Social Categories

Many of the social categories we belong to are often considered to be socially constructed.

In a nutshell, this means that the identity category itself holds no natural meaning; however, society has assigned meaning to the group.

Think about what makes you, YOU.

Do you behave in certain ways because you were born with certain characteristics, or has society projected expectations onto you because of the categories you are in?

Consider boys versus girls, young versus old, rich versus poor, and black versus white.

Now, in the discussion, post your discussion response by addressing these prompts: What is one social category (age, gender, religion, race, etc.)that you believe is socially constructed? Give support for your opinion.

Do you believe that the social construct of the category you identified perpetuates social inequalities? Why or why not? Support your response with examples.