Society Has You (a Response to “the Cycle of Socialization”)
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“The Cycle of Socialization” by Bobbie Haro suggests the existence of a great repeating pattern of social identities, and reasons we should all be able to get along. Haro begins by defining social identities as the way people differ in gender, ethnicity, skin color, first language, age, ability status, religion, sexual orientation, and economic class (15). These social identities are given to us starting from a very young age, when we are the most vulnerable; not always are we influenced by just our parents. Haro also presents the fact that we have the choice to break this cycle.
We are born into this world with no say on what we wanted to end up being, so no one can blame us for what we become (Haro 16). At a young age, we are being influence by the people we care about. Whether it is parents, teachers, or just neighbors, we begin to have an idea for what goals we must accomplish and what expectations we must satisfy. These people are the ones we look up to and think “when I grow up I want to be just like them”. The group you are put into by society can either be lucky or unlucky, based upon the opportunity your identity has. The fact is, you may be put into an identity currently being oppressed even though we are innocents, falling into an already established system (Haro 16).
Next, we begin to be influenced by institutions and cultures. Haro goes on to explain how when taking part in church, school, or just a sports team, we are told who to be, who to look down on, and who to look up to (18). These influences may in fact be the beginning of racism and stereotyping. In schools we begin to think the sports players do not have to work as hard to pass classes or the people who do all the work are “nerds”. If we try to ignore these messages, they are reinforced by the number of personas around us telling the same opinions. This line of influence can be so effective because it is integrated with the rest of our culture, all working together to justify this discrimination and prejudice (18).
All these influences can form to create mixed emotions. People may begin to feel guilty for being who they are, when they didnt really have a say in it. Others may begin to feel a hatred for other people, even though there is a lack of reason. By being a part of these identities, we reinforce stereotypes, which will come back to hurt us later on, thus keeping this vicious cycle moving forward (Haro 19). After reaching the end of this cycle, we are faced with the decision of what to do next. This is where people begin to break of into two groups: those who promote the status quo and those who did something about it. By staying silent, we are showing our approval of the system and all of its results.
In the middle of all this, lies the myths and misinformation we have been fed; if these remain in our hearts, the cycle will continue to run its course. If we managed to have strength, courage, and