Construction of socioecoomic difference??

Question

Can someone please explain in easy to understand language. I'm currently taking a class on Cultural Diversity and am on the chapter on the social construction of differences such as race, ethnicity, gender, etc. Am confused on this one.

Can someone help me understand? Thanks!

Answer 1

Okay, so it sounds like you are referencing Peter Berger here... Social construction is often contains three parts.  One, someone (particularly in the media) says something (whether it's true or not)-- externalization.  Two, the information gets a life of its own separate from creators, the information shifts from an opinion to a fact-- objectivation.  Three, people believe and accept the information as truth-- internalization.  

So we have this idea that women are better at nursing and men are better at being a doctor.  Presumably we think this because women are nurturing and men are strong.  But then, people start to talk about how women should be nurses and men should be doctors, and we see tv shows in which men are doctors and women are nurses...  and then we start to think "oh, yeah, men should be doctors and women should be nurses."  When we critically think about it, it makes sense that men are nurses because nurses often have to carry patients in and out of bed, which involves a lot of strength.  Women would also be good doctors because they are stereotypical neat and organized.