Final answer:
Constructivism and poststructuralism have different approaches to studying language, with constructivism focusing on individual meaning-making and poststructuralism emphasizing the fluid and contingent nature of meaning influenced by social and power dynamics.
Step-by-step explanation:
Regarding the question on whether constructivism and poststructuralism are identical in their approach to studying language, the correct answer is C) They have different approaches to understanding the role of language in shaping reality. Constructivism and poststructuralism both focus on the role of language in constructing reality, but they do so from different perspectives. Constructivism leans towards the idea that individuals construct meaning through their interactions with the world, emphasizing subjective reality that is shaped through experience and social interactions. In contrast, poststructuralism suggests that meanings are in a state of constant flux and are influenced by complex power dynamics within society. This approach questions the existence of any universal structures in language, proposing instead that all meaning is contingent, constructed, and reconstructed through discourse.
Notably, philosophers such as Jacques Derrida have been associated with poststructuralism, championing ideas like deconstruction, which suggests that texts have multiple interpretations and that the inherent ambiguity of literary language prevents a single, centralized meaning.