Human Diversity: Social Constructionism, Intersectionality, and Social Inequality

Social Constructionism

theory suggests that what we see as real (in this case, cultural categories of difference and systems of inequality) is the result of human interaction.

Cultural Categories

We learn about these categories through social interaction, and we are given meanings and values for these categories by our social institutions, peers, and families.

Critical Thinking Framework

Using a (Blank) based on the notion of social construction requires that we be committed to asking questions and challenging assumptions that impair our ability even to imagine these questions.

Internalization

In the final stage, (blank) we learn the supposedly objective facts about the cultural products that have been created.

Socialization

is the process of social interaction in which one learns the ways of the society and one's specific roles-the sets of rules and expectations attached to a social position (or status) in that society.

Intersectionality

refers to how different aspects of a person's identity (such as race, gender, and class) intersect and affect their experiences and social positions.

W. I. Thomas Theorem

noted, if we 'define situations as real, they are real in their consequences.'

Social Disadvantage

Lacking quality resources results in further social disadvantage, which can perpetuate the poverty of this group.

Mass Media

Mass media serve as a powerful tool for shaping the way we think and operate as an extremely important socialization mechanism.

Substandard Resources

The assignment of (blank) to people who are poor can create a vicious cycle of disadvantage.

Cultural Products

aspects of culture that are created through social interaction and are internalized by members of the culture.

Quality Resources

such as good public schools and access to adequate health care are often lacking in low-income housing areas.

Social Institutions

structures within society that provide meanings and values for cultural categories.

Peer Influence

Peers play a significant role in shaping our understanding of cultural categories and their meanings.

Cultural Understanding

Members of the same culture share an understanding of reality and rarely question the origins of their beliefs or the processes by which the beliefs arose.

Subjective Consciousness

Through internalization, facts about cultural products become part of our (blank).

Social Position

is the status one holds in society, which comes with specific roles, rules, and expectations.

Cultural Interaction

is the process through which individuals learn about and engage with cultural categories.

Cultural Learning

learning occurs through social interaction and the internalization of cultural products.

Expectations in Society

Expectations attached to a social position influence how individuals perceive their roles within society.

Consequences of Definitions

Defining a group as inferior does not make that group inferior, yet it may result in the group being experienced as inferior.

Class Constructs

Internalized beliefs about class in society, perpetuating myths about poverty and economic security.

Poverty Myths

Beliefs that poverty is not a significant problem and that the poor are to blame for their situation.

Racial Formation

The process by which social, economic, and political forces determine the content and importance of racial categories.

Multiracial Identity

Recognition that involves social, economic, and political interactions that construct categories of race.

Privilege

Advantage groups seen as the 'norm' that set societal norms and race.

Oppression

Forms of systemic disadvantage associated with categories like racism, sexism, and classism.

Cultural Competence

The ability to effectively understand, appreciate, and interact with people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Self-Awareness

Understanding one's own biases and a willingness to learn about other cultures.

Cultural Humility

A lifelong practice of self-reflection and self-critique to understand one's own cultural identity and biases.

Ethnocentrism

The tendency to view one's own culture as superior and judge others based on its values and standards.

Cultural Relativism

The principle that a person's beliefs, values, and practices should be understood within their own culture's context.

Racism

A form of oppression associated with the dominance of one racial group over others.

Sexism

A form of oppression associated with the dominance of one gender over another.

Religious Oppression

A form of oppression targeting individuals based on their religious beliefs.

Anti-Semitism

A form of oppression specifically targeting Jewish individuals.

Heterosexism

A form of oppression that privileges heterosexual relationships over others.

Classism

A form of oppression that discriminates against individuals based on their social class.

Ageism

A form of oppression that discriminates against individuals based on their age.

Ableism

A form of oppression that discriminates against individuals with disabilities.

Social Forces

Factors that shape and determine racial categories and meanings.

Systems of Inequality

Structures in society that perpetuate disadvantage for certain groups based on class, race, or other factors.

Categories of Difference

Refers to societally constructed ways of grouping people (e.g., race, gender, religion, class) that are used to differentiate individuals and groups, often leading to varied experiences of privilege or discrimination.

Differentiating Groups

Categories are used to distinguish and sort people into groups, which is crucial for social research, policy-making, and legislation.

Creating Social Hierarchies

The application of these categories can create or reinforce systems of advantage and disadvantage, leading to social inequality.

Shaping Identity

Individuals learn about these categories and their associated meanings through social interactions, and they can form aspects of their personal and social identities.

Middle Class Myth

The often misleading narrative that everyone can achieve middle-class status through hard work, or that a robust middle class is a stable and unchanging feature of society.

Social Definitions of Race, Gender, and Sexuality

are socially defined, not biological.

Economic Inequality

The uneven distribution of wealth and income within a society or across the globe, referring to disparities in how much money people have and how much money they earn.

Poverty

A social problem that is prevalent and has survived through generations.

Social Norms

Help keep social norms in place.

Media Coverage of Economic Struggles

In media coverage, the middle class and upper class dominate, often misrepresenting economic struggles as personal issues rather than addressing systemic laws and policies.

Gender Scripts

Men are expected to initiate the hookup and women are expected to regulate the boundaries, leading to a double standard of stigma between 'player vs. slut.'

Hookup Culture

A social phenomenon characterized by widespread acceptance and encouragement of casual, uncommitted sexual encounters that lack emotional intimacy or romantic commitment.

Power and Privilege

The ability to influence or control others and resources, while (blank) is the unearned advantage or benefit that individuals receive from belonging to a dominant group in society.

Gender Construction

Gender is socially constructed rather than biologically determined.

Gender Roles

Create hierarchy with masculinity above femininity.

Structural Explanations

Identify large-scale social, economic, or political factors as the cause of social phenomena.

Individual Explanations

Focus on a person's personal choices, psychology, or actions as the main explanatory factor.

Focus of Individual Explanations

Attribute social phenomena to an individual's personal traits, choices, psychology, actions, or biological factors.

Focus of Structural Explanations

Look beyond the individual to the surrounding systems.