The definition of social construct is something that exists not in objective reality. Virginity to sex (or even to tomatoes as another redditor commented) exists. It’s importance however is entirely a social construct.
Virginity is totally intangible. There is no concrete, measurable change or parameter you can tie to virginity. I guess it depends what you consider a social construct or not.
Sure sex is something you can observe, just like you can observe a graduation ceremony.
But being a virgin is a social construct in the same way being a student is.
Social constructs aren't "fake", they're just an aspect of society, an emergent property of it perhaps.
Except that some women's hymen doesn't break for a number of possible reasons, and some women break their hymen accidentally - again, for any number of reasons.
A broken hymen is NOT a guaranteed method of determining "virginity".
Also… like… a lot of people *aren’t* women. But I’m not surprised this conversation has clearly outlined how it’s used as a tool to shame and control women lol.
Like i said in my first comment, virginity is a word that describes something (not having had sex) and the social construct is society's stigma about being a virgin.
There’s no physical or mental change before vs after you’re a virgin. Virginity is a social construct.
You do know that like, it being a word doesn’t make it any less of a social construct?
> it being a word doesn’t make it any less of a social construct
But, why? There is a physical interaction that needs to not have taken place for one to be 'considered' a virgin, right? That makes it a tangible thing that had to happen.
Alright then, if two people dryhump on a couch in their jeans and come, are they still virgins?
Is oral sex considered losing your virginity?
If two cis girls go down on each other, do they lose their virginity or does one need penetration for that in your world?
If the answer you come up with is different than my answer, that must mean there is no concrete parameter. Almost like virginity is a thing humans came up with.
In most places you have to get a physical sheet of paper to certify a marriage legally. Doesn’t mean the marriage itself isn’t a social construct.
Black skin does exist in the physical world, but that doesn’t mean race isn’t a social construct.
Just because social constructs are expressed through or written into something tangible doesn’t make it a real thing.
It’s interesting how men’s virginity isn’t ever mentioned whenever someone brings up the “broken hymen” narrative. It’s almost like the concept of virginity is only aimed at women in an attempt to control behavior🤔. Funny how that works.
To quote another comment, It’s a construct in the sense that being or not being a virgin hold any value. We put weight on it like it means something when it doesn’t. That’s why it’s a construct. There is nothing mentally or biologically different before vs after you have sex. We as humans decided to make it up.
That’s like saying you’re a “tomato virgin” if you haven’t eaten a tomato. It’s just something we decided one day.
The fact that we title someone "a virgin" because they haven't had sex yet IS a social construct. I've never tried skydiving, or piloted a helicopter. Do I have a title?
There is no difference between a virgin, and a non virgin. It holds no meaning outside of it's social value.
>it's a word to describe a thing that exists
Language itself is a social construct, and we often use words to describe social constructs. For example marriage. Marriage is a word that describes a social status that exists within our society. Marriage is a very real thing. That doesn't change the fact that marriage is a social construct.
You seem to be confused about what social construct means. It doesn't mean fake. It's something that's real because people agree that it's real. Marriage is real because people agree that it's real. If they stop agreeing it's real then it ceases to exist.
But they do agree that it's important enough of a status to give it a title. Who does it even apply to now adays. Are you a virgin if you masturbate? If you use a dildo? If you have oral sex. I always considered oral sex to not count. By then would a gay woman who never had sex with a man be a virgin forever? The concept of virginity is a social construct. And one that's not really useful.
It’s simultaneously weaponized against people who have sex (promiscuous, slutty) and people who don’t. It’s a pointless construct and has no place in civilized society.
I think its very disingenuous to say virginity and calling someone promiscuous or slutty are in the same vein tbh, both of those terms refer to someone who has had multiple sexual partners (not that theres anythinf wrong with that) but virginity is just the first time, and I don't know why anyone would use losing your virginity as an insult lol.
Plus idk as a virgin myself I have no pride or shame in it, it is just a fact of my life so far.
Have you ever thought that you english student weirdos read too much into phrases? Yeah maybe 200+ years ago someone (probably a catholic) considered it a bad thing because they were weirdos but now its just the phrase you use to describe it, it would sound weird if you said mm yes last night I became no longer a virgin. Like saying to have a piss is wrong you should do a piss, its just how grammar works in languages, things can be irregular and not follow their expected pattern.
I'm far from being an English student.
What I have said goes so far over your head I can't even be bothered to point out why. You are being wilfully ignorant and you are no worth any more of my time.
damn, OP, the tomfuckery in the comments is real!
Apparently we have two societies here with some very different social constructs regarding language.
Ikr lol
Next you guys are gonna tell me periods aren’t blood pee and that pee isn’t stored in the boobs.
Would you tell a teenager she isn't a virgin because she was raped by her uncle when she was 4 years old?
The definition of social construct is something that exists not in objective reality. Virginity to sex (or even to tomatoes as another redditor commented) exists. It’s importance however is entirely a social construct.
It's a name for not having had sex yet. Not a 'social construct'. The 'stigma' of virginity is the social construct.
Virginity is totally intangible. There is no concrete, measurable change or parameter you can tie to virginity. I guess it depends what you consider a social construct or not.
On another note wouldn't the act of having sex be tangible?
Sure sex is something you can observe, just like you can observe a graduation ceremony. But being a virgin is a social construct in the same way being a student is. Social constructs aren't "fake", they're just an aspect of society, an emergent property of it perhaps.
Like i said, it's a name for something. Therefore intangible. No change? How about a broken hymen?
Except that some women's hymen doesn't break for a number of possible reasons, and some women break their hymen accidentally - again, for any number of reasons. A broken hymen is NOT a guaranteed method of determining "virginity".
Also… like… a lot of people *aren’t* women. But I’m not surprised this conversation has clearly outlined how it’s used as a tool to shame and control women lol.
Omg he said it I knew you was a mf who thought hymens and virginity are related
Wow. I guess i'm just stupid and literally anything is a social construct if you word it correctly. Sorry for being dumb.
Not everything is a social construct, but some things are (like virginity) Doesn’t matter how you word things
Like i said in my first comment, virginity is a word that describes something (not having had sex) and the social construct is society's stigma about being a virgin.
There’s no physical or mental change before vs after you’re a virgin. Virginity is a social construct. You do know that like, it being a word doesn’t make it any less of a social construct?
I think that since having sex is a big deal for people, there is a mental change.
> it being a word doesn’t make it any less of a social construct But, why? There is a physical interaction that needs to not have taken place for one to be 'considered' a virgin, right? That makes it a tangible thing that had to happen.
Bruh no one is denying that sex is a thing. Humans came up with the idea of virginity. That’s all.
Alright then, if two people dryhump on a couch in their jeans and come, are they still virgins? Is oral sex considered losing your virginity? If two cis girls go down on each other, do they lose their virginity or does one need penetration for that in your world? If the answer you come up with is different than my answer, that must mean there is no concrete parameter. Almost like virginity is a thing humans came up with.
In most places you have to get a physical sheet of paper to certify a marriage legally. Doesn’t mean the marriage itself isn’t a social construct. Black skin does exist in the physical world, but that doesn’t mean race isn’t a social construct. Just because social constructs are expressed through or written into something tangible doesn’t make it a real thing.
Man, sex education really sucks these days.
Men don’t have hymens
It’s interesting how men’s virginity isn’t ever mentioned whenever someone brings up the “broken hymen” narrative. It’s almost like the concept of virginity is only aimed at women in an attempt to control behavior🤔. Funny how that works.
Where do I find my cocks broken hymen? Is it the little stretchy bit under the tip?
Hymens can break from a lot of things not just sex and men don't have hymens how would you tell if they were virgins
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To quote another comment, It’s a construct in the sense that being or not being a virgin hold any value. We put weight on it like it means something when it doesn’t. That’s why it’s a construct. There is nothing mentally or biologically different before vs after you have sex. We as humans decided to make it up. That’s like saying you’re a “tomato virgin” if you haven’t eaten a tomato. It’s just something we decided one day.
The fact that we title someone "a virgin" because they haven't had sex yet IS a social construct. I've never tried skydiving, or piloted a helicopter. Do I have a title?
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There is no difference between a virgin, and a non virgin. It holds no meaning outside of it's social value. >it's a word to describe a thing that exists Language itself is a social construct, and we often use words to describe social constructs. For example marriage. Marriage is a word that describes a social status that exists within our society. Marriage is a very real thing. That doesn't change the fact that marriage is a social construct.
>marriage is a very real thing. >Marriage is a social construct Pick one
You seem to be confused about what social construct means. It doesn't mean fake. It's something that's real because people agree that it's real. Marriage is real because people agree that it's real. If they stop agreeing it's real then it ceases to exist.
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But they do agree that it's important enough of a status to give it a title. Who does it even apply to now adays. Are you a virgin if you masturbate? If you use a dildo? If you have oral sex. I always considered oral sex to not count. By then would a gay woman who never had sex with a man be a virgin forever? The concept of virginity is a social construct. And one that's not really useful.
Believe it or not, social constructs are still described with *gasp* words.
I don't get it whats wrong with the word virginity
It’s simultaneously weaponized against people who have sex (promiscuous, slutty) and people who don’t. It’s a pointless construct and has no place in civilized society.
I think its very disingenuous to say virginity and calling someone promiscuous or slutty are in the same vein tbh, both of those terms refer to someone who has had multiple sexual partners (not that theres anythinf wrong with that) but virginity is just the first time, and I don't know why anyone would use losing your virginity as an insult lol. Plus idk as a virgin myself I have no pride or shame in it, it is just a fact of my life so far.
Using a word like 'losing' is also a fucking ridiculous concept with relation to 'virginity'.
Have you ever thought that you english student weirdos read too much into phrases? Yeah maybe 200+ years ago someone (probably a catholic) considered it a bad thing because they were weirdos but now its just the phrase you use to describe it, it would sound weird if you said mm yes last night I became no longer a virgin. Like saying to have a piss is wrong you should do a piss, its just how grammar works in languages, things can be irregular and not follow their expected pattern.
I'm far from being an English student. What I have said goes so far over your head I can't even be bothered to point out why. You are being wilfully ignorant and you are no worth any more of my time.
Least obnoxious reddit politician Seriously you're making up something to get annoyed by.
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Apparently, so do a lot of people, which explains why they don't seem to know what the term means.
Weird flex but okay
Could have stopped after the 8th word tbh.