Autobiography. Throughout My Life, I Have Been Influenced

Autobiography Throughout my life, I have been influenced by many social institutions including my family and my school. Both of these social institutions have influenced me in different ways. A social institution is defined as â€Å"a complex group of interdependent positions that, together, perform a social role and reproduce themselves over time (Conley 13).† The first social institution I became a member of was the one I was born into, my family. My family is a nuclear family, â€Å"a familial form consisting of a father, a mother, and their children (Conley 453).† In some ways, my family is what one would consider a stereotypical family regarding gender roles, â€Å"sets of behavioral norms assumed to accompany one’s status as male or female†¦show more content†¦The international students were also invited to share their cultures through Chinese Club, Congo Club, and Chinese New Year activities. In high school I was also involved in the Missions Club. I went on two trips to New York City to help the less fortunate. I had been to New York with my parents in the past and knew the city had amazing broadway shows, shopping, and museums. When I went to the city with the goal of helping the less fortunate, I was amazed to see how many people were living out on the streets. I could see how much value they placed on the food, blanket, and toiletries that were given to them. All the people we met on the street were very kind. In many ways, they were a lot like me. During my trips to NYC, I put my sociological imagination, â€Å"the ability to see the connections between our personal experience and the larger forces of history (Conley 5),† to work. I had never seen real poverty prior to going on my club trips to NYC. It was not uncommon to see an ultra expensive sports car drive by while talking with someone on the street who was struggling just to feed him or herself. I came to the realization that in the past, I just walked by the less fortunate like they were invisible. By seeing how others lived, I was able to better understand how privileged I am to have the things I have and how important it is to use those thingsShow MoreRelatedThe Age Of Enlightenment By Jean Jacques Rousseau Essay1324 Words   |  6 PagesIn Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s autobiography, Confessions, he presents a dramatic tell all of his life story. During the eighteenth century, the period, known as the Enlightenment, swept across Europe. Rousseau found himself in the middle of all of it. The Age of Enlightenment was a time when scholars took to science to explain human nature and the world around them. His autobiography reflects how instead of following this trend Rousseau established a kind of counterculture to the Enlightenment. He didn’tRead MoreThe Use Of Engines Powered By Gasoline1592 Words   |  7 Pagespopularity of the â€Å"Model T† car intr oduced by Henry Ford in 1908. 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