Sociological Portrait Analysis

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Pages: 8
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Introduction
As I sketched my sociological portrait, I found myself looking at the multiple statuses I hold in society and how each came about. I am not only a father to an young adult, but a son, a brother, a friend to many, a neighbor, a student once again and a blue-collar worker. Each of these statuses developed during various times in my life, and requires me to take on, at times, numerous roles. These statuses have defined who I have become and the impacts I have on society. My sociological portrait will be based on the social institution of family. My family has been the most influential in molding who I have become.
Identity and Social Institution
My parents came from working class families that where the Traditional Family, male breadwinner …show more content…
From day one my gender was determined due to the pre-natal hormones and genetic makeup of my parents. “Around two-years-old, children become conscious of the physical differences between boys and girls.” “By age four, most children have a stable sense of their gender identity”, According to the American Academy of Pediatrics. As a young boy I was given Tonka Trucks, Matchbox cars, a baseball glove and other “little boy” toys. My father made sure I was always outside playing in the dirt and riding my big wheel. As I became older I started hanging out with other little boys and playing sports. My parents would practice baseball with me by teaching me to bat, as well as throw and field the ball. While hanging out with my male friends I started picking up basketball and football. Later closer to my teenage years I started following my dad around more and learned how to fix cars, build things with my hands and shoot weapons. Even at a young age I was wearing jeans and work boots just like my father. I wanted to be strong, and “manly” just like my father. Even to this day I wear the same type of clothing, work on cars, build and/or repair things and enjoy being outdoors. My father (my role model) has shaped me into the man I am today. …show more content…
Coming from a working class family, where both parents worked to support the family, I have become accustomed to this way of living. Seeing how my parents had to work for everything they had and at times had to go without, it has shown me the value of money and the meaning behind working for the things you want or need. Manza states that “classes are made up of people sharing similar economic situations” (Pg. 237). Being part of this social class while growing up and seeing the families in my neighborhood and those I went to school with all in the same social class as my family, these are the same characteristics of people I surround myself with today. I now know, because of my upbringing, that if I want to succeed in life I need to work hard. Growing up I was always given the same chances as those I hung around and to this day I still have those same chances because of being able to gain an education and the opportunity to advance in my career just like those I surround myself with. By having these opportunities I have the potential for social mobility. Social mobility is defined as the movement of individuals, families, households or other categories of people within or between layers or tiers in an open system of social stratification (www.wikipedia.org). Social mobility can either be an upward or downward direction, with that being said, keeping a positive and open mind allows me to look at life as a challenge
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