Social Constructionism & Feminism Flashcards
(24 cards)
What does social constructionism argue about reality?
What we take for granted as ‘real’ is often a product of social interactions, shaped by language, institutions, and cultural norms.
Which disciplines widely use social constructionism?
- Sociology
- Anthropology
- History
- Psychology
What pattern do social constructionist arguments typically follow according to Ian Hacking?
They identify something seen as inevitable or natural and demonstrate how it is socially created and could be different.
What are examples of socially constructed phenomena?
- Race
- Gender
- Mental illness
- Scientific knowledge
Who popularized the concept of social constructionism in the social sciences?
Berger and Luckmann in 1966.
What are the four processes by which social reality is built according to Berger and Luckmann?
- Habitualization
- Institutionalization
- Objectivation
- Socialization
How does language influence social construction?
As we learn language, we also learn how to categorize and interpret the world around us.
What impact did the cultural turn of the 1980s have on human geography?
It shaped human geography through social constructionist perspectives.
What do cultural geographers argue about race and ethnicity?
They are not biologically fixed but are socially constructed and maintained through discourse and representation.
What is Thomas Kuhn’s contribution to the understanding of scientific knowledge?
He argued that scientific knowledge is shaped by paradigms that define legitimate knowledge and methods.
What happens when anomalies accumulate in a scientific paradigm according to Kuhn?
A crisis emerges, leading to a paradigm shift.
Who is foundational to feminist thought regarding the social construction of gender?
Simone de Beauvoir.
What is the historical perception of gender in Western thought?
‘Man’ treated as the default or ‘neutral’ category, while ‘woman’ is constructed as ‘other.’
What critique did geographers like Jan Monk and Susan Hanson have during the Second Wave of Feminism?
They critiqued geography for being sexist in both content and methodology.
What are the three approaches in feminist geography?
- Empirical Feminism
- Feminist Standpoint Theory
- Poststructural and Postmodern Feminism
What does Empirical Feminism focus on?
Documenting gender inequalities in access to public space, safety, and employment.
What does Feminist Standpoint Theory argue?
Marginalized groups have unique perspectives that provide deeper insights into social structures.
What is a critique of Feminist Standpoint Theory?
It assumes a unified ‘women’s perspective’, ignoring diversity among women.
What does Poststructural and Postmodern Feminism emphasize?
Intersectionality—the ways race, class, and gender interact.
What are feminist methodologies known for?
Prioritizing collaboration, reflexivity, and inclusivity.
What research method did Datta (2012) use to study Eastern European migrants?
Feminist methods, including participatory approaches.
What ongoing challenge does geography face despite progress in feminist geography?
It remains male-dominated, especially in physical geography.
Fill in the blank: Social constructionism has profoundly shaped human geography by revealing how concepts like race, place, and _____ are not fixed realities.
[gender]
