19. 6. 2014 Conference program and Book of abstracts added

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Constructive alternativism claims that everything we know about our world can be revised and that an alternative view, hopefully fresh or novel, can be developed. This principle, originally formulated within George Alexander Kelly's psychology of personal constructs, has counterparts in other conceptions and fields in contemporary thinking, such as social constructionism or the philosophy of pragmatism. Promoting alternative construing is a goal with potentially desirable effects at various levels: enhanced learning, understanding, creativity, psychological health or the optimal functioning of society. The issue of alternative construing implies other important questions and problems, such as undesired effects, validation and comparison of alternatives and ethical implications. The conference focuses especially, but not exclusively, on the issue of constructive alternativism within three fields. Constructivist education reflects alternative ways in which individuals or groups develop their knowledge and understanding. A discussion concerning the role of constructivist alternativism in education in our labyrinthine world is a challenge across Europe, and beyond. Next, it has been proved that facilitating constructive alternativism within psychological fields such as counseling, psychotherapy or coaching is a fruitful way of dealing with psychological disturbances and guiding a client to grow and realize his or her potential. Finally, a reflection of democracy as a system that implements the principle of constructive alternativism could help to understand its nature, its advantages and also the contemporary difficulties that democratic societies face.

We invite various forms of contributions concerned with the conference topics employing personal construct theory or related fields, such as social constructionism, narrative or postmodern approaches, hermeneutics, philosophy of pragmatism, etc. The contributions may present research, philosophical reflections, practical interventions or case studies. Also, we encourage participants to apply alternative forms, such as therapeutic demonstrations, experiential workshops or psychodrama performances.