I am a sociologist by training, and my work focuses on social inequality and structural violence. I grew up in a working-class neighborhood in the Midwest, and my parents were both active union members. I attended public schools, and after graduation, I enlisted in the Army. I served for four years, including a deployment to Iraq. After my discharge, I used my GI Bill benefits to attend college, and eventually earned my PhD in Sociology from the University of Chicago.
My research focuses on how social structures shape people’s lives and how inequality is reproduced over time. In particular, I have studied how race, class, and gender interact to create inequalities in access to education, employment, and health care. I have also done research on how violence is perpetrated and how it affects survivors.
In my work, I draw on my own experiences as a working-class woman of color to think about the ways that inequality is produced and reproduced in our society. I believe that sociology can be a powerful tool for social change, and I strive to use my work to promote equality and justice.
I didn’t realize how much my life experiences and life chances were impacted by a variety of complex sociological variables before enrolling in this Sociology course. I now understand that connecting my personal experiences, behaviors, and opinions to the larger social structure via my sociological imagination allows me to do so.
This Sociological Autobiography will provide a sociological analysis of my life, and will explore how different sociological concepts have played a role in my life.
As a child, I was always very curious and loved asking people questions. I was fascinated by the way people interacted with each other and the world around them. This curiosity led me to pursue a degree in Sociology. Sociology has given me a greater understanding of the social world and how it works. It has allowed me to see the interconnectedness of people and how our actions can impact others.
One of the biggest influences on my life is my family. I come from a large, close-knit family who are all very supportive of one another. We are all very different, but we have always been able to get along and support each other.
This has instilled in me a strong sense of family and community. I have also seen firsthand how economic factors can impact a family. My parents are both working class, and I have witnessed firsthand how difficult it can be to make ends meet. This has motivated me to fight for economic justice and to help those who are less fortunate.
I am also very interested in social inequality and its effects on society. I believe that everyone deserves an equal chance in life, regardless of their background or Social class. I have seen firsthand how social inequality can impact people’s lives, and I want to help make a difference. I am passionate about fighting for social justice and
For example, gender role socialization, resocialization, and social inequities have all influenced my sociological life. Gender role socialization is the process by which a person becomes masculine or feminine, according to Ferris & Stein (2014).
I was born a female and my parents never pushed me to be more like a boy or a girl. I was allowed to play with both “boy” and “girl” toys and I wasn’t discouraged from participating in activities that were typically associated with either gender.
As I grew older, I became aware of the societal expectations placed on women and men and I began to conform to some of these expectations. For instance, I started wearing makeup and clothes that were more traditionally feminine. While I don’t believe that there is anything wrong with adhering to societal norms, I also don’t think that it’s necessary for everyone to do so.
Resocialization is another sociological theme that is evident in my life story. Resocialization is the process of learning new values, norms, and behaviors in order to adapt to a new social environment (Ferris & Stein, 2014). I experienced resocialization when I went to college. I was exposed to new ideas and ways of thinking that were different from what I was used to. I also had to learn how to live independently and manage my time effectively. This was a challenge for me at first, but I eventually got the hang of it.
Finally, social inequalities have also played a role in my life. Social inequalities are differences in social status or position that result in unequal access to resources and opportunities (Ferris & Stein, 2014). My family is lower middle class, so we didn’t have a lot of money when I was growing up. This meant that I had to get creative when it came to finding ways to participate in activities that I was interested in. For example, instead of joining an expensive gymnastics team, I took classes at the community center. While social inequalities can be frustrating, I’ve learned to make the most of what I have and not take things for granted.
The constructionist perspective on gender, which holds that behavior is determined by the social context in which a person lives, includes socially constructed labels linked to activities based on the society, culture, and time period in which they live. An individual can appreciate that gender distinctions are not only defined by inherent feminine or masculine actions or qualities if they have a sociological imagination.
My family, especially my mother, who helped to shape my gender role socialization, was a significant player in my socialization. Chris Cooley ‘s looking-glass self theory holds that self-conception stems from “how we imagine others perceive us and the feelings of ourselves based on the perceived judgments of others” (Ferris & Stein, 2014). Parents may serve as a mirror for their children by providing evaluations that might influence their children’ sense of self.
I am the youngest child in my family and I have two older sisters. Being the baby of the family meant that I was constantly doted on and spoiled rotten. I never wanted for anything and I was given everything that I could ever want. Because of this, I grew up to be a very confident individual. My parents never put any pressure on me to succeed and they always encouraged me to do whatever made me happy.
My sisters were both very successful in school and they were always getting good grades. They were involved in extracurricular activities and they had a lot of friends. My parents would often compare me to them and tell me that I needed to do better in school or be more like them. This put a lot of pressure on me and I often felt like I was not good enough.
As I got older, I realized that my family was not the only source of my socialization. My peer group also played a significant role in shaping who I am today. I was always a bit of an outsider in my group of friends. I was not as popular as some of the other girls and I was not as involved in activities as they were. This made me feel like I did not belong and like I was not good enough.
In conclusion, my sociological autobiography highlights how gender role socialization, resocialization, and social inequalities have shaped my life. These themes are all interrelated and they have helped to make me the person that I am today.