reconstruction: the next big thing

In my ENG103 class (Critical Writing), big isms were introduced and re-introduced to me. Theses isms are the paradigms by which most scholars and academician use/d to interpret the existing phenomenon in the social and cultural world. Of all these, Marxism and Feminism may be the two most popular and most misinterpreted and abused isms as to how people view economy, the changing sex relations in the workplace, the dynamics of domestic and public politics, the exchange of goods and even pop culture. On the basis of representation, on packaging and images, these two seem to have influenced greatly the mindset of people, women or men, third world citizen or not.

But then there are still other isms which place secondary (i believe and it seems) in terms of popularity, but not necessarily in their values. Structuralism (the simplest meaning of which is the study of structures and how these structures affects interaction in different fields), post-structuralism (there is still structure but there is a question on what is the supra-structure already, which is the center), post-modernism (a view of a centerless and fluid society, no more structures) and post-colonialism (a study of the ideological battle as an extension of the physical regime of the colonizers to the colonials- later on post-colonial which are mostly third word societies)

These isms emerged in a certain timeline. Though the timeline may not be definite and may overlap, it is helpful at least to know the 'time' and the environment by which these ideologies existed so as to better understand their worth as meaning-maker. Marxism emerged as an ideological interpretation and response to the emerging powers of capitalism. Massively famous in the twentieth century, the ideology still holds a place in the current social status because of the continuous flourishing of the market economy. Feminism, in the midst of liberal thinking and seemingly and loosely equal status of men and women in the society, continue to find its relevance in interpreting how the supposed and perceived equality is still subjugating women in different areas of living such as the workplace, the home and politics.

Postmodernism and post colonialism interestingly are gladly welcome in the discourse with their piercing and relevant view of today's matter. In international relations, education and others, post-colonialism becomes one of the tools in analyzing how the colonizers ideologies permeate the institutions of young and developing democracies such as Philippines that have been under the rule. Postmodernism is one controversial ism. It the ultimate deconstruction to the people's search for structure: the material, stable structure that everyone has tried to establish in the process of civilization. Structuralism, post-structuralism are still in the process of finding the structure and deconstructing it in the process. it seems to be a continuum even which unless a new ideology appears, will work like a DNA with two strands of helix bind together.

However, as people become fed up with the entanglements that these isms provide the society, the next expected big step is a search for a new tool for analysis, a new ism that reveals part of the reality that people experiences both in daily life and the bizarre. In the times when change and development seems to be the battlecry of everyone because of the dysfunctions that emerge from the old rule, the questions seems to be: What is that ism that will explain the emerging phenomenon of development and re-development, of change and unchanged.

New ISM

I don't think this is new at all. I've read a lot about this already like the need to ____ the narrative paradigm, the need to ____ the social order et cetera but I haven't' read any full text that pertains to this as a new paradigm by which social concepts can be interpreted. I'm talking about the word RECONSTRUCTIONISM.

allow me to elaborate on the concept. As the word implies it means " constructing again" or an "attempt to provide a construct from trhe already lost one." it is a direct response to structuralism, post-structuralism, and postmodernism, the three isms that are poblematizing the center and the idea of a structure. So why is there a need for a reconstruction when the society seems to be enjoyng a ceter-less and structure-less world (at least in the ideological level)? where people does not have to consult anyone and can easily tell for themselves what is and what is not. Where everyone is a source, not just a mere receiver, where everyone has a say and can claim credibility to whatever they say.

apparently, the fun of the centerless world seems to also be its flaw. Postmodernism may argue that flaws are relative, its contingent upon something but when we talk of reconstructionism, it argues that the already existing ideologies fell short at explaining the reality and has, in a nutshell, provided minimal understanding to the world order there is.

reconstructionism is an attempt to rebuild the order that needed be rebuilt, to regain the center by which people seem to have forgotten to exist, to renew the convention lost at the memory of the people who once thought it necessary.

it is an attempt to reconcile the the supra-center to the "other centers" which subcultures and countercultures created as a form of deviance to the general order. But how is it done. i say that there needs to be a mapping, a plotting of the existing ideologies linked to the source by which it was made. The idea is to regain the center, the absolutes by which social order has been achieved in the first place.

But the question remains: What is the center anyway?

This need not be answered. For the supracenter and the suprastucture does not exist. What only exist are conglomerates of centers which, by lieu of human agreements are approved of to be centers, not just mere constructs of deviance. These conglomerates of centers exist in different units of the society. The process of reconstruction always starts with a revolution, the recognition of the shapelessness and fluidity and its flaws. From there stems the need to reconsider the worth of the existing order and the realization of its worth and unworth will lead to the other process of Reconstruction. Questions will be asked, solutions will be tried until there emerge a map, a network where everyone is linked and connected. it will mean the emergence of the networked society we once were.

The process of Reconstruction is difficult. Others may say its impossible, but situation will require of it, a phenomenon will trigger its necessity.