Human thought is not neutral, but everything we think and communicate is constructed from a particular point of view, whether we realise it or not” (Steinberg and Angelopulo, 2015, p.34). This statement relates to the constructivist approach to understanding communication, especially is humans. The constructivist approach can be defined as our knowledge, thoughts and view of the world, these views aren’t predetermined rather developed and constructed as we move through the world. However, it may be biased. Meaning is a key element in the constructivist approach. The meaning of the message is constructed through the process of communication and isn’t a fixed sequence. The meaning is determined during the conversation and both parties (people …show more content…
Meaning is shaped by power relations in the conversation. Power is the struggle of meanings. It determined by who’s meaning is correct and dominant. This is the negotiated during the conversation and goes back and forth. It is used to see who’s meaning prevails. I said to my friend once that I didn’t want to go with her to a party. She took it in the wrong way. I didn’t mean it in the way she thought I did. I meant that I didn’t want to go because I wasn’t feeling well. I had to convince her that what I meant was correct, at the end she believed me. My meaning prevailed. This links back to the statement that human thought is not neutral, because the meaning was only determined during the conversation and not preconceived.
Communication is power:
This has a lot to do with discretion. Power comes in many forms such as politics, economic and culture. It has to do with what we decide to say and what we decide not to say. Our moral values have a lot to do with what we decide to say and what we decide not to say. For example, this girl in my class last year, she said that this one girl isn’t intelligent and needs a personality. I got really upset and wanted to tell her that she was describing herself but I decided not to say that because I didn’t want to stoop down to her leave nor did I want to hurt her feelings like she did with the other girl.