Social Construction of Nature Quiz

The theory of social construction posits that any category, condition, or thing is understood to have certain characteristics because people agree that it does. It examines how concepts, beliefs, and the practices they create and put in place shape how we understand the world and the world itself.

According to the Thomas Theorem, situations perceived as real are real in their consequences. It matters less what something IS compared to what we THINK it is or AGREE that it is.

Wilderness and nature are generally constructed as separate from society in a common understanding.

A constructivist examines how concepts, beliefs, and the practices they create and put in place shape how we understand the world and the world itself.

Social constructivism is the idea that the practices and findings of science, as well as beliefs, truths, and facts, are socially constructed within a particular social context.

The main concern is that even though the methods of science can objectively observe something, humans in a social context decide what to observe and what our observations mean, thus influencing the objectivity of science.

The formal establishment determines what counts as 'good science', decides the topics that interest the scientific community, and influences the agencies that fund scientific research.

Relativism is the theory that all beliefs, truths, and facts are socially constructed in a particular social context, raising questions about the reliability of information and knowledge.

The Constructivist Paradox is the idea that relativism relies on objectivism to prove its point, using science to test underlying assumptions about 'knowledge' while not fully trusting objectivism.

The alternative concept is co-production, which argues that humans and nonhumans produce and change one another through interactions, acknowledging the influence of the physical world on knowledge construction.

Nature has multiple meanings, including essential quality, inherent force, and the material world itself.

Our understanding of nature is often separate from humans, but the concept is closely related and overlaps with human presence.

The understanding of 'natural' properties is dependent on social context, including cultural, economic, and governance systems.

'Nature' and 'natural properties' are part of social reality and can be socially constructed, as seen in the construction of the concept of race.

Concepts like race can be socially constructed as natural, leading to historical examples of domination and colonialism.

The social construction of 'New World' natures involved Europeans constructing the image of the New World as pristine and undeveloped to justify displacing its inhabitants.

Discourse, including narrative, concept, ideology, and signifying practices, can materially change the world and is supported by powerful institutions and people.

Environmental discourse is shaped by powerful institutions and people, and the origins of its elements are often forgotten.

The discourse of North African desertification has led to a discrepancy between historical documentation and environmental studies, raising questions about interests and information.

The concept of wilderness is specific to Western European cultures and has been applied to places inhabited by people with displacement and violence.

The focus on 'wilderness' may divert attention from other valuable natural areas or conditions.

The limits of constructivism raise questions about the role of science in understanding the social construction of nature.