Social Construction Theory The Product Of Society And...

Fall Term Essay 1 Social construction theory explains human behaviour and identities as the product of society and history (Vance 29). This theory is the opposite of biological determinism and essentialism which suggest that genetic, physiological, and biological traits determine human behaviour (Vance 29). As mentioned in lecture (Klement), identities are unique to every person; they are the values, norms, values, and images in society that are combined, constructed, or created. Societal pressures and the media offer racial, gender, and sexual biases which society uses to form a complete portrayal of each group. From a gender inequality approach, social construction theorists argue that societal and historical beliefs determine the characteristics for each gender. Societal pressure forces men and women into their inherent roles which they may not fall into naturally. Every human decides who they are, but they are also forced to abide by the rules of their society. Every man and woman differ; it is easy for some to follow the gender identities society has determined, but for others it can be quite difficult, especially when they do not feel as if they fit under the predetermined identities. According to Charlotte Furth (21-23), men and women are not complete opposites, instead gender is viewed as a yin-yang relationship that interplay with each other to create a broad spectrum of genders. Furth included examples from China where men became women and vice versa; when a manShow MoreRelatedSocial Construction of Race and How It Affects Society Essay740 Words   |  3 Pagesby how they conceive and categorize different social realities. Thus, race is often referred to as a social construct. The differences in skin color and facial characteristics have led most of society to classify humans into groups instead of individuals. These constructs affect us all, and they often result in situations where majority racial groups cause undue suffering to those that are part of the minority. The understanding of race as a social construct is best illustrated by the examinationRead MoreFeminism And The Postmodern Feminist Theory1596 Words   |  7 PagesThe evolution of feminist th eory from a modern to a postmodern viewpoint stands to correct the injustices of historically liberal feminism. For some time, grand narratives have governed the ideas of self and gender from a single experience of â€Å"man†. Traditionally, modern feminism aimed to eradicate the hegemonic theory of inferiority by women to the male gender. Postmodern feminism aspires to eliminate categories of gender altogether, for the social construct of gender is considered to disregardRead MoreA Brief Note On Social Construction Of Race Essay1378 Words   |  6 PagesSocial Construction of Race One of the social reforms that are argued to have been achieved by the contemporary society is acknowledged that all people within the society are equal irrespective of some socio-cultural differences such as race. The view that all persons are equal is ingrained in the society and supported by an array of a legal framework. One of the supporting legal frameworks is the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, which asserts that all persons must be treated with equalityRead MoreSocial Construction Theory Of The National Football League1403 Words   |  6 Pagesthat it appears explicitly based on utility maximization and the traditional economic theory of Becker and Stigler. That model does provide an adequate explanation based on set universal preferences with efficiency determining the price of commodities. However, I believe that it is more accurately modeled as a function of a socially constructed framework of choice. Berger and Luckmann’s social construction theory pre sents the opportunity to understand more fully the background of these athletes thatRead MoreEssay on The History and Heritage of Society1671 Words   |  7 PagesTo understand heritage, an assessment of history and heritage needs to be examined. It can be suggested that history and heritage conceive of and use the past in similar ways. History accepts the existence of episodes from the past in much the same way as geography assumes the existence of places hat can be described, however imperfectly, as really existing even if not directly experienced by the narrator, on the basis of whatever record is available and selected for use (Tunbridge and Ashworth 1996)Read MoreSociocultural Approaches And The Construction Of Knowledge1650 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Sociocultural approaches emphasize the interdependence and individual processes in the construction of knowledge†.(John-Steiner,V and Mahn,H 1996).The real understanding of constructivism is only paying much attention o n the learners’ previous experience and background knowledge .It maintains that individuals create or construct their own new understandings or knowledge through the interaction of what they already believe and the ideas,events,and activities with which they come into contact.(FacultyRead MoreThe Critique Of Karl Marx Essay1549 Words   |  7 Pagesin which Marx went about social analysis. Chapters are organized according to each subject’s relevance to the construction of Marx’s anthropology. Chapter one focuses on the greater political state of Europe and university culture in which Marx received his education, providing historical and pedagogical explanations for the manifestation of his ideas. Chapter two explains the facets of Marx’s â€Å"philosophical† anthropology, explaining how Marx viewed the moral and social characteristics of humansRead MoreThe Importance of Fashion in the Modern World897 Words   |  4 Pagesaspect like language, fur niture, homes, cars, clothes, food and many other things. There are trendsetters and trend followers with different degrees of adaption but here trend is a broader term pertaining to style design, deriving from cultures, social, or many other factors of which fashion is a manifestation. Fashion has become one of the most important aspect of life in today’s life. Fashion has become central to modern life; drives the economy, influences tastes, defines individuals and groupsRead MoreCulture and Foreign Language: Teaching and Learning Essay1488 Words   |  6 Pagesthere are different definitions of culture. These views have relied on the different language acquisition theories and teaching approaches that have emerged in the history of foreign language teaching. (Hinkel, 1999) Until the mid-twentieth century, culture was seen as the transmission of factual information about the target language, which consisted of statistical information about history, literature, arts, and g eography among others. This View of teaching culture was known as â€Å"big C† or â€Å"achievementRead MoreThe City As A Growth Machine881 Words   |  4 PagesGrowth Machine by Logan and Molotch, Minoritized Space by Michel Laguerre and The Construction of the Ghetto by Massey and Denton demonstrate segregation between racial backgrounds are divided into into specific neighborhoods that contributes as a benefit towards whites. I will be arguing how the theory of Karl Marx on estranged labor is related into these article but also Angela Harris theory on Critical racial theory contributes, clarifies and supports the author s reasons on why segregation still