- 05 May 2024 14:47
#15314338
For example, people could be bullied into believing that short people don't exist. But short people do exist.
Height is not a social construct. It is the product mainly of genetics, although extreme environmental circumstances can have an impact...such as disease or malnutrition.
QatzelOk wrote:Social construction occurs when people's opinions replace reality.
People form opinions by associating with others, discussing with others, and then forming friendship heirarchies with others. Sometimes a powerful voice in a group of tall people will say "short people are evil and must be killed" and the rest of the group "goes along" in order to reinforce group solidarity.
I have been in many organization where a quarter of the membership "goes along" with the loudest and most self-assured voices, even when they are obviously incorrect or when their "facts" change every week. Bullies can create a culture in this way, even if they are stupid.
And you also have things like "audience capture" where those primary voices that manipulate everyone are also themselves manipulated by their addiction to public reaction.
All of these social dynamics lead to incorrect socially-created information that is treated as a fact.
Add in the bonus jackpot ($$$) of winning the right to kill and steal from people who belong to inferior "races," and you have incentivized what was previously the result of socially-created ignorance.
For example, people could be bullied into believing that short people don't exist. But short people do exist.
Height is not a social construct. It is the product mainly of genetics, although extreme environmental circumstances can have an impact...such as disease or malnutrition.