I wrote this for a sociology class entry on
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Growing up, I was taught by a loving mother and father regarding the importance of the family unit. My surrounding culture was full of large families and I was the fifth of my parents’ own six children. As the youngest daughter, I watched three older sisters marry and begin their individual families. I was often called upon to “babysit” my nieces and nephews, and I very much enjoyed the children and dreamed of the day I would become a mother, too.
In high school, I was greatly influenced by another family in our neighborhood. They also had six children and their mother was a science professor at one of the nearby community colleges. Education was a high priority for herself and her children. This family’s influence was strongly felt through my associations with Michelle, the fifth child of the family and a dear friend. Michelle spoke of her academic future often and we set plans together for reaching our educational goals. When visiting Michelle’s home, I was often questioned about my plans and encouraged to continue to obtain as much education as possible.
After graduation, I attended a junior college some distance away from home and obtained an associate’s degree, while Michelle pursued her education at the local university. Following my first two years, I decided to travel abroad as a missionary and my vision was expanded and influenced while I served in Seoul, Korea. Michelle went to Finland to do the same. My decision to be a missionary was another life experience greatly influenced by my own family, Michelle’s family, and the religious culture I grew up in.
Upon my return from missionary service, I became reacquainted with a boy friend from my junior college associations. While continuing my education to obtain a bachelor degree at the local university, we dated and were soon married, even before my first semester was over.
Soon another choice, greatly influenced by cultural and religious upbringing, found me expecting our “honeymoon” baby! Fatigued, sick, and weary from attending university and working as many hours as possible, I weighed my options carefully regarding education and motherhood. Lacking the close influence of Michelle and her mother (Michelle was still in Finland at the time), I dropped out of school, worked full time until my daughter was born, then became a full-time mother.
My husband obtained a job with the government. Having had a positive experience in South Korea, I wasn’t afraid of the opportunities that took us overseas to Asia, where once again, my social circle influenced another decision. Being surrounded by many intelligent and well-educated members of the Foreign Service rekindled my desire for more education.
I searched again and again, but failed in my hunt for a program that could work well with my overseas lifestyle and my continued desire to devote time and effort to raising my children. Then last summer while on home leave, I committed to deepen my search for the right educational opportunity that would allow me to obtain my long awaited bachelor’s degree. I was discouraged, however, that my former university lacked availability for only but a few online courses. Oddly enough, I bumped into my old friend Michelle, as I exited a movie theater and we exchanged contact information. Though I had been seeking an opportunity for the past ten years to continue my degree, I hadn’t found the right fit. With her renewed encouragement and influence, I put more effort into my search and found the University of Maryland – a perfect match for my lifestyle and situation!
It is interesting to reflect on the choices I have made and the effects of sociological influences throughout my childhood, and even now, that have led me to my current situation. Would I be the person I am today without the personal, educational, religious, and cultural influences of individuals within my social circle? Wearing my “sociological animation glasses” and stepping back to view the bigger picture, I say aloud, “Certainly not!”
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