TrudyMickel

OpeningmyEyesAgain
Socializationchangeshumansintopeople.Itdoesthisbycreatingnormsand
expectationsofhowtoacttofitintosociety.Wevalueandstrivetobeacceptedbymeeting
theseexpectations.WeareeachbornintoaspecificsetofsocialidentitiesstatesBobbieHarro
authorofTheCycleofSocialization.Peoplearepushedintorolessetforthemtoplayinour
worldbythesevenidentitycategories:gender,race,economicclass,age,ability/disabilitystatus,
sexualorientation,andreligion.Intheidentitycategories,youcanbeanagentoratarget.Agents
areprivilegedpeoplewithmoresocialpowerandtargetsareoftendefinedbymisinformation
andconsideredlessimportant.Todayteenagersspend,onaverage,sevenandahalfhours
everydayconsumedinmedia.Everysecondandminuteofeveryday,messagesofwhotobe
areconvenedthroughoutourlives,surroundingus,withnowheretoescape.Societyandmedia
haveimpactedmethemostbyteachingmewomenarejudgedbyhowtheylook,whiteprivilege
doesnotexist,andtheopportunitiesandlifestyleofthemiddleclass.

Fromaveryyoungage,societyhastoldmewhotobeasagirlbyinsertingaperfect
imageofawomanintomyheadthateveryone,includingme,strivestomeet.Inthearticle
GenderSocializationCausesWomentoFeelInadequate,theauthorEliseMartoranodescribes
Gendersocializationpersistsforourentirelives.Itdetermineshowwedress,thecareerswe
aspireto,thechoreswereassigned,andthesocialexpectationsthatcauseusembarrassmentand
anxietywhenwedeviatefromthem.Asachild,myparentsderailedandbrokeofffromthe
cycleofsocializationbygivingmebothablackandwhitedolltoplaywith,lettingmybrother
dressinhisfavoritepantsandshoes,purpletightsandpinksparklyDorothyshoes,andinsteadof
showingmetheunrealisticimageofawomenportrayedinsocietythroughmedia,Iwatchedmy
favoriteshowstheXgamesandWinterOlympics.AsIgrewolder,stereotypicalideasofwhoa
womenshouldbewereinsertedintomyheadbythemedia.Inmypreteenandthebeginningof
myteenageyears,IhaveseenflawlessimagesofwomeninmagazinesandonTV.These
unrealisticimages,thateverygirlstrivestomeet,resultsinverylowselfconfidence,eating
disorders,violence,anddisrespect.Theproblemisthebarissetmuchtoohigh.Weallvalue
beingattractive,butwhycantattractivebeconsiderednaturallybeautiful?Instead,attractiveis
consideredskinny,tall,tan,coveredinmakeup,andwearingtightcloths.Societyhascreated
unrealisticimagesandrolesforwomentomeet,resultinginlowselfesteemandshameall
around.

Anotherwaysocietyhasnegativelyimpactedmeisbyteachingmetovalueandlabel
peoplebasedontheirraceandbecomenumbtowhiteprivilege.BecauseIamwhite,Iviewthe
worlddifferently.Iamgivenmoreopportunities,encouragement,andsuccessfulrolemodels
featuringthesameraceasme.Iwastaughttoseeracismonlyinindividualactsofmeanness,
notininvisiblesystemsconferringdominanceonmygroupstatesPeggyMcintoshauthorof
WhitePrivilege:UnpackingtheInvisibleKnapsack.Iwasbornintotheunacknowledged
whiteprivilegeandhandedthevaluableknapsack.Theknapsackincludesunearnedand
unrecognizedprivilegessuchasbandaidsthatmatchmyskintone,easilyaccessibledolls
featuringmyrace,andneverevencontemplatingtheideaofbeingsingledoutbecauseofmy
race.Asateenager,Iamnotlookedatandconsideredassuspiciousaspeopleofcolor.AndifI
everam,Iwillmostlylikelygrowupandneverbelookatsuspiciouslyagain.ManyAfrican

Americans,ofallages,arelookedatsuspiciouslyallthetimeandhavetolivewiththefeelingof
discomfort.Ihavetoadmit,sometimeswhenIseearoughorhomelesspersonofcolor,Ibikeor
runfaster.Societyhastaughtmethatpeopleofcoloraredangerousandtroublemakers.But
whenIstartedtothinkmoreabouttheideaandmyeyeswereopenedtotheeffectsof
socialization,Irealizeskincolordoesnotmatter.Itdoesnotmakeyoumoreviolentoractany
certainway.Itissimplythecharacteristicofthepersonandasocializedmessagethathas
nothingtodowithwhattheylooklikeontheoutside.Ihavebeengivenmanyopportunities
becauseofmyracesettingmeupforallaroundmoresuccessbecauseofwhiteprivilegeandthe
racismstillexistinginsociety.Thefirststeptoendingracismisgettingthoseenjoyingwhite
privilegetorecognizeitexists.

Myeconomicclasshasgivenmemanyopportunitiesallowingmetogetagood
education,livecomfortably,andsetmeupforsuccess.Growingup,Ihavebeensocializedin
themiddleclass.Myparents,usingtheincomefromtheirfulltimejobs,canaffordformeto
competeinskiingandtravel.Butsometimes,IthinkhowluckyIamandwhatitwouldbeliketo
liveinthelowerclasses.InthebookMexicanWhiteboybyMattDeLaPeNa,twoofthemain
characters,SofiaandUno,donotgetverymanyopportunities.Theyliveinapoor
neighborhoodandtheirfamiliesdonotstresseducation.Bothdonothavesuccessfulrole
modelsinspiringthemandpushingthemtowardssuccess.Itbecomesaveryunfairfightinour
worldbecausetheydidnotstartwithequalchances.ThemoreIthinkabouthowluckyIam,the
morequestionsaboutmylifestylecometomindandrealitysetsinonwhatitwillmostlikelybe
forme.Didmyparentsgetmoreopportunitiesallowingthemtobesuccessful?Ordidmy
parentsworkharder?Ibelievethisunfairnessisduetotheskewedsystem.Withthissystem,
thereisaverygoodchanceIwillenduplikemyparents,landinginthemiddleclass,whilethe
bottomclassesstruggletogetbyandtheupperclassdominates.Theproblemisnotthepeople,
buttheskewedsystem.Americansofallwealthneedtoworktogethertochangethesystemand
wealthinequalitiesinAmericaforfuturegenerations.

Thecycleofsocializationhascreatedstereotypicalmessagesandimagesofwhotobein
society.Ithasnegativelyaffectedpeoplebyteachingthemwomensbestvalueistheir
appearance,whiteprivilegedoesnotexist,andthelifestyleoftheclasses.Someeffectsof
socializationarenegative,butothersarepositive.Withoutsocialization,wewouldallbe
nobodieswithoutanygoals,drive,orpurposeinlife.Asmallchangeinthecycleof
socializationisbig.Thefirststeptomakingachangetothenarrowcycleistomakeeveryone
awareoftheissuesitiscausingandtheimpactsitmakesoninnocenthumans.TheCycleof
Socializationsumsthisupperfectly:Wearevictimsofthecycle,andareplayingourrolesas
victimstokeepthecyclealive.Thecycleofsocializationhasamindofitsownandunlesswe
allmakeanefforttochange,itwillcontinueon,changinghumansintopeople.

MaskParagraph

Insociety,everyonewearsamask,hidingthemselves,andchangingtofitsociety'sexpectations.
Socializationhascreatedtheperfectmaskofwhotobethatweallwanttowear.Thisproject
openedmyeyestothehugeeffectssocializationreallyhasonme.Formymask,Ifocusedon
genderbecauseIfeltIhadthebiggestconnectionwiththeeffectithashadonme.Iputpuzzle
pieceswithdescriptivewordsallovertheface.Eachpuzzlepiecerepresentsamessagefrom
socializationaboutwomenandtherolesofwhotobe.InthecenterofthemaskIhavetwowhite
puzzlepieceswitheyesonthem.Theleftrepresentsthenaturalrealmeandtherightrepresents
socializationchangingmeintotheperfectmask,whichiscoveredinmakeup.Overall,it
representswhosocializationisturningmeintowiththemessagesfrommedia.Wearebecoming
lessofhumansandmoreofpeoplecoveredbyafakemask.Thisprojectmademerealizethe
verybigaffectsocializationhasonme.Overtime,Irealizeitisslowlychangingmeintothe
perfectmaskwomenhavebeentaughttowear.