social realm or the society’s objective reality and where language is central to this construction. It is more of the influence of social interactions and processes.
Although blamed for being anti-realist in various ways, the social constructiv...
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