The way society works has changed the way I live. I have adapted to a viewpoint that differs from how I would have thought 100 years ago. I am a feminist and believe in the empowerment of women. I also believe in the rights of other minority groups such as, African Americans. If I were living in the United States 100 years ago, I would most likely not have an equal viewpoint on minorities. This is anti-discrimination. It is defined as a treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit. Another aspect of society that has affected the way I live is globalization. Globalization is an interaction between people,companies, and governments (Ritzer 2015). As I have grown up, I have always has access to televisions, internet, and cell phones while the generations above me did not. For example, if I have a question about my homework, I can email my teacher and I will receive feedback almost immediately. If I am driving somewhere I am not familiar with, I can easily enter the address into my phone and be fed directions. The need for instant feedback has taken over my life.
When I go to high school sporting events, I am dressed in blue and gold, the school colors, to support my classmates. However, when I go to Detroit Tiger’s games, I dress in blue and orange to show support of my states professional baseball team. By me changing my attire to comply to the team’s colors, I am showing Ritzer’s (2015) impression management, where various techniques are utilized to control or project a particular image of an individual to others. Also, from a young age I have adjusted to childhood socialization. I have long hair, wear female associated colors such as purple and pink, I even came home from the hospital wearing a pink outfit. I was supplied with barbies and baby dolls when I was a child to play with, not because that is what I wanted to play with, but because that is what I was supposed to play with. As a child, my mom would paint my nails pink and purple. This is an example of how (Ritzer 2015) gender roles are used in society. Gender roles are cultural and personal. They determine how males and females should think, speak, dress, and interact within society.
Living in the United States has also contributed to who I am. Living in the United States has given me many opportunities, such as the use of technology. Technology has taken over my entire life. I use it in the classroom, at my house, in the car, and every other part of my life. Living in the United States has provided me with security in food and water as well. Most people living in developing countries have to fend for themselves and can’t go down the road to a grocery store to buy food. I also have the security of water. This provides me with both drinking and hygiene. Being able to shower daily keeps me from obtaining diseases. However, in places such as Africa, people can not shower daily and therefore contract diseases such as lice.
I also live in a household with a mom and dad, along with my siblings. This is defined as a nuclear family (Ritzer 2015). Due to this, I believe this is how a family should be. When looking at my future, I would be more attracted to a man that is also in a nuclear family and who aspires to withhold a nuclear family. If my parents were separated I would be more likely to get a divorce in the future because of the example that they set.
I participate in a plethora of extracurriculars. I run cross country and track and I am in Student Council and National Honor Society. A lot of times I encounter role conflict. Role conflict is when two or more roles that someone plays, interferes with them performing another role (Ritzer 2015). Sometimes I have meets the same times as NHS events. In NHS, we have social days where we go skating, bowling, or other activities similar to those. I rarely get to go because of practices and meets.
Society has greatly changed the way that I live in many ways. I have many privileges and view the world much differently than others around the world.