The discovery of one’s true inner-self is a complex journey that requires you to analyze behavioral components in order to uncover who one really is. I am Ali ________. Just a 19 year old girl born in small town Lebanon, Tennessee to two loving parents. No other siblings, just me, the one and only. Just because I am the “only” you can imply simplicity, boredom, disinterest, but the family that was before me, my ancestors, encompass a long line of authority, bravery, and strength. My family line can be traced back to King Henry VIII. Yes, that tyrant of a king who beheaded 6 women- that’s authority.
Skipping forward hundreds of years I had grandfathers and uncles fighting for our country in World War II, Vietnam, and Korea. In return, receiving multiple medals and honors (even the purple heart) for their duties overseas- that’s bravery. Now today, as members of our family are getting older and passing on, as me and my parents learn to adapt to the changing world, and as we push through to achieve success not only in our lives, but within ourselves- that’s strength. In making up who one truly is, several influential factors become prominent.
The influence of people we care about most, the approval we seek, the most important figures within our lives, the significant other. By description of the characteristics I would classify my parents as significant others within my life, but in everyones life there is that wild card; Charlie Ledbetter would be mine. In respect to my parents as a significant other, I would say they traced the outline of my inner being. Teaching me the concepts of life: how to be truthful, driven, respectful, confident, and humble. These qualities are important, but again, the generalized basics.
It was now up to me to create my picture. I lived my life for so long in black and white, sticking to the concepts. Then, along came Charlie. Who knew someone other than yourself could give you an insight of who you truly are; that someone could take a black and white outlined girl and show her the beautiful colors that were inside of her all along. It was like all of the concepts taught to me by my parents were exemplified and brought to life in a new way. I realized that I was more than what I thought I was. I realized and truly believed I could do anything I set my mind to.
This was the first time I received an insight of who I truly was. It was the first time the qualities of strength and honor were exemplified in my life giving me a strong sense of authority in self identification. Through the tracing of qualities from my parents to the abundance of color revealed to me by Charlie, the message of the only journey, is the one within. I learned that that we first have to answer for our existence to ourselves and will, therefore, be our own true pilot of our lives. Self-identity is how we survive in today’s society, but how do we learn to interact with other people?
The concept of socialization is vital not only in society, but it is also essential in human development. The behavior that we classify as ‘human nature’ is actually learned by socializing. It is during socialization that we institute how to walk, talk, and even eat. It is these behavioral normalities that help us fit into our society and affect our daily lives. In my life the major agencies of socialization can be attributed to the media, friends, and family. Media has now become more prominent in most of our lives due to the advancement in technology.
The ability to easily facilitate communication between others creates better means of mass communication. There are several types of media; these include internet, movies, magazines, and television. Why are these important? These types of media influence our thoughts, our taste, our political values, our language, our style, and our music. Through television I discovered that I could be the Blair Waldorf of society. For the non-Gossip Girl television show watchers, this high society female was the epitome of class, elegance, and power, and I unknowingly began to model my style and language after her.
I was captivated by her character and by avidly watching the show, I later was able to identify certain phrases she used and a similaristic wardrobe in my own life. This was unintentional in the beginning, but in result, a television show character began to influence my life. Through the internet I discovered that anything you post and or say is permanently attached to you; therefore, exposing me to the political twists in our world. In terms of media as an agency of socialization, being that the categories are so broad and universalized, it has the capacity to influence not only me, but everyone in society.
My family’s role as an agent of socialization has been a significant one. From them, I learned the basic principles of walking, talking, and becoming an independent. Behaviorally, my parents taught me the proper way to act; with grace, respect, and dignity. I have often been influenced by my parents attitude not only in respect to work, but also about the importance of education, patriotism and religion. However, there are many qualities that were not attributed by my parents. Some of which were through my peers and friends.
From them I acquired qualities and knowledge that I could not acquire from parents; From formal qualities like cooperative mortality to informally qualities like fashion, trends, modules of gratification, and pop cultural knowledge, utilizing friends as a socialization agent connected me with today’s culture and provided me with a different vehicle in becoming the person I am today. Family and friends too played a vital role in instilling cultural and social values. Each one reinforced and interlinked between one another.
The cultural religious value that is the most prominent in my life is the phrase, “Do onto others as you would want done onto you. ” This classic phrase has been a staple of my parents livelihood long before my existence. This has transferred into the cultural values of my friendship in creating socially a selfless, respectful, and humble relationship. By this phrase shaping me culturally and socially, my relationship with my parents and friends is not only strong, but the new relationships I am forming are ones that are initiated with respect and genuine care.
This staple in my life has allowed me to form lasting relationships by treating them too, in a way that I wish to be treated. The phrase, “Do onto others as you would want done onto you,” will transmit into my future family as it was transmitted in mine. This short phrase carries so many values that hold true in developing oneself not only to be successful ethically but also professionally. If each person shows the other the respect and kindness they wish to see, the world would be a very different place.
Each person has a life, aspirations, and ultimately, feeling. Sometimes we forget that, and that is why this phrase is a daily reminder for my family, me, and one day will be passed along to my family. Generalized others also play a significant role in self identification. These “others” are not really others at all. They are the people who show us societies demands and expectations. Teachers and professors have been the main identification to me of the display of the criteria that needs to be met in order to succeed in today’s society.
They have instilled in me a sense of independence and drive.. The have allowed me to set goals such as attending medical school even though I am female. Their wisdom inspires me to persevere even when times and class work becomes too difficult. Through the use of their teachings, these qualities are what motivated and propelled me to be the person that I am today. Some say that there are “hidden curriculums” that follow the educational system today. This would be the specialization of classes based on gender, male or female.
During elementary school and even secondary school years I was taught that just because I was a different gender, a female, that I was of no less of importance or even incapable of doing anything that the opposite gender did. Gender equality was heavily present in my life and I believe that is why my teachers and college professors’ roles, the generalized others, were so crucial and beneficial to the academic success throughout my life. My education has never been hindered, if anything, it has been propelled because of the lack of gender specialized classes.
Race and ethnicity are two things that influence everyones’ life. Yes, even the typical Caucasian American. Diversity is a quality that our nation is known for and something we wish to continue to achieve. I feel that sometimes we are so consumed with taking care of the minority and their equality, that it is difficult to then be a part of the majority. Lets use college, for example: Coming out of high school as a female, caucasian, with 4. 5 GPA,and a 32 on the ACT did not allow me benefits as possibly being a different race would have allowed.
Economically being apart of the middle class lessened my favor of scholarship as well. Now, if I was a part of the minority, the favor would have gone in my direction. Diversification. That is what it is all about. Diversity can create curiosity. By being exposed to different ethnicities and cultures, a student may want to learn more about a specific group which, in result, can give them an insight into the functionality of their culture and how to make our own even better. I have made many friends that are of different race and ethnicity.
The impact they have made on my life is substantial. They have enlightened me on the differences of culture and languages and how they have adjusted to ours in the United States. They too have opened my mind to different perspectives and by hearing different opinions; some of which you agree, and some of which you do not. By hearing these different viewpoints from people I may completely disagree with, they have allowed me to see their argumentative side or at least help me better understand what their argument is truly about.
These friendships have allowed me to become a well rounded, culturally enriched human being. Through this sociological autobiography of my life I was able to identify characteristics myself through various internal and external evaluates with respect to agencies of socialization and values. This sociological imagination allowed me to see the relationship of me as an individual in relation to society. It revealed how my very own personal troubles and flaws can be interrelated to the social context of public matters, and how I can grow as a person from these circumstances.
