Introduction
The social construct results from social relations that cannot be isolated from human culture. However, it does not emerge from direct agreements or someone’s willful decisions. The social order, that is, the structure of society, is the product of human activity, not the final result, but an ongoing production process. This process is not part of the nature of things; it depends on the subjective meanings that its participants bring to it. Despite the autocratic nature of the concept, the social constructs of sexuality, race, and gender have pronounced real-world manifestations.
The Impact of Social Constructs on Interpersonal Relationships
Sexuality
Sexuality now becomes important, not as an aspect of the family’s adaptation to social and economic development, nor as an aspect of individual repression or liberation. The economic center has been privileged to create fantasies about the periphery based on categories of the normal and the exotic (Schulte et al., 2020). An example of a real expression of the construct is the stigmatization of homosexuality.
To regulate sexuality, public policy should focus on inclusion, the inclusion of every citizen, not exclusion (Schulte et al., 2020). The construction of inequality and worsening social distrust cannot contribute to the successful development of the state and society. Nevertheless, bullying nowadays occurs more and more often as a direct expression of the construct of sexuality.
Gender
Moreover, gender as a product of culture and social relations manifests in different conditions. The gender construct is displayed, for example, in the fact that women are disadvantaged compared to men according to one or another parameter. Furthermore, they receive lower salaries in the same ranks, and their chances for career growth are limited (Greene & Kahn, 2020). Gender inequality can also include sexual exploitation and domestic violence against women. This phenomenon takes many different forms, depending on a particular society’s economic and social structure.
Race
The construct of race likewise manifests itself through discrimination against one population segment (Wittmayer et al., 2019). A certain isolation of the black population directly indicates its real existence.
Conclusion
Thus, the categories of sexuality, gender, and race are constructed rather than objectively existing. Culture determines how people experience their bodies and how their bodies are allowed to express themselves. Social norms shape ideas about anatomy and biological processes. This means that the phenomenon is not universal, is conditioned by multiple factors, and, most importantly, is subject to change. Social constructs have an unmediated real form and can, therefore, be influenced.
References
Greene, G., & Kahn, C. (2020). Making a difference. Routledge.
Schulte, M., Bamberg, S., Rees, J., & Rollin, P. (2020). Social identity as a key concept for connecting transformative societal change with individual environmental activism. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 72. Web.
Wittmayer, J. M., Backhaus, J., Avelino, F., Pel, B., Strasser, T., Kunze, I., & Zuijderwijk, L. (2019). Narratives of change: How social innovation initiatives construct societal transformation. Futures, 112, 1433. Web.