• deweydecibel@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    These constructs are often based on something concrete at their core as well.

    Money, or currency in general, is a social construct that was built on top of the basic idea of trade or exchange. Reciprocity is a very basic behavior found in all kinds of animals, especially us primates.

    Likewise, social constructs like “crime” tend to be tied to ethics, another social construct, but that too can be tied back to some basic ideas like harm, which, again, is something animals often form their social norms around.

    So, yes, social “constructs”, but that doesn’t in anyway mean society constructs them out of thin air.

    • Daft_ish@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      I don’t know if you completely understand the criticism. Social constructs aren’t decided entirely by laws of physics meaning they a malleable. No one is arguing social constructs aren’t real but only that they can be changed if society would let them. Especially if we all collectively agree they are wrong and unjust.