LydiaBlaisdell

TheRealityOfSociety

Whatisidentity?
Identityishowapersonseesthemselves,andwhatculturaldifferences
setthemapartfromothers.Thatswhatitmeans,butdowehaveourownidentity,orisitupto
society?Wefindthissocalledidentitythroughsocialization,whichisaprocessorcyclethat
startsthesecondyouareborn.Ifyoureagirl,yougetapinkblanket,ifyoureaboy,yougeta
blueblanket.See?Stereotypesarealreadypartofyourlife.Genderisjustonewaythatyouare
socialized.Race,sexualorientation,economicclass,age,andreligionareallidentitycategories.
Youridentityissetupbasedonhoworwhereyouidentifyineachofthesecategories.Bobbie
Harrostatesin
TheCycleOfSocialization
Wegetsystematictraininginhowtobeeachofour
socialidentitiesthroughoutourlives.Thecycleofsocializationthatfollowsisonewayof
representinghowthesocializationprocesshappens,fromwhatsourcesitcomes,howitaffects
ourlives,andhowitperpetuatesitself.Socializationisntabadthing,itsactuallyunavoidable
ifyouliveinanytypeofsociety.Itmakesushuman,buttodayssocializationisdamaging
humanityworldwide,itneedstochange,becausewearechangingwithit.Throughsocietyand
mediaIhavebeensocializedtothinkthatwomenareobjects,beingateenagerhasanincredibly
narrowsetofguidelines,andwhiteprivilegedoesntexistinsociety,werelockedintothese
learnedwaysofsocialization,andtaughttobepowerlessagainstthesystem.

ThroughthecycleofsocializationIhavebeentaughtthattheonlywayIamvaluedin
societyishowIlook,ifIfitintotheperfectbodytypeonlyphotoshopcanaccomplish.When
youthinkofawomanwhohasnotbrokenanyofthenormsofsocialization,youthinkofa
sexualobject.Themessagesthatwomenaregiveninsocietytodayaredegradinganddamaging
topersonalidentities.
TheCycleOfSocialization,
byBobbieHarrostatesthatWeareunlucky
tobebornintotargetgroupsandthereforedevaluedbyexistingsociety.Bothgroupsare
dehumanizedbybeingsocializedintoprescribedroleswithoutconsciousnessorpermission.In
societytherearetargetgroupsandagentsgroups,targetgroupsarepeoplethatarediscriminated
forhowtheyidentifyinaspecificidentitycategory,agentgroupsaregroupsthatareprivileged
atbirth.Womenareplacedintargetgroupsmainlybasedonthepowerthatmenhaveoverthem.
Thisisshowninsocietyeveryday,inthousandsofcommercialswomenaresexualobjects,
meanttoprovideentertainmentformen.EverydayIwatchadvertisementsandlookatmagazine
articles,andalwaysfeelinsecure,becauseIthinkAmIprettyenough?WhyamInotthat
skinny?Atanincrediblyyoungagegirlsstartworryingabouthowtheylook,aretheyskinny
enough,aretheirclothesfittingin,dotheyneedtowearmakeuptolookpretty?Theyallwantto
looklikethemodelinthemagazine,butthatmodelisntreal,andsocietyisaskingwhysomany
girlsareanorexic,orbulimic,orcommittingsuicide.Theydontfeelliketheyfitintosociety.Is
itfairthatwomenandgirlsandtaughttohatethemselves?No,itisnt,sohowcanwebreakthe
cycleandhavefreedomwithinthisbindingsociety?

ManypeoplethinkthatjustbecauseImateenager,Imnottrustworthy
orthatIam
selfish,thisisnttrue,thisissocietytalking.Agecontrolswhoyouare,howyouact,andtheway
youthink,butthatdoesntmeanallpeopleofacertainageactexactlythesame.Doteensact
recklessly,gotoparties,anddoothernormalteenagethingsbecausetheywantto,orbecause

theywanttofollowsociety'snorms?DeniseWitmerin
WhatTrustIsforParentsAndWhyTeens
NeedIt
statesTrustisdefinedas'thefirmbeliefinthereliability,truth,abilityorstrengthof
someone'.Itdoesnotdefineitas'thefirmbeliefthatsomeonewilldotherightthing'or'thefirm
beliefthatsomeonewilldowhatIwantthemtodo'.Thisstatementsupportstheideathatteens
dontliejustbecausetheyreofacertainage,itsastereotypethathasnotruth.Thismessageis
conveyedtoteenseveryday,anditonlymakesthesituationworse.Parentsandotheradults
expectteenstogoagainsttherules,butthatwouldmostlikelystophappeningiftherewastrust
thattheywoulddotherightthing.
Minorsneedmorecontrolovertheirlives,iftheirparentsare
constantlyblamingthemforlying,thentheywillmostlikelystarttobecausetheyfeellikesits
somethingtheyneedtodo.Itsnottheteensthatcantbetrusted,itstheparentsthatcantstand
totrusttheirteens.Personally,Ihaveexperiencedtheobviousdistrustinpeoplethatdontknow
mejustbasedonmyage.Ihavebeenfollowedaroundstores,IvehadmybagtakenawaysoI
dontsteal.WasIgoingtosteal?No,Iwasnt.Withagepeoplechange,butnotallinthesame
way,thecycleofsocializationisrequiringeveryonetocomplytothesamestandardsand
stereotypesthatcausehateandlowselfesteeminthepopulation.

Haveyoueverbeentoldthatwhiteprivilegedoesntexist?Ofcourseyouhave,society
wantsyoutobelieveitdoesnt.EverydayIassumethingsbasedonmyrace,Idontworryabout
beingtargetedbypoliceofficers,orbeingaccusedofstealingjustbecausemyracehasa
stereotypeofbreakingthelaw.Societydoesntwanttorecognizewhiteprivilege,butwhatwill
happenifnothingisdone,willitgetworse,willitgetbetter?Haveyoueversaidsomething,and
gottenareplyofthatsracist?Youprobablyhave,becausemostpeoplearesoobsessedand
uncomfortablewiththeideaofracism,thatthesmallestthingwillseemracistwhenitreallyhas
nothingtodowithraceissues.
WhitePrivilege:UnpackingtheInvisibleKnapsack
byPeggy
McintoshstatesthatThereisapatternrunningthroughthematrixofwhiteprivilege,apattern
ofassumptionsthatwerepassedontomeasawhiteperson.Assumptionsthatpeopleofall
otherracesinAmericahavetoquestioneveryday.Asawhiteperson,whiteprivilegedoesnt
negativelyaffectme,moretothepoint,itpositivelyaffectsme.IoncewenttoaNavajoflea
market,Iwasyounger,soIdidntnoticeitthewayIwouldhavenow,butIfeltinsecurethere,
becausemyfamilyandIweretheonlywhitepeoplethere.Itmademethinkofforinstanceif
therewasanativepersoninDurango,whichisaverywhitecommunity,wouldtheyfeellikethis
everyday?63percentofAmericaspopulationiswhite,thatleaves37percentofAmerica
oppressedbecauseofhowtheylook.Ahugeimprovementwasmadewhenthecountryelecteda
blackpresident,butthevictimizationofpeopleofdifferentraceshasbarelydecreased.Ibelieve
whiteprivilegeisoneofthemostdamagingthingsinsociety,anditneedstobestopped.Peggy
McintoshstatesDisapprovingofthesystemwontbeenoughtochangethem.Iwastaughtto
thinkthatracismcouldendifwhiteindividualschangedtheirattitude.Butawhiteskininthe
UnitedStatesopensmanydoorsforwhiteswhetherornotweapproveofthewaydominancehas
beenconferredonus.Individualactscanpalliatebutcannotendtheseproblems.

Youmaysaythatthecycleofsocializationiskeytosociety,andinsomeways,Iagree,
butistheincredibleamountofselfhategoodforAmericanculture?Identityisbeingskewed
passedrecognition,whetheritsyourgender,sex,race,oranythingelsethatcreatesyour
identity,itsnolongeryours,itssocietystoshape.Howcanwechangethewaysocietyshapes
ouridentities,isthereaway?Shouldweblameourfamilyforsocializingusacertainway?No,

weshouldnt,becausesocietyhadjustasmuchcontrolintheirlivesasours.In
TheCycleOf
Socialization
BobbieHarrostatesWeneedtotakeastand,reframeourunderstandings,
questionthestatusquo,andbeginacriticaltransformationthatcanbreakdownthiscycleof
socializationandstartanewcycleleadingtoliberationforall.Wearelockedintothese
destructivemotions,livinginartificialsanity,wecanmakeachange,wejusthavetobebrave
enoughtoundertakethetask.

MaskParagraph

Societycreatesmasksforeveryone,whetheryoureawareofitournot.Youmay
beproudofbeingyourselfbutisanyonereallythemselves,withnoinfluencefromsociety?
Formymask,Ifocusedonmanydifferentaspectsofsocialization,butmostlyfocusingon
gender.Theeyesandmouthonmymaskexplainhowawomanissupposedtolook,andthenthe
treecoveringuptheentiremaskiswhatsocietydoestome,causingmytrueselftohidebehind
myfacesoIcomplywithnorms.ThesunatthetopconveyshowwhoIactuallyamcomesouta
little,butisstoppedbysocialization.Overall,themaskrepresentshowallpeoplearehiding
behindmasksthattheydontevenknowexist.