Your readings for today all talk about how an idea or category comes to have a particular meaning [or is socially constructed] (for example, “missing children,” “youth violence,” or “teen mothers”). They also discuss how the meaning we give an idea or category determines our responses to it. After completing the readings assigned for today, discuss examples from the readings of how a socially constructed category led to particular responses (like certain policies or institutions), and explain how the meaning that was given to the category led to the response. The Social Construction of Childhood and Youth Review of Social Constructionism Social Construction of children’s problems Skills Focus: Engagement of Children and Youth