Social Constructionism And Gender

Social Constructionists, advocates of the "Theory of Social Constructionism," are of the belief that all concepts or practices which may seem natural to humankind are in reality an invention of a particular culture or society (Wikipedia, Social Constructionism). These practices and beliefs are called social constructs, believed to be by-products of (often unintended or unwanted) decisions of an individual (Wikipedia, Social Construction). Meaning, an individual believes he is making a decision of his own accord when in actuality the choice was already made and given to him through the rules and laws of his society or societies. According to a paper on the subject of Social Constructionism written by Dr. William Rouster "Knowledge is not just something that happens in a society, but essentially something that is created by the members of a society by agreement"(1). Meaning whatever is currently "known" to be truth is not in actuality a truth, rather the "known" truth is a perceived truth agreed upon by those who believe it. In addition, Social Constructionists do not believe in reality as it is, but rather that reality is, itself, a social construct created by those who believe in that perceived reality (Wikipedia, Social Construction). Everything we, as a society, have come to believe in as truth or as personal perception of the world around us has been constructed by preconceived notions and ideals. Any individual thought one believes to be his own is not in actuality individual thought but rather societal belief.

Social construction of gender role is one of the most noticeable and most cited social constructs of today's western culture. According to the Department of Education, Training, and the Arts; we are sent messages daily of our correct role in society as depicted by our gender received at birth (Social Construction of Gender). The saying "Boys will be boys. Girls will be girls." shows the separation our society places on gender. It is "common knowledge" that the woman's place is in the kitchen as wife and mother, whereas a male is the man of the family, head of the household, always placed in a position of power. When the time comes to train for careers to support ourselves and our families, women are steered toward more nurturing and caring roles, such as teaching, nursing, or being a full-time-mother; while men are directed towards more competitive careers usually involving science, technology, business, or services to the nation.

According to stereotypes, my predestined role in society will be as "Suzie-homemaker", unless, of course, I choose to leave the home to meet personal fulfillment in my life, in which case I will primarily be limited to a career in caretaking, or a simple desk job, such as an office receptionist. According to the social constructionist beliefs, I will fall into one of these roles because at no time in my life have I ever been told not to do so. So why then, am I currently majoring in Engineering? The answer is simple; I truly find enjoyment in a number of the subjects involved in the major and future career options.

The beginning of what led to my interest in engineering was the physics course I took during my junior year of high school. I originally took the course simply because it was a required credit, and initially the class was nothing special to me, just fourth period. After a few units, however, I knew this subject was something special to me. I worked a little bit harder in the class because it created joy for me, and soon became very skilled in the subject. I was never told, or pressured to enjoy the class, nor was this implied, all that the instructor expected of her students was that they try their best, though my peers expected the exact opposite of me.

My, quite literal, love of physics eventually led me to the AP physics course offered at my high school so that I may continue to have fun during the dull six hours of classes. Soon after the beginning of my senior year, I became involved with my high schools robotics team. This involvement came about out of a need to find something productive to do between play rehearsal and band practice, as well as an intriguing form of advertisement. I had no good friends in the club, and those that were involved were, for lack of a better term, quite interesting, and most were very much unlike myself. Soon after our local season of competitions I was tempted to quit the team because the following, international

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