social construction Flashcards
(21 cards)
It’s “just” a social construction implies
Imaginary
Optional
Easily changed
how are social constructions embedded within the social order?
Governed by norms
Regulated by institutions
why are social constructions difficult to change?
Describes everything as it’s a part of our social reality
They exist in a structured way
Only changes through collective processes
how does a social construction occur? give examples
It is a process
Needs to be collective action
become reinforced through institutionalization
ie. religion, scientific ideas, activists
social construction of meanings
Historically
Culturally
Legally
within social institutions
historically (meaning)
Product of the time
culturally (meaning)
Different set of beliefs to understand the world around them
legally (meaning)
Is then integrated legal institutions
within social institutions (meaning)
Ie. education
biology and social construction
natural processes = depends on cultural context
meanings are constructed including biological facts
social construction is different from biological determinism but not its opposite
sexual desire might have biological roots but social meaning/expression are governed by social processes
social construction (definiton+examples)
systems of meaning are discursive, but also embedded in, reinforced by institutions, ie. economic, state, family
identity
the processes that construct sexual identity categories are not static
history social construction of sexuality
homosexuality as an identity category did not exist prior to 1800
term invented by psychologists/sexologists
gay people flocked to urban centers to get away from the church/family
gay spaces = based on interests/preferences
sapphic spaces = not that prevalent
industrial-era capitalism
adults moved away from families
urban environments bring a critical mass of men together
leisure time: gay social clubs, enclaves develop
medicalization
homosexuality became a diagnostic category in psychology
resulted in harm such as forced institutionalization
and social isolation from partners/friends
what makes up social construction of sexuality?
economy
law
urban/rural organization of households
religious institutions
families
education
resistance to medicalization
Second half of 1900th century
Criminalizing homosexuality but then led to social movements. became embedded into social institutions
Entrenched way of understanding but was also arbitrary since it was created at one point of time
trans identities
not new concept but the term “trans” is
emergence of the term cis to not “other” trans people
still relies on eurocentric approach that separates sex, gender, sexuality
two spirit identity
1990
made through collaboration (academia/dialogue)
express gender, sexuality through indigenous lens
anti-colonialist understanding of sexuality
indigenous sexualities
Not one people, many Peoples
two-spirit as resistance
challenging binary sex and gender categories
resisting euro-centric ways of knowing
