Final answer:
Social theorists have demonstrated that race and gender are social constructs that deeply influence individual experiences and societal dynamics, as shown in habitus and intersection theory.
Step-by-step explanation:
Over time, social theorists have helped us understand how characteristics of individuals, such as race and gender, are social constructs. These constructs are ideas created and accepted by the people in a society that influence the way they think and behave. French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu introduced the concept of habitus, which explains how individuals uphold and can potentially change cultural systems like capitalism, class, racism, or patriarchal values.
Feminist sociologist Patricia Hill Collins developed intersection theory, building on Kimberlé Crenshaw's original articulation, which posits that the effects of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and other attributes cannot be separated. This theory helps us understand that multiple layers of disadvantage intersect, affecting how race is experienced and how prejudice manifests. Encompassing both social history and cultural anthropology, these discussions underscore the importance of recognizing the complexity of identity and the impact of societal structures on the individual. '
Race, ethnicity, class, and gender are not objective, inherent biological traits, but rather they are socioculturally constructed and embedded in our society, shaping individual experiences, perceptions, and societal inequalities.'