An example of a social construct is
money or the concept of currency
, as people in society have agreed to give it importance/value. … Strong social constructs rely on the human perspective and knowledge that does not just exist, but is rather constructed by society.
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.
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.
For example,
your school exists as a school
and not just as a building because you and others agree that it is a school. If your school is older than you are, it was created by the agreement of others before you. In a sense, it exists by consensus, both prior and current.
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.
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.
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’.
Personality may also be thought of as
a social creation based on behaviors and the social meanings attached to them
(Hampson, 1988).
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.
3 stages of construction.
Externalization, Objectification, & Internalization
. Through interaction, people create a meaning.
Think of
cocktail parties, football games, bar mitzvahs, political rallies, and even nations
. These are all social realities.
This article rejects the idea that the sociology of mental illness classification and organizational embeddedness shows that
mental illness is a pure social construct
. The three styles of social construction include pure constructionism, interactive social construction, and harmful dysfunction (HD) conception.
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).
Love is
a socially constructed entity
that has changed and developed its role in society over time (Coontz 2005; Beall and Sternberg 1995). … As love influenced marriage, changes and factors surrounding marriage may also influence love itself.
As a social construct,
gender varies from society to society and can change over time
. Gender is hierarchical and produces inequalities that intersect with other social and economic inequalities. … Gender and sex are related to but different from gender identity.
What is a normal marriage called?
In general there are two types:
civil marriage
and religious marriage, and typically marriages employ a combination of both (religious marriages must often be licensed and recognized by the state, and conversely civil marriages, while not sanctioned under religious law, are nevertheless respected).
