Saliva in a spoon?
The first theory that will develop your sociological perspective involves spitting into a spoon. Yes, spitting. into. a. spoon. This is a lesson first published in Teaching Sociology (2003) by Brouillette and Turner and updated in ASA's Trails. Simply put, the average American will be repulsed by the idea of spitting into a spoon and then swallowing it back again. However, we are constantly swallowing our own saliva all day long. But we have defined a difference between saliva and spit. Saliva is in our mouth and is not gross. Spit has left our mouths and is gross.
Sociological Literacy: What is the social construction of reality? What is the Thomas Theorum?
There is no difference between spit or saliva except for how we think about each. But how we think about each matters greatly to how we feel about the experience. In other words, our reality is how we experience the world. The social construction is that our society or the people around us influences how we experience the world. Hence our experiences(reality) are created (constructed) by others (society). This is called the social construction of reality. Spitting in different cultures or different situations (baseball) can be experienced differently, i.e. more or less acceptable. For example, many of us have been to baseball games and watched players spit all throughout the game. We didn't get repulsed by that.
During one World Series, Reggie Jackson averaged 19 spits per at-bat! Another example is when parents or siblings use their saliva to wipe off a baby's face. We don't find that repulsive, but if a teacher drops saliva onto a desk it becomes gross. This can be true for nearly all of our experiences; feelings of happiness, sorrow, stress, worry. Nearly all of these are created within us by the society we are in.
"Food" as a social construction
Another example is how your society makes you feel about food. For example, how do you feel about these recipes from Time Magazine or these from AtThirstForFirst. How would you feel about eating mountain chicken or closer to home is this recipe for Rocky Mountain oysters.
Here is an example that you might not realize. The Japanese would be grossed out by the typical American bathroom. In Japan, toilets are located in a different room than the shower and bath. And the Japanese shower is always separate from the bath. They see the shower for cleaning and the bath for soaking after you have cleaned.
Another way social construction can be illustrated is in our symbols and how they shape our reaction. For example, there is a feeling that you should not walk on the Patriot.
There is no real reason why, but it is a social construct. Finally, another example is the faculty restrooms. Some of the restrooms are for individual use, which is one person at a time. These restrooms are exactly the same: one toilet and one sink. However, the rooms are labeled with "Men's" and "Women's" signs. That makes men feel weird if we use the "women's" room, even though the men's room is exactly the same. (and vice versa). The sign is a social construct that elicits that feeling. There is a restaurant like this at Voodoo Donuts in Austin, TX. The donuts themselves challenge our feelings about what a donut should be, but the bathroom goes even further.
Applying social construction of reality to teen-parent conflicts:
How is the idea of "teenager" an example of a social construction?
How does the article say that the
idea of "teenager" gets constructed?
What is the reality of "teenager"
to adults? To the teens themselves?
What are some moments in your own life where you experience these feelings, but when you stop and think about it, you realize that the feelings have been created for you by society?
Think about something from your own life; your religion, sports, fashion, or something. How can social construction of reality apply to your life?