HDFS Social Location Paper Allison PDF

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Family Social-Location Paper
There are a variety of factors that play a role in defining an individual and family from where they belong. Based on precedents set by previous generations, social status, location, race, religion, and gender are the things that solidify one’s place in society. ...

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Olivia Goldfarb HDFS 202 10-11-17 Family Social-Location Paper There are a variety of factors that play a role in defining an individual and family from where they belong. Based on precedents set by previous generations, social status, location, race, religion, and gender are the things that solidify one’s place in society. These components are what set people apart from each other, establish social standards, and create diversity. On a personal level, it is evident that my family life has been influenced greatly by the social class we belong to, the area we live in, the roles and responsibilities we uphold in our daily lives, and the religious background we share. As a twenty-year old, middle-class, Caucasian female, there are many elements to consider when determination my role in society. I come from a Jewish, Russian-American family, who lives in Long Island, New York. As a part of this group, there are certain traditions and norms that are apparent throughout my life. Family values are extremely important in my life. Unlike my mother, who’s lineage originates from East Meadow, New York. Her father, my grandpa, was a pilot in WWII and his wife, my grandmother was a free spirit. My father, however, born in Pennsylvania and raised in North Carolina, grew up as an army brat. He lived in a strict, religious household. I have grown up with an extremely prominent Jewish background. Throughout my childhood, I have been exposed to the Hebrew, Jewish holidays, Israeli cuisine, and traditions that shape our culture. The blend of traditional Jewish and modern American ideals, with an emphasis on culture, discipline and the importance of family, has laid the foundation from which I have developed. I grew up under the understanding that Friday night is for family and Shabbat dinners. I’ve also grown up as a patriot, proud of the country I live in and the freedoms we have. My family is the average white suburban middle-class family, with a mother as the homemaker and a father as the provider. For eighteen years, my mother was a stay-at-home mom,

which allowed her to raise her my sister and I with the help of my father, who started and ran his own business. After my sister and I were old enough to care for ourselves, my mother went back to the work she loved as a Weight Watcher leader and inspirational speaker. My father’s aluminum business was busy year-round, leaving him with only one day off per week. Fortunately, he could provide us with many luxuries that created a quality life for us. However, the time and attention that his job required served as a major disadvantage in our personal relationship. He would try his best to attend parent teacher conferences, horse shows, and school events, but was not able to be present for everything. My mother, on the other hand, was the one who drove us to our practices, participated in the PTA and Girl Scouts at our school, and assisted us with homework while also caring for our home. This dynamic can be traced back for ages, and can be the epitome of the average American family. According to “Family Focus on Families and Social Class,” by Shirley A. Hill, “Typical middle class markers include college education, homeownership, mobility, and white collar careers.” My family exemplifies these classifications. As a member of the middle-class, I’d been fortunate to obtain many privileges throughout my life time. I grew up in a safe, suburban neighborhood with a strong sense of community. As a child, I could play outside without fear. I attended public school and participated in many extra-curricular activities including softball, Cheerleading, and Cross-country. We were often able to travel and take several family vacations a year. As a result, my knowledge and love for travel has expanded and I’ve become a well-rounded and more cultured individual. I’ve been taught that good things are a result of hard work and to be appreciative of my privileges. Although I lived comfortably and work was not necessary, my parents encouraged me to get a job at a young age to teach me to how to manage my time and improve my work ethic. Regardless of my position in society, I learned what hard work meant and got a taste of financial independence.

As a child, I was given many opportunities to stay active and socially engaged with my peers and the rest of my community. My parents instilled many important values in my upbringing, ensuring that I’d be well-mannered, independent, and prepared to face adulthood. Education is very important to my parents, so it was expected of me to attend college, get a degree education and establish a career of my own. Growing up, I was taught to help around the house and do domestic tasks. However, my mother’s lifestyle as a caregiving female had never been enforced on me. My mother chose not to work so she would not miss out on the lives of her children, and luckily, we were financially stable enough that she was able to do so. In her article, Hill states, “ Throughout most of

our history, education has been inaccessible to all but the most privileged in our society, thereby holding most people in the social class to which they were born.” As a young female today, I am fortunate to have limitless opportunities. I can pursue an education in any way I see fit and determine my own future. My family had faced several hardships and adversities that have caused me to mature beyond my years and develop a sense of independence at a young age. Although I was given all the opportunities my parents could give me, I was diagnosed with severe depression as a young age. By the time I turned eighteen, I had tried to take my own life. By the time I’d turn nineteen, I would have transferred schools and undergone intensive DBT therapy. I was lucky enough to be blessed with emotionally supportive parents and health insurance policy that allowed me to seek treatment. I have become a more appreciative human being and I am able to have sympathy for others because of my experiences. My position as a middle-class female in society, along with my Jewish, Russian background and the importance of religion, moral values and family tradition, have all played a role in shaping the persons I am today. The internal and external influences that have emerged from these elements

have not only defined who I am, but also the family that I am from and the position that I hold in society. Bibliography Benokraitis, N.V. (2014). Marriages and families: Changes, choices, and constraints, 7th edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Hill, Shirley A. Families and Social Class. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge, 2011. March. 2007. Web. Oct. 2016....