socially contingent

USAGE SUMMARY

"socially contingent" is a correct and usable part of a sentence in written English.
You can use it to describe a situation or a behavior that is contingent upon, or dependent on, the social context it is occurring in. For example, "The success of the play was socially contingent; some audiences laughed while others were offended."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

10 11 Given that knowledge is socially contingent, it follows therefore that its mobilisation also takes place through a social process of inter-connected groups of individuals and communities.

BMJ Open

Self-evidently dangerous climate change will not emerge from a normal scientific process of truth seeking, although science will gain some insights into the question if it recognises the socially contingent dimensions of a post-normal science.

The Guardian

We center the notion of differential vulnerabilities, an understanding of security that recognizes safety as socially contingent, adversaries as unstable figures, and risk as differentially applied based on markers of relational position (e.g. class, race, religion, gender, geography, experience).

University of California, Berkeley

Where the standpoint of the privileged tends to represent existing social inequalities as natural and necessary, the standpoint of the disadvantaged correctly represents them as socially contingent, and shows how they could be overcome.

SEP

For Neurath, to justify a belief or a decision meant 'to show that it fits into the whole pattern of personal life of which we approve.'(Neurath 1928/1973, 249) Rationality is thus based on historically and socially contingent values.

SEP

And it is epistemically flawed, in that it misrepresents the modality of observed regularities (as necessary, rather than socially contingent), as well as their cause (as generated by the intrinsic nature of the things observed, rather than by the observer's own stance toward what is observed).

SEP

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

Understanding of elementary, local visual perception (e.g., motion, color, texture, etc). is growing and beginning to complement the vast literature on socially-contingent object perception (e.g., face perception).

Plosone

Sneering at the bourgeois luxury of it all are the socially concerned contingent: Considine, Loach, Leigh, along with Broomfield and Countdown to Zero director Lucy Walker.

The Guardian - Film

We argue that it is these socially constructed and contingent heuristic identities that shape the desirability, acceptability, feasibility and adoptability of each technology, a perspective that policy must acknowledge in seeking to intervene in health care technology adoption.

Social Science & Medicine

However, the vivid descriptions parents gave of the financial aspects of their childcare are socially and historically contingent: newborn screening that reduces morbidity of SCD, insurance-based access to treatment or generally improved socioeconomic circumstances could all improve the health of children with SCD and reduce economic pressures on the family.

Ethnicity and Health

As with all social phenomena, social norms – socially accepted forms of behaviour – are culturally and historically contingent.

Ethnicity and Health

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "socially contingent" to challenge deterministic viewpoints by highlighting the role of social context and human agency in shaping outcomes.

Common error

Avoid using "socially contingent" as a catch-all phrase without specifying the relevant social conditions. Provide concrete examples of how social factors affect the outcome to avoid vagueness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "socially contingent" functions as an adjective modifying a noun, indicating that the characteristic or outcome being described is dependent on social circumstances or influenced by social factors. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

30%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "socially contingent" accurately describes something influenced or dependent on social factors, as validated by Ludwig AI. Its primary function is to modify nouns, adding nuance to discussions about social influences on various outcomes. Predominantly used in scientific, academic, and news contexts, it emphasizes the role of society in shaping events. While alternatives like "dependent on social context" exist, "socially contingent" offers a concise way to convey this meaning, with best practices including clear specification of the contingent social factors to avoid overgeneralization.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

contingent upon societal norms

Synonymous substitution of "social" with "societal", emphasizing the importance of norms.

dependent on social context

Replaces "contingent" with a more explicit description of the dependency.

influenced by social dynamics

Highlights the effect of social interactions on a particular outcome.

subject to social conditions

Highlights the susceptibility of something to social influences.

subject to the social climate

Highlights the impact of the overall social environment.

shaped by social factors

Focuses on the formative influence of social elements.

determined by social norms

Emphasizes the role of social norms in dictating outcomes.

conditional on social acceptance

Specifies that acceptance is the condition for something to occur.

relative to social values

Indicates that something's significance varies based on societal values.

dependent upon communal agreement

Focuses on the need for community consensus for something to be.

FAQs

How can "socially contingent" be used in a sentence?

You can use "socially contingent" to describe something that is dependent on or influenced by social factors. For example, "The success of the project was "socially contingent" on community support".

What's a good alternative to "socially contingent"?

Alternatives include phrases like "dependent on social context", "subject to social conditions", or "shaped by social factors" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "socially contingent" a formal or informal phrase?

"Socially contingent" is suitable for both formal and informal writing, though it is more commonly found in academic, scientific, and journalistic contexts. Consider your audience and the overall tone of your writing.

How does "socially contingent" differ from "socially determined"?

"Socially contingent" implies that something is dependent on social factors, but not necessarily entirely caused by them. "Socially determined" suggests a stronger causal relationship, where social factors are the primary or sole cause. "Socially contingent" allows for other influences, while "socially determined" is more deterministic.