Culture as a Primary Component of the Definition of the Term Racialization - Assignment Example

Sociological Autobiography Sociological Autobiography As a child of Belgium parents, I was born in 1993.Both my parents were born around the late 1920s, and both grew in and around Iowa. Their parents were Belgium immigrants who moved to the United States in search of greener pastures. My father was hesitant to term the early periods of the 1920s and late 1930s as the good old days because of a number of reasons. Most importantly, he abstains from remembering these periods nostalgically since most families lived in abject poverty. Unlike the urban people, people residing in rural areas especially farmers faced difficult times. Circumstances were made worse by the depression and drought of the 1930s. The most significant part of my early life was thus spent in a rural area with my parents and extended family. Thus, my social life from an early age was shaped and molded by my relatives and friends who were our neighbors. Sociology as a discipline is the study of human social relationships and institutions. Thus, I will base this paper on seven sociological concepts that have influenced particular aspects of my life. Sociology affects and determines how people behave or relate in life since sociology covers a broad subject matter ranging from family to state, religion to crime, from shared beliefs of a single culture to the divisions of social class and race, and from radical change to social stability in the whole society. Thus, these concepts (Socialization, racialization, cultural capital, accommodation, conflict theory, conformity) shape human consciousness and actions. At 22 years of age, I aspire to join a respectable university to further my education. Webber and Bezanson (2012) argued that education is a significant component of a person‘s life since it equips him/her with the relevant skills needed to bring about societal change while at the same time instilling the generally accepted societal values and norms. Additionally, education has enabled me to view the world from a different perspective. Moreover, I acknowledge that life is not a bed of roses; there are challenges that I plan on overcoming one step at a time. While I was growing up as a child, my parents stressed the importance of family. My parents held the term family highly and thus I grew up believing in robust family bonds and ties. The concept of socialization therefore had a significant impact on me from an early age. Socialization is often the unconscious process in which a child gets to learn the beliefs, values, regulations and rules of the society he/she is born in (Ravelli & Webber, 2012). Moreover, through socialization, the child is able to internalize the culture in which he/she is born in. In fact, the process of socialization encompasses three vital processes; cognitive, affective and evaluative. Thus, the concept of socialization focuses on how emotional links are established with the rest of the society. Although socialization agents differ from one society to another, the family is the primary socializing agent in most societies. Thus, it is the parents and neighbors who are the first and most vital agents of socialization. Since most families reputation is based on their children’s behaviours, my family was very careful in raising me up. Thus, from an early age, I was taught of family values that I should stick to, and the societal roles ascribed to me. When I reflect today on my past, I can state that my current behavior and personality were influenced by my parent’s social interactions and behavior. My parents insisted and subsequently instilled good family values, aspects of kindness and good manners in me. Sociologist Robert Miles in his 1998 book Racism stated that racialization is a process in which racial or ethnic identities are ascribed to a group, social practice or relationship. Culture is a primary component of mile’s definition of the term racialization. From this definition, it is evident that racialization is a social construct. It is often applied to institutions such as the educational system, legal systems, countries and nations. In this regard, my father visited Belgium very often. Whenever he visited, he would fondly talk about the similarities and differences between the two countries. In his talks, he always stated that there were significant cultural differences between America and Belgium in terms of the education system, strict laws and the robust American legal system. Furthermore, my father and mother both were staunch supporters of the quality system that is propagated in America. However, since my family is deeply religious, some of the family members viewed the American culture that is lax on religious practices negatively. These experiences and arguments have made me accept and accommodate other groups that do not share my cultural and religious views. Furthermore, since my parents and family accepted both the American and Belgium cultural values, I have grown to avoid been racially insensitive and discriminatory. While I do not consider myself to be a Marxist sociologist, Karl Marxs theories have heavily influenced my thinking. Marx argued that cultural capital formed the basis and social foundation of one’s life and position. The more capital a person has the stronger and powerful his social position is. Cultural capital tends to refer to social assets which advance social mobility apart from financial assets. Some of these include intellect and education. My parents believed in the American educational system. Consequently, they encouraged me to pursue and take education seriously. As such, they equipped me with cultural capital by giving me the knowledge and right attitude to succeed and pursue an education in America. Hence, my primary and basic goal is to succeed in school so as to get a better and fruitful future for myself, my family and future children. Therefore, the concept of cultural capital has influenced and increased my appetite for education. The concept of accommodation determines how I relate to people. It is through accommodation that I am able to come up with working agreements that permit conflicting people to come and work together even though the conflicts have not been settled. Additionally, through the concept of accommodation, solutions to problems or issues dividing people can be found. Without this concept, my social life would come to a standstill. As a result, I have learnt to adapt to hostile environments and persons so as to maintain cooperation and understanding. Most of these accommodation behaviours have been acquired from my surrounding environment. Therefore, I am able to change and adapt to various environmental situations in order to avoid conflicts. Individuals compete for limited resources in the society. These resources include money, sexual partners or leisure. This led to the emergence of the conflict theory which was based on Karl Marxs ideas that society is an entity undergoing constant change propelled by class or status conflict. Thus, life is seen as competition from this perspective. Inequality, power and economic resources are the main aspects of the conflict theory. By focusing on my education, I will be able to acquire cultural capital which in the labor market will translate into financial capital. Thus, I strive to succeed in live by performing as best as I can in school. I strive to have more money and power in life than other people since we reside in a mostly capitalist world. Through education, I will be able to acquire a well paying job which leads to financial power. Consequently, I will be able to provide for myself, my parents and siblings. This will make them proud. On the other hand, I will use education and financial strength to maintain my position of power in the society. In life, people are required to conform to certain set values or norms. Social institutions are the basic manifestations of social control. Some of these institutions include family, law, religion, the government and education. From an early age, my parents instilled good family and religious values in me. Before I could comprehend the significance of family values or other aspects, my parents used to receive numerous complaints from our neighbors due to my cheeky behavior. However, as I grew, my father sat me down and explained to me in detail the importance of good family values. Additionally, I learnt the concept of conformity at school where there was a set of standardized rules and regulations which applied to everyone. The concept of conformity has thus influenced my life greatly. In real life, there are rules and regulations which govern and dictate what a person can or cannot do. These rules and regulations have a significant impact on the behavior of an individual. As a result, these institutions have shaped and affected both my life and thinking habits. When confronted with an incident or situation, I have to think and subsequently act within the stipulated laws and regulations. Conclusion Societal factors have greatly influenced and determined my behavior and life choices. Some of the concepts such as Socialization, racialization, cultural capital, accommodation, conflict theory, and conformity have shaped my life choices and actions. Therefore, my personality is dependent on these sociological concepts. References Miles, Robert. 1989. Racism. London: Routledge. 2nd ed., 2003. Ravelli, B., & Webber, M. (2012). Exploring sociology: a Canadian perspective. Pearson Education Canada. Webber, M., & Bezanson, K. (Eds.). (2012). Rethinking society in the 21st century: Critical readings in sociology. Canadian Scholars’ Press. Read More