Tag: gender

In “What is Social Construction?” Paul A. Boghossian breaks down what it really means when we say something is “socially constructed,” and pushes back on the way that idea has sometimes been stretched too far. At its root, calling something socially constructed means it exists because of human decisions, values, and systems, it didn’t have to exist, and it could have been built differently. Examples like money, laws, and gender roles are used to show how some things are clearly created through social processes, not natural ones. Boghossian separates two important types of social construction: the construction of things and the construction of beliefs. A socially constructed thing (like citizenship) only exists because we collectively agree it does. On the other hand, a socially constructed belief refers to when we hold certain views not purely because of evidence, but because of the role that belief plays in our society. For instance, the belief in strict gender binaries can serve particular social functions, but that doesn’t make it objectively true. The concern Boghossian raises is when people apply social construction too broadly, especially to things in natural science. He argues it doesn’t make sense to say that dinosaurs or quarks are socially constructed, they existed (or didn’t) whether humans were around to believe in them or not. He also critiques the idea that scientific knowledge is just a reflection of cultural values. Yes, science is done by people, and our interests influence what gets studied and how, but Boghossian emphasizes that claims still have to be backed by evidence. That distinction really matters. He warns that if we reject objectivity entirely, we risk making it impossible to challenge harmful beliefs with reason, and we lose any shared foundation for fighting injustice. Reading Boghossian’s critique, I found myself thinking about how these ideas intersect with my own life as a trans person, someone whose existence is often debated in terms of both biology and social meaning. It made me reflect on the ways I’ve personally navigated questions of what’s constructed, what’s real, and what feels deeply, undeniably true.

As a trans person, I see a lot of value in social construction as a way to name and challenge oppressive systems, especially around gender, race, and disability. I don’t believe everything is biologically fixed, and I think our categories often reflect power more than truth. But I also believe in evidence and the importance of shared reality. What I appreciated about this reading was how Boghossian encouraged a more careful use of the idea, he didn’t reject social construction altogether, but reminded me that just because something has social meaning doesn’t mean it’s not also tied to material or biological realities. That balance is something I care about in my own politics, especially when advocating for both recognition and material safety for trans people. At the same time, I also believe in intuition, inner knowing, and emotional truth, things that can’t always be measured or explained through physical evidence. I understand that I am biologically female by the standard definition based on physical sex characteristics. But there is also a deep part of me that transcends my physical form. I’m not just a body or a figure. I’ve had to reflect over time on what parts of me were shaped by society, what parts I rejected to survive, and what parts feel like they’ve always been mine. When I first came out as a trans man, I wanted nothing to do with anything that reminded me of being female. I had spent 18 years being forced to be a girl, getting periods, wearing long hair, dressing in clothes that didn’t reflect me. My first response, after finally gaining independence, was to reject it all. But over time, I realized I don’t reject those parts of myself anymore. They’re part of my story. That doesn’t make me less of a man. I still show up in the world as a man. My legal documents say male. I’m listed for the draft. Nothing about that changed, but how I relate to myself has grown deeper and more honest. Social construction is useful, but it’s not the whole picture. There’s also the quiet, persistent truth of who I am.

References:
Boghossian, Paul. “What Is Social Construction?” Times Literary Supplement, 23 May 2005, pp. 6–8.