Society
A society is a system that allows people in a region to get along in productive and peaceful cooperation.Law
The laws and regulations of nations, cities and international agreements.Economics
Economics such as economic systems, regulations, markets, business models and production methods.Languages
Natural languages such as Mandarin, Spanish, English and French.Concepts
Concepts are mostly tied to language but can also exist as visuals. For example, the concept of civility is a social construct.Culture
The traditional culture of a nation or people and other types of culture such as subculture, super culture and organizational culture.Literature & Music
Products of individual imagination are typically based on existing culture such that they are partially socially constructed. For example, grammar or musical notes are social constructs that are used by individuals to create works of cultural value.Entertainment
Entertainment is built on top of language and culture such that it is largely socially constructed.Art
Art is a type of culture that is based on both individual creativity and shared understandings and methods.Architecture
Architecture is partially socially constructed but is also heavily based on hard sciences such as physics and geology and applied sciences such as civil engineering.Traditions
Traditions such as a festival or custom.Fashion
Fashion norms, methods and traditions.Communication
Communication such as the visual symbols of a nation.Technology
Technology is the application of science to produce tools and systems that serve human needs. It is mostly shaped by hard sciences and applied sciences. However, it can also be partially socially constructed. For example, a video game with characters who wear socially constructed fashion that executes on a computer that is a product of engineering.Roles
Social and economic roles such as a grandfather or police officer.Norms
Norms such as shaking hands as a greeting.Emotions
Emotions are a biological thing that would exist without society. However, they may be colored by social constructs such as the concept of bravery or kindness.Human Behavior
Human behavior is driven by complex factors of biology, individual experience, culture, tradition and systems such as society. As such, human behavior is partially socially constructed unless an individual lives in a state of anomie.Notes
Social constructs are mostly intangible. However, it is a mistake to think that social constructs aren't real or that they don't have value. For example, the French language is socially constructed and it has great value to humanity. As social constructs emerge within a society over many years with a process of communication and political competition they are generally slow to change.Intangible social constructs such as an economic system can have physical manifestations such as factories, infrastructure, machines and pollution.Social constructionists are criticized for a tendency towards promoting pseudoscience by suggesting that physics, biology and other hard sciences are socially constructed. It should be made clear that the generally accepted laws and theories of hard sciences are not socially constructed but are observations of the physical universe. For example, it is nonsense to suggest that time, space or the organs of the human body are socially constructed.Postmodernists commonly embrace a concept known as relativism whereby individuals define their own reality and are then justified to make the rest of society follow this reality which they are free to change at any time. It is unclear exactly how this is supposed to work as all societies up to this point have depended on shared social constructs to get along and to be productive.| Overview: Social Constructs | ||
Type | ||
Definition | Things that emerge with the shared experiences of a civilization or society. | |
Related Concepts | ||
