Social constructionism is
a theory of knowledge that holds that characteristics typically thought to be immutable and solely
biological—such as gender, race, class, ability, and sexuality—are products of human definition and interpretation shaped by cultural and historical contexts (Subramaniam 2010).
A social construct is
something that exists not in objective reality, but as a result of human interaction
. It exists because humans agree that it exists.
Social constructionism is the theory that
people develop knowledge of the world in a social context
, and that much of what we perceive as reality depends on shared assumptions.
Simply put, social constructs do not have inherent meaning. The only meaning they have is the meaning given to them by people. For example, the idea that
pink is for girls and blue is for boys
is an example of a social construct related to gender and the color of items.
:
an idea that has been created and accepted by the people in a society Class distinctions
are a social construct.
3 stages of construction.
Externalization, Objectification, & Internalization
. Through interaction, people create a meaning.
A key idea in the sociology of crime and deviance is that crime is socially constructed which means
that whether an act is criminal or not is determined by social processes
. In the case of crime, the introduction of new Acts of Parliament which change the law constantly change the nature of crime.
| gender role cultural norm | femininity gender norm | masculinity tradition |
|---|
Processes of
doing gender
are not only carried on in our society by individuals, but also through socially-standardizing practices such as legislation or the institutions of the family and marriage. … “Doing gender” thrives on continually establishing a dual order of two sexes.
Some examples of sociological concepts include
social stratification, social mobility, norms and values, social identity, and labelling
. Topics such as these seek to examine how societies influence individuals and how individuals influence their societies.
The main criticisms levelled against social constructionism can be summarised by its perceived conceptualisation of realism and relativism. It is accused of
being anti-realist
, in denying that knowledge is a direct perception of reality (Craib 1997).
Social constructivism teaches that
all knowledge develops as a result of social interaction and language use
, and is therefore a shared, rather than an individual, experience. Knowledge is additionally not a result of observing the world, it results from many social processes and interactions.
Social construction theory is about how we make sense of things. It assumes that we ‘construct’ mental representations, using collective notions as building blocks. In this view,
happiness is regarded as a social construction
, comparable to notions like ‘beauty’ and ‘fairness’.
Time is one of the most basic examples of something that is socially constructed.
We collectively create the meaning of time
—it has no predetermined meaning until we give it meaning. … Cultures often mark time based on important events relative to their belief system or major political events.
Key Takeaways: Marriage
Marriage serves important social functions, and social norms often determine the role each spouse takes in a marriage. Because
marriage is a social construct
, cultural norms and expectations determine what a marriage is and who can marry.
While cultural definitions of family may be based on blood, marriage, or legal ties, “
families” are socially constructed
and can include cohabitation and other culturally recognized social bonds such as fostering, nurturing, or economic ties. … Sociology also studies how family relationships affect members and society.
