Social constructionism is the idea that a lot of what we think is “normal,” “true,” or “real” is actually made up by people — not made up in a fake way, but created by how we talk, think, and act together as a society. These shared ideas are called social constructs. For example, money is just paper or numbers, but we all agree it’s valuable, so it works. Gender roles — like the idea that boys should be tough and girls should be gentle — are also social constructs. They’re not laws of nature; they come from what people believe and expect.
Social constructionism says we learn these ideas through social interaction, which means talking, listening, and copying what others do, like parents, teachers, or TV shows. Over time, these ideas get built into institutions like schools, governments, and media, so they feel very real and hard to change — this is called reification.
Language plays a big role too: when we give something a name or label, like “criminal” or “success,” we shape how people see it. Social constructionism helps us notice that different cultures or groups can create different meanings for the same thing. It also reminds us that just because something feels “normal” doesn’t mean it’s the only way — people made these ideas, so people can change them too.