Sunday Musings - June 25, 2023
Social Constructs
Social constructs are terms which are often used to justify building up one’s bank account or ego at the expense of some person or group of people. In many respects social constructs are like tautologies. Tautologies are used to when one wants to appear to say something while having said nothing. Race is such a social construct tautology. In the United States and many other countries, we have continued to use it as if it says something; as a justification for the story we create to benefit some at the expense of another who may or may not have a dark skin pigmentation. One may also refer to such a person as African American. In and of itself African American is another tautology. All of us originated in Africa. It may, however, tell us that the person self identifies as a descendant of those who were enslaved by other citizens of this country; citizens which included many people who we may have been taught were admirable.
Both institutions and groups were slave owners. A recent book by Rachel Swarns tells the story of 272 enslaved people who were sold in 1838 to financially help what we now know as Georgetown University. The Jesuits who took advantage of the creation of Maryland in part to provide haven for oppressed Catholics were actively involved in owning and selling slaves.
If one other than a descendant of slaves uses race as a social construct it is almost always intended - consciously or unconsciously - to justify discrimination and/or other forms oppression.
Other social constructs such as “lady”, “a man’s man”, faggot, feminist, queer, worker, housewife, and a host of others are intended to label and assure the listener that the person thus labeled deserves to stay in the societal/cultural box to which the label assigns them. Sometimes members of the oppressed group thus labeled may, at times, proudly reclaim the terms for themselves as a positive. Terms such as queer, feminist have been proudly reclaimed.
The goal of many social constructs is to justify mistreating a group of people and to attempt to ensure that the members of that designated group internalize the qualities one assigns to them. Thus, those believed to be descants of slaves have been told they were less intelligent, lazy, sexual predators, criminals, breeders, and a host of other negative qualities. If anyone achieved outside of those parameters one can claim it is an anomaly. At the same time, if a need arose for them to be something more one could temporarily accept that they could provide the needed service. For example, historically there were many descendants of slaves preforming highly skilled jobs in the military. During wartime there were women taking on jobs traditionally reserved only for men.
The suicide rate for GLBT+ teenagers is higher than those who do not identify as GLBT+. Many females continue to “dress for success” in high heels which we know are unsafe and injurious to those who wear them and they may dress in costumes which either hide most parts of the body or expose those parts which heterosexual males have been taught to sexualize. Descents of slaves are more likely to be imprisoned, more prone to depression and other illnesses which leave them unable to function at their best level. When racism, sexism, homophobia, and oppression based on religion are built into our most essential institutions the lies of oppression can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The late Dr. James Cone, a noted United States Theologian succinctly described the psychology of oppression. I was first introduced to his work when a student at seminary. My memory tells me that he would describe the process thusly:
Artfully constructed and enacted laws in many states in recent years forbidding the teaching of critical race theory, gender fluidity, sexual orientation, gender identification, and banning of books which might address questions or concerns about these subjects are simply another layer of legalized oppression. Many of these laws are justified by stating it is not moral to make students feel uncomfortable. This is shorthand for saying that temporary comfort (ironically the goal of addiction in many instances) for those in the privileged/non-oppressed individuals is more important than the devastating and life killing pain of oppression. These laws may also be justified by stating that it is the right of parents to decide what to teach their children or what doors to open for them. Yet we know that the only qualification to become a biological parent is to successfully introduce their sperm and egg. Educators are trained and more often qualified to decide what children need to learn. Sadly, the goal of many parents and school board members who may be those same parents is to promulgate their fears and prejudices; to maintain their position of privilege.
Oppression disguised as tautological social constructs, is deadly for both the oppressor and the oppressed. We must loudly reject such constructs.
Written June 24, 2023
Jimmy F. Pickett
coachpickett.org
Social Constructs
Social constructs are terms which are often used to justify building up one’s bank account or ego at the expense of some person or group of people. In many respects social constructs are like tautologies. Tautologies are used to when one wants to appear to say something while having said nothing. Race is such a social construct tautology. In the United States and many other countries, we have continued to use it as if it says something; as a justification for the story we create to benefit some at the expense of another who may or may not have a dark skin pigmentation. One may also refer to such a person as African American. In and of itself African American is another tautology. All of us originated in Africa. It may, however, tell us that the person self identifies as a descendant of those who were enslaved by other citizens of this country; citizens which included many people who we may have been taught were admirable.
Both institutions and groups were slave owners. A recent book by Rachel Swarns tells the story of 272 enslaved people who were sold in 1838 to financially help what we now know as Georgetown University. The Jesuits who took advantage of the creation of Maryland in part to provide haven for oppressed Catholics were actively involved in owning and selling slaves.
If one other than a descendant of slaves uses race as a social construct it is almost always intended - consciously or unconsciously - to justify discrimination and/or other forms oppression.
Other social constructs such as “lady”, “a man’s man”, faggot, feminist, queer, worker, housewife, and a host of others are intended to label and assure the listener that the person thus labeled deserves to stay in the societal/cultural box to which the label assigns them. Sometimes members of the oppressed group thus labeled may, at times, proudly reclaim the terms for themselves as a positive. Terms such as queer, feminist have been proudly reclaimed.
The goal of many social constructs is to justify mistreating a group of people and to attempt to ensure that the members of that designated group internalize the qualities one assigns to them. Thus, those believed to be descants of slaves have been told they were less intelligent, lazy, sexual predators, criminals, breeders, and a host of other negative qualities. If anyone achieved outside of those parameters one can claim it is an anomaly. At the same time, if a need arose for them to be something more one could temporarily accept that they could provide the needed service. For example, historically there were many descendants of slaves preforming highly skilled jobs in the military. During wartime there were women taking on jobs traditionally reserved only for men.
The suicide rate for GLBT+ teenagers is higher than those who do not identify as GLBT+. Many females continue to “dress for success” in high heels which we know are unsafe and injurious to those who wear them and they may dress in costumes which either hide most parts of the body or expose those parts which heterosexual males have been taught to sexualize. Descents of slaves are more likely to be imprisoned, more prone to depression and other illnesses which leave them unable to function at their best level. When racism, sexism, homophobia, and oppression based on religion are built into our most essential institutions the lies of oppression can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The late Dr. James Cone, a noted United States Theologian succinctly described the psychology of oppression. I was first introduced to his work when a student at seminary. My memory tells me that he would describe the process thusly:
- Pick an arbitrary aspect of a person - skin color, gender, eye color, hair texture, weight, size, dominant hand, or any other characteristic and begin to tell that person and others the persons with that characteristics are less then, unequal to, not to be trusted or any of a host of other negatives.
- Design skill building opportunities to limit access to those individuals (less well-equipped school, unequal access to equipment and training opportunities, representations in respected children and adult books, hiring opportunities, etc.).
- Justify these limitations by saying one does not want to make members of that group feel less when they necessarily fail.
- Be condescendingly sympathetic when this group internalize the lies of the oppressors.
- Reward those group of people when they thank their oppressors for crumbs and punish them when they are not grateful for the crumbs.
Artfully constructed and enacted laws in many states in recent years forbidding the teaching of critical race theory, gender fluidity, sexual orientation, gender identification, and banning of books which might address questions or concerns about these subjects are simply another layer of legalized oppression. Many of these laws are justified by stating it is not moral to make students feel uncomfortable. This is shorthand for saying that temporary comfort (ironically the goal of addiction in many instances) for those in the privileged/non-oppressed individuals is more important than the devastating and life killing pain of oppression. These laws may also be justified by stating that it is the right of parents to decide what to teach their children or what doors to open for them. Yet we know that the only qualification to become a biological parent is to successfully introduce their sperm and egg. Educators are trained and more often qualified to decide what children need to learn. Sadly, the goal of many parents and school board members who may be those same parents is to promulgate their fears and prejudices; to maintain their position of privilege.
Oppression disguised as tautological social constructs, is deadly for both the oppressor and the oppressed. We must loudly reject such constructs.
Written June 24, 2023
Jimmy F. Pickett
coachpickett.org
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