1. What is Social Construction? Understanding a certain framework in sociology

2. That an artifact of a particular culture or society exists solely because people agree to behave as if it matters, so then, it does. “race” “women’s role” “nature” the class structure of Cnd society

3. The Process (simplified) 1. Take something. 2. ACT like it matters. (The object then has meaning.) 3. It then begins to matter (It is “objectified.”) 4.The People “forget” that they authored the meaning of the object (It is “externalized” AND “naturalized”.) (This construction process may be a process over history, the forgetting may include the loss of collective [historical] memory.)

4. Examples of The Process 1. Take some thing. 4. People “forgot” that they authored the meaning of the object (It is “naturalized”.) 1.Which comes first? The chicken, or the Egg? 2.Which comes first? The “thing” or the construction of the “thing.” e.g., “women are caring”

5. Social Construction: Results of this tool. Because things ARE like they are right now, we come to see them as the “normal” or “natural” way things are. Externalisation  Objectification  Internalisation Understanding that things are “socially constructed” means that they can be changed. There are several varieties of Soc. Const theory - “weak” versions to “strong” versions.