Social Constructions of Reality Quiz

PDF page 122: and configurations, we’ll now explore how society came to be and how sociologists view social interaction. In 1966 sociologists Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann wrote a book called The Social Construction of Reality. In it, they argued that society is created by humans and human interaction, which they call habitualization. Habitualization describes how “any action that is repeated frequently becomes cast into a pattern, which can then be ... performed again in the future in the same manner and with the same economical effort” (Berger and Luckmann 1966). Not only do we construct our own society but we also accept it as it is because others have created it before us. Society is, in fact, “habit.”

PDF page 122: and configurations, we’ll now explore how society came to be and how sociologists view social interaction. In 1966 sociologists Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann wrote a book called The Social Construction of Reality. In it, they argued that society is created by humans and human interaction, which they call habitualization. Habitualization describes how “any action that is repeated frequently becomes cast into a pattern, which can then be ... performed again in the future in the same manner and with the same economical effort” (Berger and Luckmann 1966). Not only do we construct our own society but we also accept it as it is because others have created it before us. Society is, in fact, “habit.”

PDF page 122: and configurations, we’ll now explore how society came to be and how sociologists view social interaction. In 1966 sociologists Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann wrote a book called The Social Construction of Reality. In it, they argued that society is created by humans and human interaction, which they call habitualization. Habitualization describes how “any action that is repeated frequently becomes cast into a pattern, which can then be ... performed again in the future in the same manner and with the same economical effort” (Berger and Luckmann 1966). Not only do we construct our own society but we also accept it as it is because others have created it before us. Society is, in fact, “habit.”

PDF page 122: For example, your school exists as a school and not just as a building because you and others agree that it is a school. If your school is older than you are, it was created by the agreement of others before you. In a sense, it exists by consensus, both prior and current. This is an example of the process of institutionalization, the act of implanting a convention or norm into society. Bear in mind that the institution, while socially constructed, is still quite real. Another way of looking at this concept is through W.I. Thomas’s notable Thomas theorem which states, “If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences” (Thomas and Thomas 1928). That is, people’s behavior can be determined by their subjective construction of reality rather than by objective reality. For example, a teenager who is repeatedly given a label—overachiever, player, bum—might live up to the term even though it initially wasn’t a part of his character.

PDF page 126: achieved status the status a person chooses, such as a level of education or income agricultural societies societies that rely on farming as a way of life alienation an individual’s isolation from his society, his work, and his sense of self anomie a situation in which society no longer has the support of a firm collective consciousness ascribed status the status outside of an individual’s control, such as sex or race bourgeoisie the owners of the means of production in a society capitalism a way of organizing an economy so that the things that are used to make and transport products (such as land, oil, factories, ships, etc.) are owned by individual people and companies rather than by the government class consciousness the awareness of one’s rank in society collective conscience the communal beliefs, morals, and attitudes of a society false consciousness a person’s beliefs and ideology that are in conflict with her best interests feudal societies societies that operate on a strict hierarchical system of power based around land ownership and protection habitualization the idea that society is constructed by us and those before us, and it is followed like a habit horticultural societies societies based around the cultivation of plants hunter-gatherer societies societies that depend on hunting wild animals and gathering uncultivated plants for survival industrial societies societies characterized by a reliance on mechanized labor to create material goods information societies societies based on the production of nonmaterial goods and services institutionalization the act of implanting a convention or norm into society iron cage a situation in which an individual is trapped by social institutions looking-glass self our reflection of how we think we appear to others mechanical solidarity a type of social order maintained by the collective consciousness of a culture organic solidarity a type of social order based around an acceptance of economic and social differences pastoral societies societies based around the domestication of animals proletariat the laborers in a society rationalization a belief that modern society should be built around logic and efficiency rather than morality or tradition role conflict a situation when one or more of an individual’s roles clash role performance the expression of a role role strain stress that occurs when too much is required of a single role role-set an array of roles attached to a particular status roles patterns of behavior that are representative of a person’s social status self-fulfilling prophecy an idea that becomes true when acted upon social integration how strongly a person is connected to his or her social group society a group of people who live in a definable community and share the same culture status the responsibilities and benefits that a person experiences according to his or her rank and role in society Thomas theorem how a subjective reality can drive events to develop in accordance with that reality, despite being originally unsupported by objective reality

PDF page 122: For example, your school exists as a school and not just as a building because you and others agree that it is a school. If your school is older than you are, it was created by the agreement of others before you. In a sense, it exists by consensus, both prior and current. This is an example of the process of institutionalization, the act of implanting a convention or norm into society. Bear in mind that the institution, while socially constructed, is still quite real. Another way of looking at this concept is through W.I. Thomas’s notable Thomas theorem which states, “If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences” (Thomas and Thomas 1928). That is, people’s behavior can be determined by their subjective construction of reality rather than by objective reality. For example, a teenager who is repeatedly given a label—overachiever, player, bum—might live up to the term even though it initially wasn’t a part of his character.

PDF page 122: Like Berger and Luckmann in their description of habitualization, Thomas states that our moral codes and social norms are created by “successive definitions of the situation.” This concept is defined by sociologist Robert K. Merton as a self-fulfilling prophecy. Merton explains that with a self-fulfilling prophecy, even a false idea can become true if it is acted upon. One example he gives is of a “bank run.” Say for some reason, a number of people falsely fear that their bank is soon to be bankrupt. Because of this false notion, people run to their bank and demand all of their cash at once. As banks rarely, if ever, have that much money on hand, the bank does indeed run out of money, fulfilling the customers’ prophecy. Here, reality is constructed by an idea.

PDF page 122: Like Berger and Luckmann in their description of habitualization, Thomas states that our moral codes and social norms are created by “successive definitions of the situation.” This concept is defined by sociologist Robert K. Merton as a self-fulfilling prophecy. Merton explains that with a self-fulfilling prophecy, even a false idea can become true if it is acted upon. One example he gives is of a “bank run.” Say for some reason, a number of people falsely fear that their bank is soon to be bankrupt. Because of this false notion, people run to their bank and demand all of their cash at once. As banks rarely, if ever, have that much money on hand, the bank does indeed run out of money, fulfilling the customers’ prophecy. Here, reality is constructed by an idea.

PDF page 122: Symbolic interactionists offer another lens through which to analyze the social construction of reality. With a theoretical perspective focused on the symbols (like language, gestures, and artifacts) that people use to interact, this approach is interested in how people interpret those symbols in daily interactions. For example, we might feel fright at seeing a person holding a gun, unless, of course, it turns out to be a police officer. Interactionists also recognize that language and body language reflect our values. One has only to learn a foreign tongue to know that not every English word can be easily translated into another language. The same is true for gestures. While Americans might recognize a “thumbs up” as meaning “great,” in Germany it would mean “one” and in Japan it would mean “five.” Thus, our construction of reality is influenced by our symbolic interactions.

PDF page 122: Symbolic interactionists offer another lens through which to analyze the social construction of reality. With a theoretical perspective focused on the symbols (like language, gestures, and artifacts) that people use to interact, this approach is interested in how people interpret those symbols in daily interactions. For example, we might feel fright at seeing a person holding a gun, unless, of course, it turns out to be a police officer. Interactionists also recognize that language and body language reflect our values. One has only to learn a foreign tongue to know that not every English word can be easily translated into another language. The same is true for gestures. While Americans might recognize a “thumbs up” as meaning “great,” in Germany it would mean “one” and in Japan it would mean “five.” Thus, our construction of reality is influenced by our symbolic interactions.

PDF page 123: the story of Oedipus. Oedipus is told by an oracle that he will murder his father and marry his mother. In going out of his way to avoid his fate, Oedipus inadvertently fulfills it. Oedipus’s story illustrates one way in which members of society contribute to the social construction of reality. (Credit: Jean-Antoine-Theodore Giroust/Wikimedia Commons)

PDF page 123: As you can imagine, people employ many types of behaviors in day-to-day life. Roles are patterns of behavior that we recognize in each other that are representative of a person’s social status. Currently, while reading this text, you are playing the role of a student. However, you also play other roles in your life, such as “daughter,” “neighbor,” or “employee.” These various roles are each associated with a different status.

PDF page 126: achieved status the status a person chooses, such as a level of education or income agricultural societies societies that rely on farming as a way of life alienation an individual’s isolation from his society, his work, and his sense of self anomie a situation in which society no longer has the support of a firm collective consciousness ascribed status the status outside of an individual’s control, such as sex or race bourgeoisie the owners of the means of production in a society capitalism a way of organizing an economy so that the things that are used to make and transport products (such as land, oil, factories, ships, etc.) are owned by individual people and companies rather than by the government class consciousness the awareness of one’s rank in society collective conscience the communal beliefs, morals, and attitudes of a society false consciousness a person’s beliefs and ideology that are in conflict with her best interests feudal societies societies that operate on a strict hierarchical system of power based around land ownership and protection habitualization the idea that society is constructed by us and those before us, and it is followed like a habit horticultural societies societies based around the cultivation of plants hunter-gatherer societies societies that depend on hunting wild animals and gathering uncultivated plants for survival industrial societies societies characterized by a reliance on mechanized labor to create material goods information societies societies based on the production of nonmaterial goods and services institutionalization the act of implanting a convention or norm into society iron cage a situation in which an individual is trapped by social institutions looking-glass self our reflection of how we think we appear to others mechanical solidarity a type of social order maintained by the collective consciousness of a culture organic solidarity a type of social order based around an acceptance of economic and social differences pastoral societies societies based around the domestication of animals proletariat the laborers in a society rationalization a belief that modern society should be built around logic and efficiency rather than morality or tradition role conflict a situation when one or more of an individual’s roles clash role performance the expression of a role role strain stress that occurs when too much is required of a single role role-set an array of roles attached to a particular status roles patterns of behavior that are representative of a person’s social status self-fulfilling prophecy an idea that becomes true when acted upon social integration how strongly a person is connected to his or her social group society a group of people who live in a definable community and share the same culture status the responsibilities and benefits that a person experiences according to his or her rank and role in society Thomas theorem how a subjective reality can drive events to develop in accordance with that reality, despite being originally unsupported by objective reality

PDF page 123: Sociologists use the term status to describe the responsibilities and benefits that a person experiences according to their rank and role in society. Some statuses are ascribed—those you do not select, such as son, elderly person, or female. Others, called achieved statuses, are obtained by choice, such as a high school dropout, self-made millionaire, or nurse. As a daughter or son, you occupy a different status than as a neighbor or employee. One person can be associated with a multitude of roles and statuses. Even a single status such as “student” has a complex role-set, or array of roles, attached to it (Merton 1957). It is important to note that status refers to the rank in social hierarchy, while role is the behavior expected of a person holding a certain status.