Social structures and systems are relationships among groups and people that make up a society. I believe that who you are is a result of the groups you are a member of, however, you have an impact on these groups as well. In a similar manner, my biography has been shaped by history. The social structures of my family, community, school and social class, as well as many other things, have influenced the person I am today greatly. One social structure that has heavily influenced my life is my family. My family has influenced who I am as a person more than anything else in my life. My parents and siblings have shaped the person I am and influenced my social behavior. My parents have passed down their views and values to me. My parents have …show more content…
I come from a very small town in northwest Ohio that "lives and breathes" football. My town, with a population of less than 3,000, is the home of the Wilson Football Factory, which produces all of the footballs for college and NFL games. Football is so important to our tiny town that the footballs produced are a representation of material culture. Norms in my town include attending a pep rally, every Friday afternoon, and then attending the football game, every Friday night. Those who didn't attend the football games were seen as breaching the norms and didn't fit in well with the community. Small town culture influenced my life in more ways than just producing a love of football. Coming from a rural small town, I have been surrounded by conservative views my entire life. I grew up with conservative values and attended a Christian church which shaped the person I am today, as well as the values I currently hold. By growing up in the area that I did, my biography was shaped by history. Had I not been born into, and my family not lived in a small town, I would most likely have different views than the ones I currently hold. By my small town shaping me as a person, I may pass similar views and values down to my future family. Family and community was also highly valued in my town, creating close relationships with all of my classmates and teachers. By creating close relationships with my teachers, I benefitted academically. The town I grew up in influenced my views and the person I am significantly. My community influenced me by shaping my views, however, my community could not stand without me and its other members. By continuing to have similar views throughout the community, my small town continues to have a typical small-town
A community is comprised of a group of goal oriented individuals with similar beliefs and expectations. Currently the term is used interchangeably with society, the town one lives in and even religion. A less shallow interpretation suggests that community embodies a lifestyle unique to its members. Similarities within the group establish bonds along with ideals, values, and strength in numbers unknown to an individual. Ideals and values ultimately impose the culture that the constituents abide by. By becoming part of a community, socialization...
In the book Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman there are many different characters, and even some of them cross paths. A community garden was started just by one person therefore everyone follows. They all learn how to get along with other people, how to not stereotype so much, and how to depend on each other in their community. All of them struggle with something, whether it's with family, friends, or feeling stereotyped. They learn the importance of a community, and realize how much they really depend on each other. Having a community is important for all people to incorporate diversity, culture,and unique stories into their lives. You don't realize how much people depend on their community until its gone. The importance
American Football is a huge spectator sport where offensive and defensive players will use teamwork and perseverance to try and score more points than their opponent. Football is highly respected in America, where boys will try and pursue the dream of playing in the NFL (National Football Association) someday; but if you look at an average neighborhood, you will find that kids and adults of all ages love to go out and throw around the pigskin. (Lerner and Lerner 275). One thing Americans will take pride in is the college and NFL football teams they root for. People sit down with a beer and talk hours upon hours of football and two individuals can get in a heated discussion in the local sports store of whose sports team is better. Surprisingly enough, one will find the most passionate football players at the high school level. Most boys will start their football career as a young child in football programs such as Pop Warner to get a foothold and to get those involved in teamwork and friendships. These programs are usually the start to someone falling in love with the sport and making it a career choice eight years later. Football is one of America’s favorite sports. When fall season comes around, people across America are placing bets, finding out where that new sports bar is, and buying wide screen T.V’s to watch NFL on Sundays. After their team plays, they will go out and reminisce what happened that Sunday. While thousands of fans are still pumped from the NFL games they watched; small towns across America are getting ready to shut down their shops and restaurants to have the chance to make it to the local high schools football game. Ray Glier, a reporter for the New York Times, writes about football in the small town of Appala...
There are many factors that have influenced my view of society, these factors are intrinsically linked with the social and political location that I hold within society. My social location is defined by my age, race, religion, gender, familial experiences, and income. All of these factors have influenced my social location, which in turn has had an impact on how I identify myself, as well as my view and understanding of society.
Children who grow up in small towns often desire nothing more to leave the place they are confined to. Everything is remarkably mundane, strikingly predictable, and they yearn to feel the thrill of the unexpected that living in a city provides. However, there are key life lessons one can only experience in a small town. With just over 4000 inhabitants, one cannot make a trip to any store without meeting two, or ten, familiar faces. Constant interaction makes a person uncomfortably friendly. They are willing to talk to anyone sitting on a bus, waiting in line, or standing in a bathroom. In addition, these circumstances foster a trusting nature. In fact, there are few people in a small town that could not be trusted. Of course, the trust and friendliness allowed for a lot of freedom as a child. Parents never thought twice about allowing a child to venture out with friends or spend hours running around playing make-believe. Children have to supply their own entertainment, only increasing the independence they have. While they spend their lives wishing to get out of that town, they grow up to realize how it truly impacted the person they have
Sports affect major institutions of society, including the mass media, politics, religion, education, and family. The Super Bowl gathers thousands of viewer’s attention, including those who do not usually watch the regular season games. Football is by all means an American sport. Since the day a baby is born in America, whether it be a boy or a girl, one of the first words they learn to say is ball, and after a few months they add the word foot in front of the word ball, and by the time you know it your baby boy is playing football, and your little girl is cheering “Go Steeler’s go!” and without intention their cultural identity starts.
Social structure is created by the distribution of wealth, power and prestige. The social structure consists of taken for granted beliefs about the world and both constrain and regulate human actions. The social structure consists of substructures such as class, gender and ethnicity. These groups are formed within society; each group shares common attitudes, values, social norms, lifestyle and material goods. People within society stay within the guidelines of the soc...
Living and growing up in a small town is better than doing so in a big city.
My community that I’ve grown up in has influenced me in many ways. Over the years that I have lived here, I have observed things that are interesting to me. A key thing that has really stuck out to me was the change in minorities and the growth of natural diversity. Diversity is also in fact a key piece that has influenced me today. Some examples: diversity has influenced me to be more comfortable around other races such as Asian or Indian, or black.
I am who I am partly because of my family, but mostly because of who I want myself to be. I will never be exactly what I want to be because of my family upbringing, but I can provide myself with opportunities to live a somewhat similar life. I would have loved to be brought up in a family that was into off-road racing, such as trucks, snowmobiles, an...
The Advantages of Growing Up in a Small Town The place where you grow up affects your daily life either positively or unfavorably. Where you develop causes a huge effect in your life and your future, such as, in your perspective on everyday issues or your personality. Several people believe it is easy to grow up in a small town while others consider it is better to grow up in a big city. I believe it is better to grow up in a small town, since it is a calm and efficient place that is ideal for the growth of a child.
Family has a major impact on our lives. From the moment you were born, your family has taught you right from wrong. We get our religion, values, gender roles, language, and habits from our families. We get our status in society through your family’s connection and wealth, which later can determine one’s job opportunities in life. Although we grow up and start to develop our own values and beliefs and opinions, the family values, beliefs and opinions that were instilled in you since you were little never really go away.
There are numerous differences between living in a small town or a big city. Small towns and big cities each have their unique advantages and disadvantages. Where a person grows up plays an integral part in shaping their personality. And, sometimes a person’s personality can have a great impact on their preference of where to live. Preferring a small town or big city is a very individual matter. Different people have different reasons for favoring one over the other. Personally, and admitting that my views are shaped by my personal experiences, I believe the advantages of growing up in a small town – as long as that small town is in reasonably close proximity to a decent sized city.
Society shapes our personality. That means who we socialize with molds who you are as a person. Through the process of socialization you learn values, morals, beliefs, norms, and your role in this world. The people who we surround ourselves with are the ones that influence us the most. Agents of socialization (groups that influence you) are a big part of your social structure because it’s who we interact with the most. Our Significant Others (individuals that influence you) are also important because sometimes certain individuals have a meaningful role in your life and have a lot of guidance over you. Both agents of socialization and significant others have functions in your life and contribute to the kind of person you are today.
The social institution I have chosen to address is that of family. An individual’s family life, both past and present, can have such a big impact on a person’s life in both a positive and negative manner. It is how we as individuals chose to handle life changing situations that will shape our lives and those around us. Family is such a fascinating social institution to study because every individual comes from a different family background or has a different experience than that of a sibling. You can learn so many things about a person by looking into their family background, origin and what type of up brining they had.