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Cultural Norms and Conformity Let’s consider the example of grooming norms to illustrate the power of cultural socialization. Imagine it is a hot summer day and you are having lunch in an outdoor café. You notice an attractive couple sitting at the table next to you. Just like many others, they are wearing shorts and […]

What Is Culture? PERSPECTIVE CHECK: Of course, some members of this class may be excited to hear the instructor make these statements precisely because they challenge dominant ideas and/or affirm their own experiences. What Is Culture? Each one of us is born into a particular time, place, and social context— into a particular culture. Culture

What does it mean to say that knowledge is socially constructed? Discussion Questions 1. Explain in your own words the difference between “critical thinking” and “opinion.” 2. What does it mean to say that knowledge is socially constructed? Give some examples. 3. What do the authors mean when they say that “what you know” is

Example of Knowledge as Socially Constructed Let’s examine knowledge construction through a specific example. In what is considered to be a seminal study on social class, Jean Anyon (1981) asked elementary aged students to respond to variations on the simple question, “What is knowledge?” Their answers revealed that their definitions were largely dependent on which

structural aspects of childhood poverty to address some of the structural aspects of childhood poverty. Consider the theoretical distinction between locating the problem in the individual (it’s each family’s responsibility to provide for their own children) versus the collective (it’s a social responsibility to ensure that all children are provided for). These two theoretical frameworks

analysis of social justice Our analysis of social justice is based on a school of thought known as Critical Theory. Critical Theory refers to a body of scholarship that examines how society works, and is a tradition that emerged in the early part of the 20th century from a group of scholars at the Institute

A Brief Overview of Critical Theory Critical Thinking and Critical Theory “Everyone has a right to their opinion.” This chapter explains what it means to think critically about social justice. We explain the theoretical perspective known as “Critical Theory” and provide a brief overview of key ideas relevant to our approach. Vocabulary to practice using:

Recognize How Your Social Position Informs Your Reactions to Your Instructor and the Course Content Positionality is the concept that our perspectives are based on our place in society. Positionality recognizes that where you stand in relation to others shapes what you can see and understand. For example, if I am considered an able-bodied person,

Let Go of Anecdotal Evidence and Instead Examine Patterns Anecdotal evidence is evidence drawn from hearsay or only personal experience, and thus anecdotal evidence is superficial, limited to interpretation, and not generalizable. For example, many of us have heard something similar to, “My cousin tried to get a job, but they hired an unqualified Black

Two Dimensions of Thinking Critically About Knowledge A Brief Overview of Critical Theory Why Theory Matters Knowledge Construction 10     Example of Knowledge as Socially Constructed Thinking Critically About Opinions 3.  Culture and Socialization What Is Culture? What Is Socialization? Cultural Norms and Conformity “You” in Relation to the “Groups” to Which You Belong 4.  Prejudice