The Importance Of Social Construction

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Ideally we all would like to say we live in a world with equal opportunity, equal access, and equity; however, that is not the case. Everyone has the right to equity, however not everyone has equal opportunity. The social constructions that are formed based on which social class an individual falls under will eventually dictate their successes later in life. Class is a big part of our identity and it can play a significant role in dictating if we have economic and/or social power. It can determine how we might get the power and how we may use it. Because our identity is socially constructed it can shape the way that students in different classes are perceived/treated and can greatly influence ones life experiences and opportunities. It is able to shape who we meet, what kind of education we may get, what type of jobs we get, where we live, and the inequities we may face. In our society, it is clear that there are social constructions that are created based on which class a person falls under, however, these meanings are constructed and not set in stone. There are statistics that help explain the wealth …show more content…

In Stuart Hall’s piece titled “Representation”, a major issue that comes up is meaning, but more specifically, how the meaning of something is created. There are countless things in our society that have a different meaning depending on ones gender, age, race, class, and overall identity. Hall explores this topic of meaning. He explains, “meaning does not inhere in things, in the world. It is constructed, produced. It is the result of a signifying practice- a practice that produces meaning, that makes things mean” (Hall, 2003, p. 24). This is social construction. Hall describes that meaning is learned and that it is consumed and taken in by an individual; however, it depends on what that persons exposure is to the media and

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