Social Constructions

In some of the previous posts, I mentioned that Lacan says that what we see as our reflection is influenced by social constructions.  What is a social construct you may ask?  According to Boghossian, something is socially constructed if "it ... emphasize[s] its dependence on contingent aspects of our social selves."

Wait, what?

He breaks it down in his new sentence:
A social construction "could not have existed had we not built it; and we need not have built it at all, at least not in its present form. Had we been a different kind of society, had we had different needs, values, or interests, we might well have built a different kind of thing, or built this one differently."

So basically, we as a society develop our own social constructs.  We declare what is right or appropriate and then feel pressured to live by these standards. These social constructions change in different areas.  What is acceptable here in the U.S. might not be in Europe.  What is normal in Africa may be completely different than in another country. It doesn't have to be so widespread either. Growing up, the games I played with my friends and the t.v. shows I watched were different than those of my cousins who lived a few states away.


Want to read Boghossian's essay on social constructions?  Here it is!

Also, here's a pretty sweet brochure!