Discussion: The Social Construction of What?

Author: Ian Hacking

Description: In The Social Construction of What?, Ian Hacking delves into the ongoing debate over social construction, examining what exactly is being constructed—whether it's facts, gender, reality, or scientific theories. He explores how different concepts of social construction shape our understanding of the world. Hacking focuses on contentious issues in the natural sciences, such as the debate between biological and social perspectives on mental illness and differing views on sedimentary geology. He also looks at child abuse as a social construct and how advanced research can influence the form, rather than the content, of science. The book ends with a discussion of "culture wars" in anthropology.

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