Social constructs

A lecture on social construction, looking specifically at the social construction of childhood, ideology, stereotypes, moral panics and scapegoats.

1. Social constructs

2. A very simple definition “A product of society or culture, not of biology” ( Moore et al, p.66)

3. Key concepts Ideology- a powerful set of ideas. Stereotypes- An oversimplified idea or image about a certain group of people that is widely accepted by others. Scapegoats- a group blamed for social ills, regardless of their involvement. Moral panics- a period of public anxiety surrounding a specific group of individuals or a specific issue. Social constructionism- A social theory based on the idea that all elements of society and social life are socially constructed.

4. Some concepts related to social constructions we’ve encountered already Stereotypes Scapegoats Moral panics

5. Stereotypes A stereotype can be considered a oversimplification of a group of people that is widely accepted by others but may not be accurate. Why do stereotypes exist? Allows people to make sense of cultural difference and diversity in society. Media representations (what does this tell us about power?) Lack of exposure to other social/cultural/political groups.

6. Scapegoats A person or group that is blamed of crimes, faults or ‘deviance’ because it is convenient to others, not because it is necessarily true. Examples of some scapegoats- When looking at new right theories of the family and social inequality we have seen that lone parents and the unemployed were scapegoats. Again, what do scapegoats tell us about power, ideology and structure?

7. Moral panics Cohen (1972)- Folk devils and moral panics The social or media production of crime and deviant groups. In the spring of 1964 the tabloid press claimed there were violent clashes taking places between Mods and Rockers. During his research Cohen could find little evidence of these clashes taking place … M edia report and social responses result in moral panics, which are characterised by 1)group identified as problematic 2) creating symbols around the threat 3) Public concern 4) response from authorities aka moral entrepreneurs 5) social change.

8. Defining a social construct Jary and Jary (1996, p.605) “ A formulation … [used] in sociology to emphasis the way in which social institutions or social life generally is socially produced rather than naturally given or determined.” James and James (2008, p.122) “a theoretical perspective that explores the ways in which “reality” is negotiated in everyday life through people’s interactions and through sets of discourses’”

9. How can we tell is a concept is socially constructed? Social constructs are usually made visible by looking at how they are interpreted through time and across cultures . If the concept isn’t consistent across time, for example femininity was very different in the V ictorian era, with the accepted idea that children should be seen and not heard, then it hints that it is socially constructed. Looking at the concept across cultures can give further weight to the idea that the concept is socially constructed. Looking at femininity again, this differs across cultures with different body shapes, roles and characteristics being seen as ‘feminine’.

10. The social construction of childhood Does childhood change through time ? Does childhood change across cultures?

11. R esearch on the social construction of childhood. Ariès (1979) Childhood as a recent ‘invention. Looked at art and literature from the middle ages, to the modern age. Found that children were expected to work earlier than modern children and the law made no distinction between children and adults. Cunningham (2005) Talks about the re-invention of childhood, like Ariès took a longitudinal approach, looks at changes in moral understandings of childhood and the rights of of children.

12. Research on the social construction of childhood. Pollock (1983 ) Pollock is very critical of Ariès and claims that his methods of analysis are flawed and that in order to understand childhood we need to look at actual parent-child relationships. Zelizer (1985) Looks at childhood in the USA, in particular social meanings. Children went from being earners, to ‘economically useless’ and then in turn ‘emotionally priceless’ to their parents.

13. Activity How do you think stereotypes affect relationships between different groups? Do you think it is important to move past stereotypes? What are some of the positives and negatives of stereotypes? How can we change stereotypical thinking?

14. Activity What purpose do scapegoats serve? What are some of the key characteristics of a moral panic? Using the definitions given of a social construct, can you think of other concepts that could be considered social constructs? What role do structure and agency play in concepts like stereotypes, scapegoats and social concepts?