Bound to the Ideologies of Society

     We tend to believe that our actions are governed by OUR beliefs; however, who really governs our beliefs? The people we surround ourselves with-the people we socialize with influence the way we think.

     There are several main environments that affect an individual’s outlook on matters. These include the: family, school, peer group, and mass media. They are otherwise known as agents of socialization. 

     The family is the most important socialization agent. As infants, the majority of us are completely dependent on our parents. Our family constantly surrounds us until we are old enough to attend school. At school, we begin to interact with many different individuals. We socialize with people from various racial, social, and cultural backgrounds. Unlike the family and school setting, within our peer groups, we are able to express ourselves more freely. We are able to discuss topics that we may not necessarily be able to discuss with our parents. Mass media-movies, books, magazines, and television-also plays a significant role regarding the way we think. With mass media, we are able to learn about different issues that we would not normally discuss with others. We also get to see things from various points of view, allowing us to be the judge of what we deem right and/or wrong.

     “As the sociological perspective points out, human beings are like puppets in that we, too, respond to backstage forces. Society, after all, gives us a culture and also shapes our lives according to class, race, and gender” (Macionis).

     There is no doubt that society shapes our lives; the question that remains is, to what extent? The answer: society plays a considerable role in an individual’s life. For instance, in the United States, the way we dress, what we eat, the kind of music we listen to, the technology we use, the jobs available to us, and the education available to us, differs from that which may be available in say, Africa. 

     The society that we live in defines the choices we make in life. For example, when I was applying to colleges, I was worried about what colleges I wanted to apply to and which ones I was hoping would accept me. Meanwhile, someone in Syria may have been wondering if he or she would live to see another day. The only reason I was able to focus on my education is because the society I live in allows me to do so. However, in Syria, the opportunity of education would only arise after the individuals living there had access to necessities like food, water, shelter, and safety.

     George Herbert Mead believed that society may be able to limit our options, but we have the ability to bring about change. Mead accepted the fact that society plays a major role in how an individual lives his life; nevertheless, he also believed that individuals are capable of questioning and changing aspects of society they deem unfavorable.

     In the end, we may have control over the details in our life, but the society we live in determines our priorities and lifestyle for us.

External Links:

1) http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/agents-of-socialization-family-schools-peers-and-media.html

2) http://www.buzzle.com/articles/different-cultures-of-the-world.html

(References chapter 5 in the textbook.)