social constructions – the core of our biased and inequitable reality: Part One

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Social constructions are the framework of the established order and its myriad traditions. They are the basis of the subjective reality within which we live, and include gender, male supremacy, race, religion, disability, competition, beauty, and ethnic identity. Social constructions and traditions enable othering and oppression without even having to think. Never questioning anything ensures that the sorry current state of affairs remains unchallenged.When people know that they themselves are not worth much, in order to pathetically compensate for those feelings of inferiority, they tend to disparage, demonize, essentialize, and trivialize Others. This also serves to “justify” marginalization, oppression, ruthless exploitation, rape, murder, and in its ultimate expression: genocide. Social constructions make all this claptrap easy for most to swallow.Part One starts with a few key definitions and distinctions, provides compelling evidence that anthropocentrism is the original source of all othering, and sets the stage for Parts Two and Three, where the socially-constructed vilification and subordination of women/females, non-white people, Indigenous Peoples, other groups, non-human animals, and nature in general, are exposed for what they truly are: BS (Bad Sociology, or just plain bullshit.)Social constructions are the framework of the established order, and they need to be challenged and ultimately obliterated. What is the alternative? Without social constructions there would be no marginalization, no othering, no oppression, and no exploitation. That sounds egalitarian.Part Two of this paper (forthcoming) starts with the first rape.