Sociology and the Value of Education

Not one single person on earth can explain why they are where they are in life in a single sentence. I used to think that I would just take a year off of school after I graduated from college. Maybe I would explore or just work a lot and save up some money so I could have a little more freedom in life. Whatever it was, I was not quite sure yet, I just really did not want to be in school for a while. Well, my plans changed when everyone I knew was telling me not to do that because I would most likely not go back. I also saw friends that were older than I was take that break, and then regret it when all of their friends were graduating without them. I changed my mind pretty quickly after hearing about and witnessing their mistakes and decided to go to college right out of high school after all. But after attending Shasta College for just a few weeks, I realized that I actually liked going to school. I found a whole new love for learning. I actually enjoyed soaking up information and learning from my professors. Looking back on my life, I'm so glad that my little idea of not going to college for a while was out weighed by all of the reasons that did cause me to go. My primary group which consists of my family and my boyfriend, the way I view myself, and the values that I hold close to me all greatly affected my decision to attend Shasta College.

Values can be defined as, "a society's stipulations about what is acceptable in life" and through values, society creates norms which are standards of behavior that govern that society (Lucas, 2008, p. 112). In other words, over time, a group of people decides what should be done in certain circumstances as well as what should not be done. Values are sociologically important because it can ...

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...hit with being on my own for the first time, being in a new city and being in college rather than high school, I was able to stay in a comfortable place while I made the transition to college. I am so thankful that I have my family, because without them, none of these things would have been possible at all. It is very easy to say that the decisions they made for me as a young child shaped my values as well as my self concept. All three of the concepts that I chose intertwine in some way. My primary group is what virtually started my value system. And without being brought up the way that I was by my parents, I would have never had the same concept of self. They have always built me up instead of tearing me down which is vital in a child's as well as an adult's life. I really am thankful for where I'm at and it's rather interesting to see how far I've come to get here.