University Sociology of the Family Final Exam: Social Construction

This assignment is a final exam solution for a Sociology of the Family course (SOCI 1201), focusing on social constructionism. The student's responses analyze how establishing partnerships, childhood, and ideologies of parenthood are socially constructed, discussing the implications for Canadian families. The exam addresses topics such as the learned nature of romantic relationships, the varying definitions of childhood across social contexts, and the socially influenced roles within parenthood. The student references relevant literature to support their arguments, providing a comprehensive overview of the course material. The exam questions are designed to assess the student's understanding of how social interactions and cultural contexts shape family dynamics and individual experiences within Canadian society.

Running head: SOCIOLOGY OF THE FAMILY
Sociology of the family
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

1SOCIOLOGY OF THE FAMILY
Explain how Establishing partnerships (dating) can be explained as being socially constructed.
Note the implications this has for Canadian families in your response.
Relationships can be explained as a socially constructed phenomena which people learn
from a very early age from peer networks. The idea of romantic relationships especially that of
the form of expression, the norms and the activities involved to express it is usually learned by
an individual while growing up discussing with friends which later become the idealized form of
romantic relationships. The entire process is a relation between the society and individualism
which helps in the formation of important social concept like family and also paves the way for
continuing the human race through reproduction. The ethical consideration of such aspect can
lead to major gaps, due to the expectations it demands for completing the visions of marriage
faced by the Canadian families. Beyond this structure, the Canadians have also seen other
aspects of relationships that includes same sex marriage, cohabitation, covenant marriage, de
facto parenting, constitutional amendments for redefining marriage, etc.
Explain how Childhood & adulthood can be explained as being socially constructed. Note the
implications this has for Canadian families in your response.
The term child is used in various context. The social construction of the word child is
important and this would be discussed in this response. The problematic views arise with the age
of the child where the age can be tricky as what they can do is completely variable (Norozi &
Moen 2016). Moreover, the physical, psychological and social development of child is also not
the same as it depends on various factors like physical, cultural and social context (Norozi &
Moen 2016). Though a particular age has been set to define the age of a child, t5here are no such
fixed parameters to say that a person has stopped to be a child and have started the phase of an
adult. Therefore, it can be said that being a child is not universal or natural, rather it is deep

2SOCIOLOGY OF THE FAMILY
rooted to social circumstances and cultural contexts. It is also viewed differently according
different social context.
Explain how Ideologies of parenthood can be explained as being socially constructed. Note the
implications this has for Canadian families in your response.
The birth of a child is definitely an important milestone for any couples as they enter a
phase of parenthood. The concept of parenthood can also be said as socially constructed since the
activities related to this particular circumstances is usually learned from social influences
(Araújo Martins, et al., 2014). The mother are still assumed to have the role of a primary
caregiver and the father playing the secondary role of catering to the needs of the children. The
role of father And mother is not that of a behavioral phenomenon, but it is a socially constructed
set of ideologies that prompts the role of a male/ female, mother and father, or wife/ husband.
This particular aspect of social construction of parenthood also reflects the psychosocial factors
that operate underneath the transition to parenthood (Araújo Martins, et al., 2014). The parental
experience itself is the result of the social, cultural and historical concepts which constructs an
ideology of its own which the parents follow.

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References
Araújo Martins, C., de Abreu, P., Correia, W. J., de Figueiredo, B., & do Céu Aguiar, M. (2014).
Becoming a father and a mother: a socially constructed role. Revista de Enfermagem
Referência, 4(2).
Norozi, S. A., & Moen, T. (2016). Childhood as a social construction. Journal of Educational
and Social Research, 6(2), 75.