social construction

Question 1

It’s “just” a social construction implies

Answer 1

Imaginary
Optional
Easily changed

Question 2

how are social constructions embedded within the social order?

Answer 2

Governed by norms
Regulated by institutions

Question 3

why are social constructions difficult to change?

Answer 3

Describes everything as it’s a part of our social reality
They exist in a structured way
Only changes through collective processes

Question 4

how does a social construction occur? give examples

Answer 4

It is a process
Needs to be collective action
become reinforced through institutionalization
ie. religion, scientific ideas, activists

Question 5

social construction of meanings

Answer 5

Historically
Culturally
Legally
within social institutions

Question 6

historically (meaning)

Answer 6

Product of the time

Question 7

culturally (meaning)

Answer 7

Different set of beliefs to understand the world around them

Question 8

legally (meaning)

Answer 8

Is then integrated legal institutions

Question 9

within social institutions (meaning)

Answer 9

Ie. education

Question 10

biology and social construction

Answer 10

natural processes = depends on cultural context
meanings are constructed including biological facts
social construction is different from biological determinism but not its opposite
sexual desire might have biological roots but social meaning/expression are governed by social processes

Question 11

social construction (definiton+examples)

Answer 11

systems of meaning are discursive, but also embedded in, reinforced by institutions, ie. economic, state, family

Question 12

identity

Answer 12

the processes that construct sexual identity categories are not static

Question 13

history social construction of sexuality

Answer 13

homosexuality as an identity category did not exist prior to 1800
term invented by psychologists/sexologists
gay people flocked to urban centers to get away from the church/family
gay spaces = based on interests/preferences
sapphic spaces = not that prevalent

Question 14

industrial-era capitalism

Answer 14

adults moved away from families
urban environments bring a critical mass of men together
leisure time: gay social clubs, enclaves develop

Question 15

medicalization

Answer 15

homosexuality became a diagnostic category in psychology
resulted in harm such as forced institutionalization
and social isolation from partners/friends

Question 16

what makes up social construction of sexuality?

Answer 16

economy
law
urban/rural organization of households
religious institutions
families
education

Question 17

resistance to medicalization

Answer 17

Second half of 1900th century
Criminalizing homosexuality but then led to social movements. became embedded into social institutions
Entrenched way of understanding but was also arbitrary since it was created at one point of time

Question 18

trans identities

Answer 18

not new concept but the term “trans” is
emergence of the term cis to not “other” trans people
still relies on eurocentric approach that separates sex, gender, sexuality

Question 19

two spirit identity

Answer 19

1990
made through collaboration (academia/dialogue)
express gender, sexuality through indigenous lens
anti-colonialist understanding of sexuality

Question 20

indigenous sexualities

Answer 20

Not one people, many Peoples

Question 21

two-spirit as resistance

Answer 21

challenging binary sex and gender categories
resisting euro-centric ways of knowing