Discuss any comments, questions, thoughts, ideas, examples, critiques, etc. about the concept of social construction of reality. I want to make sure that students understand the concept and its application to society and our lives... and can think critically about it.
I believe that social construction reality is way of controlling the way people think. It is like when people see things that our society doesn't except a lot of people tend to lose their individuality. For example like the way we dress, if you see people wearing a certain trend of clothing most people tend to follow what is "In Style" and not what they want to wear because "society" says it is not okay.
ReplyDeleteThis week class was very interesting I saw first hand how social construction reality controls the way people think. We were doing an activity in class and a student had a negative view about homosexuality because society said so, he even thought that he had the power to punish others for being themselves and he even said that he would allow a individual who is gay to get beat up by others and not help them. In return I told him he was ignorant. It doesn't matter who someone chooses to be socities or individuals do not have to right to judge others. It is just so amazing how one person's opinion can change how a whole group of people think,believe, or act. Hopefully one day that will change.
Social Construction is the way people incorporate societies views on life, religiously, economically, politically,and socially into their own way of living. People take societies views and they choose their own belief system and that determines what they live by. Everyone don't have the same belief just because that how society view things or society feel that how things suppose to be. We as an individual still have a choice to what societal group we want to be a part of, and what we believe in, and what will live by. I believe that their is no wrong or right, because everyone has a right to their own beliefs. To some extent we as individuals do want to be excepted, and we do care about what society think, and how they view us. If we are strong people we will still make our final choice on life and not let what society dictate how we should live. Someone weak will be miserable in life worrying about what society thinks. This person will spend their life trying to please society and will never be happy. So, we as people in order to be happy in life, need to know that we can agree and disagree with societies views, and only incorporate views that we honestly believe in and what is healthy for our life. No one person is the same and we are going to view things differenty. We need to know how to socially construct societies views in our own lives that will benefit us. So, social construction is how we use societies views, such as beliefs and values in our every day life.
ReplyDeleteSocial construction of reality is the way that citizens perspective on live, the way they live, their economic status, and any other type of issue that could effect them socially. Furthermore its the way that people look upon each other.
ReplyDeleteAs instructed on the card I watched some students from the cafeteria and I observed them. And what I observed was that whenever someone would pass by, more than likely they would say something negative about the person. Now my perspective of why they were saying negative things was that the students that passed by would not fit in where their from. So by seeing some one else dressed different was a problem for them.
I see social construction of reality as a way to describe when talking about different topics without saying that the way you feel is either right or wrong. It's a way to say that this is what I see or was taught about different issues. It can consist of what you believe, what you see around you, or what you have heard. It's how society effects us all that give us the ability to have a view of social contruction of reality.
ReplyDeleteSocial construction of reality is the way society maybe shaped. Like you were saying about the dance " Crank the Superman". I thought the song and the dance was stupid, but I found myself doing it. I guess I did it because everyone else was doing it and it grow on me.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting thing to me, that was discussed in class was about sexual and child abuse. When you said it was shaped by society, I thought to myself that can't be. After, you began to give examples, I was like yeah he's right. If people stay silent then it will be hidden and it could hurt alot of people.
In my family we have been socially constructed to stay silent. My mother and my grandmother always say don't tell anyone what just happened (like when my little cousin fights my aunt). They don't want my grandfather to know beacuse he will be mad and maybe say something. The famous worsd are " it will be the biggest mess". I believe that people should be able to express what they are feeling or thinking with out conflict. I don't like sweeping things under the rug. Can't we agree to disagree without conflict? I think so.
Social construction of reality is the way society controls how we think and act. As far as homosexuality goes, society makes the world look at homosexuality as something that is wrong. Just because society isn't used to seeing homosexuality as being something traditional, they perceive it to be abnormal. It wasn't common in earlier years and if they saw one or two people doing it, the people were looked at with disgust. Society made the people think homosexuality is wrong by saying it's a sin and an abomination to God, but nowhere in the bible does it say that. People believe that because that is what society says.
ReplyDeleteWhen I evaluated myself to see how much society has on my everyday decisions, I wrote a 7 meaning society has more of an influence in my life than my individuality. That's not to say that I don't live my life for me because I do, but I must not be ignorant to the fact that certain things I will not do based on what society says is the wrong thing to do. Most people say they don't care what other people think of them and how society rates them, but I know I won't find a person who will faithfully wear a clown's face make-up to class everyday because society tells us not to come out of the house looking like a pure fool. I believe I fully understand the concept of social construction of reality.
I agree with Ozella because some of the things we do in life mostly revolve around someone opinion. For example when someone goes for a job interview if the interviewer does not like the persons appearance he or she would not get the job. Therefore we have to talk, look, or act a certain way. Furthermore that takes away individualism and people are not acting like themselves, theirputting on a image.
ReplyDeleteIn my own words social construction of reality aprroaches social problems and how society views and carries social expressions. For example Motherhood. Biological facts and social constuctionist label mothers to love nuture, and enable then to thrive. By not being their provider and parenting or abandoning them would not be a society aspects of motherhood. This experience would be unnatural because society believes women should take care of children.It has been socially constructed that men who are not gay may think that smacking a mans but to say hi is unnatural but giving a smack in a game is natural without thinking anything bad of it.
ReplyDeletesocail construction of reality is very deep to me. I think that so many people really dont think that society has a big affect on them. I falut short of this sometimes myself. When we were in class and Dr.Greenfield gave the example of the hottest dance made me rethink how society affects my life. Im glad im I learned about them term and the way society really affects ones life.
ReplyDeleteSocial construction of reality controls a lot of our thinking, actions, and opinions. Although, this term is not new to me it is still a term that i find fascinating as it corresponds to reality.
ReplyDeleteI view Social construction of reality as a set of beliefs that we learned from the nurturing of our society, family, religion, etc. Although the ideas about the way we should act, dress or even things that we should or should not do to be considered right by society has caused many to over look the deeper mean, i feel that it is done out of not knowing or even the fear of finding out.
For example in stats class Dr. Greenfield discussed with my class about how it is Socially constructed that the thought of boys playing with doll babies exposes them to living a homosexual life as they mature. We talked about the different values that could be installed as a young boy with giving a boy toy army men and gun vs baby dolls. Toy guns are considered to be massculin but they also promote violence and provides an okay to inflict harm where as a baby doll will show a boy that it is okay to be nurturing which could lead him to become a good father, and a respectable figure in society.
There was much more talked about geared to social construction but after learning this term i am more open to challenge my actions and opinions. It has help me to view the world differently without discriminating.
The social construction of reality is basically how we may not believe we are influenced but how the things and people around us affect how we live our lives and make different desicions. its crazy because i never really payed attention to the social construction of reality but as we continued to talk about it i payed more attention to the things around me and the way people react differently. I realized that people are really influenced more than they say they are by the things that go on around us... I can personally count about 20+ men who pulled up their sagging jeans after President Obama won the elections. but they were the same men who said that if your pants didnt sag or if they were tight that you were gay. This concept also shows how many people contradict themselves. For example when females wear a revealing dress to the club you may say things like shes fast or a hoe but the next week you may wear the same thing. You may all think its ok because its what you seen on tv. Also, a woman individually would not believe she is a hoe if she has numerous sexual partners but according to society she is. Now other women, instead of being sensitive to this, they will join in and say the same. When in reality they dont agree with the statement but because everyone else says it they will say it too. It just goes to show you how you are influenced with out even knowing it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Stephanie in saying that the social construction of reality is a way more powerful tool than people realize it is. There are things you might have done yesterday that were ok but because it was changed or looked at in a different manner by others, it is something you might not do today.
ReplyDeleteLike Michelle i also hated the crank that dance and even though i never did it in a party i did joke around about it with my friends and girls on my floor, making fun of it but more or less still doing it. Not because i liked it but because it was what everyone else ws doing. Same thing with the spider man... I bet theres a hundred people who hate the dance the stanky legg but theyll be doing it at the next party. I can honestly say i hate that one too and i dont think ill be participating in this one but i guess we wont know till the next party.
Social construction of reality is one of my favorite subjects. I read that even when studying gender, it has been found that gender is just a social construct. It is believed that there is nothing natural about being a man or woman or heterosexual or homosexual...
ReplyDeleteBut on a simpler (sp?) level..this is a very interesting. It is so funny how people are influenced by others. Even those people who strive to be different are inspired by others to "be different." I saw some students above me talking about tight pants...I remember when I first went to college in 2003...the only guys who wore tight pants were the ones who were thought of to be "different"..now since a couple of older rappers wore them...then it became cool...it's the same thing with chains and such...everything is influenced by someone...
By the way...I would never "crank" anything...lol..and I find it humorous on how catchy that crap is...lol
Toya...you should read a book called..."the macho paradox..."...it talks about that masculine thing that you said Dr. Greenfield addressed in class...I love that book...every man should read it too...it addresses all the issues that men have these days..and what they are rooted in..and possibly how to fix them...
I first learned about social construction of reality when i took social sicence. In learning about this new way of thinking I have found that a lot the things that we believe in and have emotional feeling about are really basied on the way that someone has told us that we should believe or feel. Social Construction of Reality is the way that America has been built up on. When you think back on how America jumps from one thing to another you can see how what one person says and thinks can be "put" on to someone. When you look at how you was rasied and the things you use to think of as being whats right now you have other thoughts and feeling about it now that you have come up with your own way of thinking.
ReplyDeleteI agree with KeKe on the facts that social construction of reailty is a very powerful thing. When using this way of thinking you really have the power to infulence many people. Socail Constrution of Reality gives you the power to change minds and change lives.
Social Construction is what we make it, we dont think about it but we do. Most of the time we say things and we start it off with "You know what they say, or People always say, my question is who are they? Who are the people. What makes thier opinion count more than yours.
ReplyDeleteI think that we are engaging in a nice discussion of social construction of reality, and it appears that the posters have a good feel for it. What does it take to change the social construct?
ReplyDeleteWhere is the rest of the class?
I agree with Keke and drummer_boi alot of people lose who they are because of Social Construction Reality. Especially at Shaw you may see a certain individual dress or act one way. Then all of a sudden they within a month or so they have changed almost everything about them and it is because someone els told them it wasn't "Cool" how they were dressing or acting. It seems like everyone particaptes in the action because they dont want to feel left out.
ReplyDeleteSocial construction of reality is having a certain mind set that has been instilled in a person, unintentionally or from society!An example of social construction of reality is the fact that men are supposed to be masculine and not supposed to be caring and show there true feelings because if they do they are less of a person!Another example of social construction of reality is that you must have the best clothes to even be looked at twice. People think that clothes and fashion is everything based on the emphasis that society and the media puts on it! Also, thinking that you have to be the perfect super model size!It has been socially constructed that you are "SUPPOSED" to wear a size 3 and be slim!
ReplyDeleteTo me social construction is nothing but a stereotype. Some are good but most of them are bad. They dictate how people act, dress, talk, and even say what is right and not right in society.
ReplyDeleteI was talkin to a friend a couple of days ago and she was telling me about how her and another girl got into an arguement the day before. Half way through the conversation she said " Come on now, Im from New York you know we don't play that." And I'm like just because you are from New York does not mean that you have to be aggressive or arguementative all the time. Plus there are aggressive or "real" people everywhere New York may have put that in you a luttle bit but your attitude has nothing to do with where you are from.
Social construction is what we make it to be. Our society makes us accept or reject certain things. So we begin to have certain sterotypes on what males should do or what females should do. We set it in our minds that males dont cry. And that every girl must have long straight hair. Its a thing that will not change unless we open our minds and become more diverse to new ways and ideas. I agree with Danielle when she said that it is a mind set that has been instilled in us. I believe that is very true, because people grow up in different areas so all kinds of different styles and ways of acting collide and people are forced into melting pots. That can be fustrating.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mr. Baseball when he says that social construction is a stereotype on some issues. He compares it to being from New York. I believe it is stereotyped that if you're from New York, you're supposed to 'go hard' and act as if you are the world and everyone else is beneath you. It's a stereotype because truthfully, I was born and raised in New York and if anyone were to look at me and observe, I carry myself in a well mannered way. The only time I'm rude is when I get mad or irritated.
ReplyDeleteI agree with KeKe when she said that most people won't admit that society has more of an effect on their decisions than they really say. Some people are so stuck on individualism that they are ignorant to the fact that society is what allows them to be an individual set aside from society. They contradict theirselves because they don't want to be looked at as being less than they say they are, so they continue to believe that their decisions are made solely on individual bases.
I agree with Anthony. There was a time in my life that my hair had to be straight, because I was constructed to beleive that's what looks good. I decided to go natural almost two years ago and I'm glad that I made the change. I don't worry about how people feel about my hair.
ReplyDeleteBoys are taught not to cry and it's ok for girls. Crying is a way of expressing your feelings. Maybe that's why some men are sooo angry. If they would cry a little and BREATHE they would feel so much better.
social constuction of reality is the way to control society.I think social conrtuction is a forceful way of society. Have you thought of the saying that America is a free country. If you think social constuction has a total effect on this saying. If we were free we would be able to say and do what we want without being judge.
ReplyDeleteEveything has changed because of the way society thinks. I believe that we are prisoners of our own way of life. We cant do anything without being judge. i wonder if President Obama really change social contruction of reality what would we do?.
I agree with Ozella. I do believe that social constuction is a sterotype of life. Why do people judge other people on the way they look and talk. Why cant we be the same as a society?.I was born in DC and now that im in college, people always say oh you a bamma because of the bright colors i wear. Just because im from DC, doesnt mean i always wear bright colors.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ms. Smith and keke. What we do from day to day is based on what soceity thinks whether we have control of it or not. For example sometimes it takes alot for me to get cold, so i may go outside with a jacket while everyone else has on a coat. I usally go back inside to put a coat on due to waht society thinks i should wear when its cold outside. Even though alot of the meds that im on make me hot. So yes soceity does have a great impact on our lifes. Many fell to realize this factor.
ReplyDeleteSocial construction of reality plays a major part in our society. Over the past couple of meetings it has become a very interesting topic. We may not want to admit a lot of times that we are influenced by our society which definitely includes the people that we grow up with, encounter on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteIn the world in which we live today social construction of reality is all around us. For example we werre taught early that our religion is Christianity and there are so many others. But because our culture (society) says thats what it is we tend to follow suit. However, if we look at people, context and time that has now change. People are now making decisions to follow other relegions.
Social construction of reality will always have an impact on our society becuase we are influenced by others around us and sometimes we don't recognize it.
Social construction of reality to me means exactly what the quote said when saying what is "real" to us is only what we perceive to be "real". The way that the society that we are a part of has constructed itself has direct bearing on how we conduct ourselves. Because the paradigms have been set, we can either choose to exist within those paradigms or alter them in order to complete what we choose to percieve as "real".
ReplyDeleteDr. Greenfield,
ReplyDeleteI am not sure what it will take to change the social construct. I feel like first it will take for us to fully understand what social construct is, as an entire social group. I honestly, don't think that will ever happen. If we don't understand what it is, then we can't change the effects it has, both good and bad. I believe more men should read "The Macho Paradox"...that'll help with their issues, but I'm unsure about what to do for women...lol...
I hate this use of social construstion of reality because it controls ones thinking process. Its like u are told or society has to believe something so you do it because its in the norm to do it. Its like social construction of reality is just another way to believe in confirmability. If its in the norm people will do it. Social Construction of Reality to me can either build individuality ore strip from the individual by what they see as the norm and they want to fit in to the norm
ReplyDeleteIts just a huge conformist movement that seems to has many people believe what is right at the time in society is just right. they dont challenge Social construction of Reality so they conform to it.
ReplyDeleteSocial construction of reality is a more educated or nicer way of quoting statistics and or personal beliefs/feelins. Instead of me saying because you are black you are stupid. I say it is socially constructed that blacks are under achivers. Instead of me saying because you are black you are a criminal. I say it has been socially constructed that there are more blacks in prision system than any other race. Instead of me saying that whites are superior. I say it has been socially constructed that whites have a higher economic status and have more power because they sit in the majority of the important chairs that guide this country. Although its a more educated way of saying something its still just statistics and feelings.
ReplyDeleteSocial construction of reality is a form or way people express their beliefs. It can be a way on seeing how other people view themselves and the things around them. People tend to do things because they think its cool or in style.. or maybe becaue thery want to fit in.. Majority of things do is because they seen or heard another person was doing it. For example now everyone wants to wear scarfs around they neck.. nOt because they thought of it themselves, it because it's the new fashion although they may add there own personnel style to it.
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