A brief note on social constructionism with reference to doing dissertation project works

A brief note on social constructionism with reference to doing dissertation project works (information from perplexity.ai)

My question 1: "Highlight 6 main ideas of social constructionism [a research philosophy] in the context of doing MBA and Housing Studies dissertation project works."

The reply: "Here are 6 main ideas of social constructionism relevant to doing MBA and Housing Studies dissertation projects:

1. Knowledge as Socially Constructed: Reality and knowledge are not objective truths but are constructed through social interactions, cultural contexts, and shared meanings. Researchers in MBA and Housing Studies acknowledge that business practices or housing policies are shaped by societal beliefs and interpretations rather than fixed facts.​

2. Historical and Cultural Context: Understandings and categories (e.g., leadership styles, housing needs) are relative to specific historical times and cultures and thus can change over time. For example, managerial roles or housing problems are viewed differently depending on societal shifts and cultural norms.​

3. Subjectivity and Interpretation: Social constructionism emphasizes the role of individual and collective subjectivity in shaping experiences and realities. In research, this means exploring how senior managers or housing residents interpret their circumstances and how those interpretations influence strategy or policy.​

4. Social Processes Sustain Knowledge: Knowledge emerges from social processes and interactions. In MBA research, this points to how organizational knowledge and strategic choices evolve through communication and shared practices; in Housing Studies, how policy issues emerge through social discourse.​

5. Critical Stance to Accepted Knowledge: Social constructionists question taken-for-granted assumptions and highlight that what is perceived as "truth" often reflects power dynamics or social agendas. For MBA dissertations, this involves interrogating business norms; for housing research, scrutinizing policy narratives or stereotypes about residents.​

6. Knowledge and Social Action Are Linked: How knowledge is constructed influences social behavior and policy decisions. For example, how managers' perceptions shape aggressive strategies, or how societal labeling of housing issues shapes interventions, showing the inseparability of understanding and action.​

These ideas frame dissertation work in both fields to focus on the meanings people attach to their experiences and the ways these meanings are negotiated and maintained socially, rather than assuming fixed realities.​

This approach is valuable for qualitative inquiry and understanding complex social phenomena in MBA and Housing Studies dissertations specifically."

My question 2: "What would be kinds of research objectives raised by social constructionism in response to the following research themes:

1. MBA-related: "what human resource management policies would promote gen Z managers' organizational commitment in the Hong Kong financial service sector in 2025"

2. Housing Studies-related "what are the middle-class gen z couples' homemaking preference in Wan Chai of Hong Kong in 2025"."

The reply: "Research objectives inspired by social constructionism for the two themes could be:

1. MBA-related HRM theme on Gen Z managers in HK financial services:

• Explore how Gen Z managers socially construct their organizational commitment and identify the meanings they attach to commitment within the cultural and sectoral context of Hong Kong in 2025.

• Investigate how human resource management policies are interpreted, negotiated, and experienced by Gen Z managers, focusing on the dynamic social processes shaping their perceptions of commitment.

• Understand the role of dialogue and co-creation between HR professionals and Gen Z managers in constructing HR policies that promote commitment.

• Examine multiple perspectives within organizations on what constitutes effective HRM practices for this generational cohort, given the cultural and workplace diversity.

• Identify the power relations and social discourses that influence accepted HRM policies and question taken-for-granted assumptions about what promotes commitment in organizations.

2. Housing Studies theme on middle-class Gen Z couples' homemaking preferences in Wan Chai:

• Explore how middle-class Gen Z couples in Wan Chai socially construct their homemaking preferences and the cultural meanings underlying these preferences in 2025.

• Investigate the subjective interpretations of home and domesticity among these couples and how these perceptions are influenced by social, economic, and spatial contexts.

• Examine the interactional and discursive processes shaping homemaking practices and how couples negotiate their identities and roles in these processes.

• Understand the diversity of homemaking narratives and how different social realities coexist within this demographic group.

• Analyze how broader social policies, media, and societal discourses about housing and middle-class lifestyle in Hong Kong influence these homemaking preferences.

• Investigate how couples co-create new homemaking possibilities in response to changing urban and cultural conditions in Wan Chai.

These objectives emphasize exploring meanings, interpretations, social interactions, cultural contexts, and power dynamics central to social constructionism in both fields."

A collection of blog notes on using chatgpt for research purpose.