Americans think marriage has to be between a man and a woman is based on a particular social arrangement that may have made sense at one point in time, but could be subject to purposeful social change. In fact, the campaign to legalize gay marriage is an example of the social construction of reality all by itself. For instance, as advocates of gay marriage began to articulate reasons why homosexuals should be accorded the legal privilege of marriage they are shaping a new way of thinking.

We are influenced and shaped by our enviroment. We tend to "know" things based upon what others tell us and our influenced by our peers. We cant always give an arguement to why we think a certain, alot of people tend to say "because it just is", without giving any proof as to why it is.

Are we free to think on our own? Do "normal" social arrangements become less binding on us once we understand the social construction of reality?

Who is to say that conspiracies arent real? If much of what we believe is based upon what others tell us, then isnt it possible that the government could be mind controling us in some aspects?

"In the province of the mind, what is believed true is true or becomes true within limits to be learned by experience and experiment. These limits are further beliefs to be transcended. In the province of the mind there are no limits."  - Dr. John Lilly

People who follow Christ must walk in truth and light.  They cannot follow what the world dictates but must follow what God dictates.  In this instance, God says marriage is between man and woman, not between anyone else.  As far as conspiracies, that is all prophecied in the New Testament.  If there were no conspiracites that would mean that the world is complemetely honest.  We know that isn't true.  Satan is the ruler of this world and he is the father of all lies.

Oftentimes churches are the biggest liars of all.  I think they are the Whore of Babylon.  They make nice with the leaders of this world while corrupting the spirit of truth.  They have a form of godliness without the living sprit of Christ.  They will tell you that all is good, just pay your tithe and your life will succeed and you will go to heaven.  Whatever.  The walk of a Christiain is like a minefield and they don't support the traveler.  All they want to do is recruit more and more members into their cult of complacency and prosperity and grow bigger and richer.

Churches are one of the biggest conspiracies of all.

Government are mind controling us!!

They lie!

Bottom line!

The Bible and God will show us all truth now and beyond the end!

Reality is subjective for each individual.  Our society and social "norms" are essentially artificial constructs that are the result of centuries of cultrual conditioning based on tradition and experience. 

Social Construction of Reality:

Introduction

There is no single, true universal reality. What is “real” differs from person to person, based on one’s own ideas, circumstances, and knowledge. For example, a boy with a strict, stern father may not be happy when the father comes home. He may even try to avoid his father as much as possible. A boy with a more lenient and supportive father will be happy to see him and will eagerly seek his company. The reality of “father” for each of the boys, based on their social interactions, is quite different.

Each individual in a society has his or her own perceptions of reality, and that perception has a lot to do with social status. For example, in cultures where women have few legal rights and are not allowed to work outside the home, a wife may think she has a “good husband” simply because he does not beat her and allows her some freedom in pursuing her own interests. A wife working outside the home in an industrialized society may think she has a “bad husband” because he does not do enough housework. The way we create our own identities depends on how we create reality.

For centuries, philosophers and sociologists have pondered the idea of reality. Sociologists generally accept that reality is different for each individual.

The term social construction of reality refers to the theory that the way we present ourselves to other people is shaped partly by our interactions with others, as well as by our life experiences. How we were raised and what we were raised to believe affect how we present ourselves, how we perceive others, and how others perceive us. In short, our perceptions of reality are colored by our beliefs and backgrounds.

Our reality is also a complicated negotiation. What is real depends on what is socially acceptable. Most social interactions involve some acceptance of what’s going on. While we participate in the construction of reality, it’s not entirely a product of our own doing.

Example: A wealthy individual, whose basic survival needs are met many times over, buys his pets gourmet, organic food that costs more per week than the weekly earnings of a minimum-wage worker. He is proud that he is able to take such good care of his animals and insists that it’s the right thing to do if one really loves one’s pets. After all, his vet was the one who recommended that he buy that brand. A minimum-wage worker who loads that food into the rich person’s car might feel anger when he realizes how much money this individual spends on his pets. The minimum-wage worker might fume that this man’s pets eat better than he does. He might wonder whether this rich man has any concept of reality.

How we define everyday situations depends on our respective backgrounds and experiences. The wealthy individual has learned through interactions with others that spending money on one’s pets is a worthy expense. His reality is one of pride. The minimum-wage worker has learned through interactions with others spending that much money on a pet is a negative thing, so his perception of the situation is entirely different.

The Thomas Theorem What is the “real” reality? Is buying a pet expensive food the right thing to do or a waste of money? According to sociologist W. I. Thomas, “if a person perceives a situation as real, it is real in its consequences.” This statement is also known as the Thomas Theorem. In other words, our behavior depends not on the objective reality of a situation but on our subjective interpretation of reality. The consequences and results of behavior make it real. For example, a teenager who is defined as deviant might begin to act deviant. He makes his label real.

People perceive reality differently, and when they decide how they are going to view a person or a situation, they act accordingly. Since we all perceive reality differently, our reactions differ. Our definition of a situation as good or bad, to be embraced or avoided, dictates our response to it.

Ethnomethodology Ethnomethodology, as founded by sociologist Harold Garfinkel, is a theory that looks at how we make sense of everyday situations. Though we may view a situation differently from those around us, our backgrounds provide us with some basic assumptions about everyday life. Ethnomethodology studies what those background assumptions are, how we arrive at them, and how they influence our perceptions of reality. In order to understand these assumptions, students of ethnomethodology are often taught to violate or challenge the taken-for-granted assumptions we have about everyday life.

Example: In the United States, one background assumption is that emergency personnel, such as police officers, wear identifiable uniforms when on duty. An officer at an accident scene who is wearing everyday clothes might find that crowds won’t obey someone who claims to be a police officer but is without a uniform. The officer might have difficulty keeping onlookers at bay or redirecting traffic away from the scene. When the background assumption is not fulfilled, members of the public will not respond as respectfully as they would if the officer were in uniform, and the officer will have a hard time performing required duties.

http://www.sparknotes.com/sociology/identity-and-reality/section1.rhtml

Yes everyone does live in there own little world in some sense...

BUT IN THE BIG PICTURE OF IT ALL!

 We all live in the same world and the monsters who control our governments and world '' WHAT THEY DO'' in this world does effect us!

Example oil prices and I can go on and on!

The reality is the Bible teaches us of the true nature of this world and the invisible one!

And teaches us how to survive!

Glory to GOD!

Real Sonny Cardona at March 2, 2011 at 11:42 PM

Yes everyone does live in there own little world in some sense...

BUT IN THE BIG PICTURE OF IT ALL!

 We all live in the same world and the monsters who control our governments and world '' WHAT THEY DO'' in this world does effect us!

Example oil prices and I can go on and on!

The reality is the Bible teaches us of the true nature of this world and the invisible one!

And teaches us how to survive!

Glory to GOD!

 

 

Real Sonny Cardona at March 2, 2011 at 11:42 PM

Yes everyone does live in there own little world in some sense...

BUT IN THE BIG PICTURE OF IT ALL!

 We all live in the same world and the monsters who control our governments and world '' WHAT THEY DO'' in this world does effect us!

Example oil prices and I can go on and on!

The reality is the Bible teaches us of the true nature of this world and the invisible one!

And teaches us how to survive!

Glory to GOD!