Originally posted by sofi
if any of you also think gender is socially constructed, then you have to accept that the definition of sandwich is also socially constructed. i think you need to be asking why we have to define and categorise things as sandwiches and not-sandwiches rather than trying to apply these categories, which are incredibly poorly defined and vary even within different regions of one country, as authoritative across every cuisine and culture. the 'sandwich distinction' reflects the way knowledge is formed in every part of our society/societies.
like i said before, perhaps in some more vague terms, the term 'sandwich' only exists to sell you the idea of 'enjoying a sandwich'.
Memes aside, this is pretty much how I feel about it.
It's all fun and games to probe the boundaries of our definitions of different concepts, whether they be sandwiches, pies, gender, or humanity ("behold, a man!"), but it has to come from an understanding that we can play game this became
because there is no one true definition of these things. Any attempt to set rigid boundaries will include some undesirable things and exclude some desirable things, and what constitutes as "desirable" and "undesirable" will never be fully agreed upon in the first place.
Beyond that, these categories vary considerably and may not exist within different societies and cultures. Why should we all agree on what is or is not a sandwich when not everyone even has a word for it? Why should American definitions or definitions in English hold any more weight than others, and why should we seek to impose these classifications on food or objects that exist outside of its culture?
In other words, perhaps sandwiches are merely a tool of imperialism.
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layout by sofi.
art by Hiroshi Nagai.