The Invisible Rules That Shape Our Lives: What Social Constructs Are We Blind to?
We are not born knowing our identities; they are constructed through our shared social journey.
Why do we do things a certain way? What is considered acceptable and what is not?
I first heard the term social construct many years ago in my Sociology class at Western Michigan University. A social construct is a guideline or rulebook created by society, over time; in some cases, that time period could be centuries. While rules are not implicitly written down (although many are), this internal guidebook dictates rules of behavior as to what to do, how to behave, and in many cases how to think.
Understanding Social Constructs: The Invisible Rulebook
Social constructs can and do change over time, thank goodness; however, these constructs influence the most mundane to the most profound areas of our lives. The term, “that’s the way we’ve always done it,” is a core concept of creating social constructs. For football fans, why is high school football played on Fridays, colleges play on Saturdays, and the NFL games on Sundays? Why does Aunt Mary always make her turkey with sage and mushroom dressing for Thanksgiving, as if the whole holiday would collapse if she were not the one preparing the dish?
We know it’s a girl when the newest addition of our family comes home from the hospital wrapped in a pretty pink blanket, and likewise, when blue confetti floats in the air after having escaped a popped balloon, everyone shouts, “It’s a boy.” Roles and expectations are ingrained as they began long before birth.
Race as Social Construct: W.E.B. DuBois's Revolutionary Insight
Social constructs have been studied since the 17th century, as academics have considered how ways of behaving are created in societies. W.E.B. DuBois articulated that race is not a matter of biological difference, but a social construct created by society to defend unequal treatment and oppression. He was born in 1868, just three years after the Civil War ended, and he died in 1963, just one year before Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act. He lived almost a century and witnessed and influenced many changes in how blacks were treated.
There are numerous social constructs in the US; not only gender and race, but what about beauty standards? Who is considered attractive or not? Who did you consider attractive?
What religion were you raised in, if any? Do you still practice that faith today? I was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, and although I am no longer a Witness, it profoundly shaped my world view.
When did you learn to drive? My three brothers all got their learner’s permits on the very date that it was legal for them to do so; in New York state that was age 16. My husband spent summers with his grandparents in North Carolina and learned to drive an International Harvester tractor when he was 10 years old, he tells me he never got a learner’s permit.
I was nearly 19 when I learned how to drive, with my mother encouraging me that it was important so that I wouldn’t have to depend on others for transportation. Why do some countries deny women the right to drive? Saudi Arabia only granted their female citizens the right to drive in 2018.
Uncloaking Our Shared Journey Through Writing
Changes in social constructs are ongoing, which can be positive, and of course, there is the push for the “good old days,” although some are ignorant of what they are asking. As an example, clawing back rights for people of color, women, and representatives of the LGBTQ+ community. I often wonder why DEI has become so demonized when it’s merely creating access and belonging to groups who in the past were excluded. I ask when some say we want to “take America back,” how far do they want to go, and what social constructs do they wish to reinforce or change?
I know that social constructs have shaped my life, especially race, religion, and education. I’ve started exploring these constructs through writing. I am working on two projects, one a novel-in-progress titled Kings of Armageddon, and my memoir-in-progress titled To Be Immortal.
Social constructs exist and will continue, perhaps in different forms. My blog Hidden Echoes is not meant to debate the existence of social constructs, but rather to uncloak them, and inspire others to understand how social constructs influence us as we discover our shared and unique journeys.