Advanced Topics: (387-0-70)
Topic
Social Construction
Instructors
Torsten Menge
Meeting Info
Northwestern Qatar Room 1-223: Mon, Wed 10:00AM - 11:15AM (AST)
Overview of class
The idea that aspects of our world are socially constructed is prominent both in public discourse and in academic disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, gender studies, disability studies, critical race theory, and literary theory. The goal of this class is to better understand claims about social construction. How is social construction supposed to work? Does it work the same way in all cases? How can our thinking about something affect the nature of the things we think about? What are the historical developments and social forces at work? Does the claim that something is socially constructed mean that it is not real? We are also going to think about the political and ethical implications of the idea: Does the claim that something is socially constructed undermine its authority? What is the problem with essentialists claims about race, gender, disability, etc.? Does social construction mean that "anything goes"? What should we do with the things that turn out to be socially constructed -- keep, reform, or abolish them? We are going to explore these question in a number of different areas, which may include race, gender, sexuality, disability, mental illness, money, and power. In addition to systematic philosophical texts, we are going to read texts that situate these phenomena in concrete social and historical contexts. The class will have an interactive, discussion-based format.
Registration Requirements
- Prerequisites: None
- Open to juniors and above
- Open for Cross-Registration
Enrollment Requirements
Enrollment Requirements: Registration is reserved for NU Qatar Juniors and Seniors Only