Cycle of Socialization

/in /by

Throughout my day, I am expected to perform certain roles that are assigned to be by society based off of my identities. A few of my identities that either I have chosen, or were given to me, are: female, CI student, a white American, sister, daughter and roommate.

If we take my identity of “daughter” and put it through the cycle of socialization, the beginning would be me being born to my parents who have expectations of what a “good daughter” is supposed to be and gave me my name. An example of being born into an already socialized world as a daughter is the idea of being “daddy’s little girl,” and there are toys and signs and clothing being produced before a daughter enters the world.  The first socialization came from mostly my parents, along side other adults who were in my life at an early age the role of not only being someone’s child but a daughter. An example of that would be a memory of mine, where my grandmother told me that my mother was a good daughter because she was respectful and listened. Part of “training” as kids is learning and understanding the difference between good and bad, and that there are consequences to both. This subjective idea of good and bad heavily influences the socialization process. As a young child, I was given the title of daughter, but I wanted to earn the title of a “good” daughter. Eventually, the identity of daughter also meant being a sister. I think culturally, this idea of “daddy’s little girl” is pushed onto daughters at all ages. There are songs and traditions that encourage it. Reminder: I am claiming the identity of daughter, not “daddy’s little girl.” I am not saying that they are synonymous, but I am saying that society pushes daughters to identify with that phrase. The identity of being a daughter is enforced through privilege and rewards and punishments. I definitely think that because I was the only daughter out of three children, I have certain privileges but also pressures. I am encouraged to get married and pop out some grandkids, but I did/do get special attention from extended family because I am the only girl. The privileges are weird, I personally would like to ask those people why they treat me differently than my brothers, because I get the gender discriminations but I am curious about how numbers play into it. The result of the socialization leads to different pressures and expectations. I think this cycle when applied to the “daughter” identity, happens multiple times because our relationships with our parents are different at age 2, than at age 8, than at age 15, than at age 23, etc… so it’s almost like we have to socialize as we develop into our own selves and as our relationships evolve.

Cycle of Socialization and Student Identity

/in /by

My Identities

Student- I think being a student is an important part of who I am because I always love to learn and expand my knowledge. I’m a very curious person so being a student helps me channel my curiosity, and because you never stop learning.

African-American- This identity is something people will always identify me as without knowing my background. Yes, I consider myself African-American but I also have other cultural aspects to me that attribute to who I am.  I’ve always been interested in knowing who I am as an African-American and my ancestral history. I also have to be aware that I will have to overcome discrimination because of my skin color.

I believe and have faith in God- Faith in God is something I knew about but never studied for myself. Recently, now that I’m in my second semester of college I have decided to study God’s word. My faith in God is important to me because God has made me who I am for a purpose.

Female- Being a female is important in defining who I am because it makes up a lot of the characteristics I have. Such as how I think, my emotional being, and how my body differs from a male. Also it’s important for me to understand as a women society will treat me different from a man.

Roommate- When it comes to sleeping, showering, or cleaning my dorm that is when my identity becomes a roommate. I must no longer think about myself only but be considerate of others. Being a roommate is my least enjoyable identity but it is important to me because I have learned so much about myself and others.

Mentor/Advocator for higher education- This is an important identity for me because it is something I am passionate about. I am a mentor for Leaders in Education Awareness Program, this program allows me to reach out to k-8 students who may have social justice issues, come from low-income household, and the first to go to college. This identity is not an everyday identity but when I have the chance to educate a young student I will.

Cycle of Socialization and Student Identity

The Beginning: As a young child I had limited information on what a student was, but beginning home schooled at a young age I didn’t think of home as school compared to my other siblings. I did the action need as a student to please my mother but didn’t exactly know what a student was.

First Socialization- When I went to public school my first public school teacher doubted me. I didn’t obtain information like I was supposed to in elementary. I knew I was an intelligent individual but still thought lowly of myself. I thought as myself as an okay student who had many faults and learned differently than everyone else.  When my mother went back to school in her mid-30s and when I was in high school, she got her BS in Biology to become a biology teacher. That is when I really started learning about being a student and college. I would go to my mother’s school to go to her lectures and her professor’s office hours. It was a great moment in my life, I was proud of my mother and I was able to bond with her professors. My mother made me begin to think that a student and college was a norm.  My mother shapes a student as a positive identity for me.

Institutional/Cultural Socialization and Enforcement- When watching Disney channel and teen movies I always admired the person who was the nerd. The nerd was most of the time themselves, that is what I liked about the nerd. I knew that school wasn’t not how all media portrayed it to be. Social life was not what school was all about. Also the media had a lot of minorities who had dead in jobs and wanted to go to college a lot later after high school. That shaped me to not want to be that person who started a dead end job after high school. I took Honors and AP classes which many of the white students or lighter students who were in these classes were going to college, but many of my minority friends and classmates were going to two years or working.

I had realized that some of the students who didn’t go on to college or a four year didn’t have the support I got from both of my parent.

Result/Action (direction for change) – I felt guilty that my close friends didn’t get to experience college life like I did and the many other generation of students who would need to be educated about higher education. It resulted in me helping other students who didn’t have the support system that I had or resources. I took my action when I came to college to be a part of Leaders in Education Awareness Program so that young students could have the knowledge to be a successful student pursuing higher education.

Who am I?

/in /by

Thinking of six identities that I have on a day to day basis was much harder to think of then I had imagined. The six identities I could think of for myself was a student, where I have responsible on my academics such as studying doing all the homework, desk assistant, where I am have duties to help those who live on campus as well as help with projects around the office. Also, a friend where there are no real responsibilities but from time to time a friend needs help whether it be something personal or something as simple as homework, a sister and cousin, where I am a role  model not only to my siblings but my cousins since I am the oldest around them and first ever to attend college. Lastly being a social person, by that I mean saying hi and smiling at people it might help their day get a little better, I myself am still getting used to doing that since its more normal to do that type of stuff here then back home. The example I am going to use is being social. Being social is never really taught, for example when I was younger I was much more social then I am now and it wasn’t taught to me. I believe it comes naturally. In other ways it can be taught by family such as parents because they always say go say hi to so and so, also by teachers because working in groups there has to be some type of communication and it is learned even if it’s not the main purpose. Schools as well as church in a way force someone to be social. I have been in a position where I was forced to socialize at school when I didn’t want to as well as church. When I go to church they give a moment to shake people’s hands and if you don’t do it it’s considered rude. As a result of that I have become less social then I was before because I don’t like when something is forced upon me although I know it’s inevitable.  To change this I can look at it as an opportunity to meet more people not being forced to talk to people.

Who am I?

/in /by

The identities I have on a day-to-day basis are some that are not as obvious as I thought they would. Six identities that I can observe are myself being an RA, where I am seen as the face of housing and am expected to act in a professional matter, the student where I need to focus on my studies and the necessity to do well in college to make it to where I want to be, the working college student who has to help pay my way through school in order to live comfortably, the athlete who has the desire to exercise and want to get outside and play, the socialite who wants to meet as many people as possible and get to know them as much as possible, and the clown that wants people to laugh when times are the toughest for others.  The socialite identity is a prime example of an aspect of my life that when through the cycle of socialization. It was born in a world where I was pretty reclusive and didn’t want to talk to a certain group of people that my parents deemed to be inappropriate for me to converse with.  Then my teachers enforced the fact that people aren’t inherently bad. That blossomed into the socialite I am today, where I became more distressed with people who weren’t like me anymore but then I decided to take action and decided that people are fine they way they are and that I can make changes in those peoples lives

Intersecting Identities

/in /by

We are never just one thing. We never even really have one role ever. Everyone is a son, daughter, mother, father, teacher, friend, partner or something else to someone else. And in some ways these labels and parts of who we are make up our identity.  All of this is a good way to start to see the world, that each person is a sum of parts. However, many of these labels and identities people did not chose and have no control over. No one has a choice in black or white or Latino. It is all a chance of birth.  A persons identity and which parts they see as most important or relevant to themselves is mostly socialization. Within the study of social identity and the role of the world around us in shaping who we are, the cycle of socialization is a great way to understand how people make sense of who they are.

Cycle of Socialization color big

The best way to understand the cycle of socialization is with an example. My own identities are female, white, straight, hard of hearing, middle class, and student to name a few. Now most of these I had no choice on. Let’s take what it means to be female through the cycle of socialization.

First, I was born. Belated congrats to my parents! I came into this world not even really knowing I was female, let alone having the information about what it means to be a girl in the world.

Second, is first socialization from parents, teachers and mentors. This is shapes expectations and values that are important later in life. Personally, I was lucky in this department because my parents were raising all three of us girls to believe that we could be anything we wanted. I was lucky in my other main role model too-my girl scout leader Naomi. She encouraged skills and belief in all of her scouts.

Third is where the outside world (institutions and our culture) either reinforces or bombards people with messages. This is where being a girl ran into some challenges. Television and media, for example, were still telling the message that women were less than men or that there are certain ways to be a girl. Princesses get rescued. Girls can’t throw. Superheroes weren’t for girls.  Then there were different messages that girls should like clothes and shopping. (Personally, I only like shopping if its for books).

Forth, messages from the world are reinforced. In school rewards for guys were some times superhero stickers or something along those lines. The girls on the other hand got rainbow stickers or pink hearts for their stickers.  It was considered weird if you were a tomboy sometimes. Other kids in elementary thought I was strange sometimes, because like the boys in school I had a Pokémon field guide.

Fifth, is the negative result those messages and reinforcement can have. For me it resulted in silence. I was sometimes almost ashamed of my geeky nerdy side. I would still watch the shows in private, but I wouldn’t talk about them. It was more socially acceptable for guys to have those interests, not girls.

The sixths and final step of the cycle is a choice. You can either choose to accept the status quo and be a part of that message and system or you can challenge to change it.  For me I am taking a stand. Women can and do like science fiction and fantasy. We can and do like superheroes and anime. And the women in these media rescue men not the other way around.   In fact, women want more heroines and are lobbying for more female superheroes that get equal air time with the men.

 

 

 

End-of-Life Care Decisions

/in , /by

When thinking about end of life (EOL) care for myself, I find the considerations very different than those for my clients and even for my family/loved ones. At face value, it seems impractical to state my wishes as I am so “young,” but after further reflection, it seems extremely suitable given our knowledge and experience through the nursing program. I know that I would not want extreme measures taken to keep me alive if something were to happen. Although we can state specifics in an advanced directive, such as interventions that are time-specific, I have discussed this topic in great detail with my family members and vice versa. I started asking the tough questions and really taking the time to understand the wishes of my family members and various loved ones beginning in MedSurg II. They understand and respect my wishes as I do theirs, so I feel comfortable leaving the decisions up to them. I feel most comfortable designating my father as my power of attorney. He has medical experience as a firefighter and EMT, which is why my passion for the medical field began at such a young age as I was exposed to graphic pictures, stories, and medical terminology. Although the decision(s) would be incredibly difficult and painful for him, I know that he would be able to speak and listen to a multitude of doctors and other health care professionals in order to make the most rational decision possible about my fate, irrespective of his bias.

Due to my experiences in the clinical setting, I believe culture plays an enormous role in the matter. In speaking to many about EOL care over the last year, I realize that the latest “fad” seems to be that Caucasian parents do not wish to be a “burden on their children.” Most people would choose not to live with their children regardless of their physical or psychological ailments. However, my parents and I had a heavy-hearted conversation about the genuine meaning of those statements and I shared my thoughts on the situation. I stated that I feel opposite from them and if they had a condition of some sort that they needed assistance and did not have to be in a medical facility or hospital, I would want them to live with me despite their feelings. This has been a recurring conversation with both of my parents, but I feel as if we have finally understood each other. They no longer state that they “don’t want to be a burden” on me. I know that each family feels differently and I do not believe there is a “right” or “wrong” way to feel. In fact, I am aware that many families believe the children should always care for their parents. Irrespective of the decisions, EOL care and personal wishes need to be discussed so they can be respected. It should no longer be kept silent, because it may just be too late…

Protected: End of life care

/in /by

This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

End of Life

/in , /by

End of life (EOL) care is a sensitive topic that presents challenges to health care professionals, patients, and their families (Walczac et al., 2014). Diseases such as cancer are often lethal and patients are commonly given a set life expectancy (Walczac et al., 2014). In addition, reports state that a significant rise in deaths will occur over the next few decades (Sprinks, 2011). Thus, prompting an increasing need for healthcare professionals to be well prepared in providing care for these individuals. However, nurses and doctors are often challenged with discussing end of life with their patients (Walczack et al., 2014). Research states that healthcare professionals avoid discussing end of life with their patients due to fears of disappointment (Sprinks, 2011). Timely communication and patient readiness also present challenges to many healthcare professionals (Walczack et al., 2014). Nonetheless, understanding how to improve end of life care, communication, and skills is crucial to providing quality patient care.

Communicating with patients at the end of life can be made easier by initiating the process of Advanced Care Planning (ACP), which essentially involves discussing patient prognosis (Walczack et al., 2014). By initiating ACP, patient questions related to timing and progression of disease can be answered and an increasing balance in care can be provided (Walczack et al., 2014). Evidence also suggests that patients should be involved in their care as much as possible (Walczack et al., 2014). Further supporting this idea, reports state that patient needs at the end of life are often not met due to a lack of staff communication and patient involvement (Sprinks, 2011). Aside from communicating with patients, communicating with caregivers and family plays a crucial role in end of life care because they are often given the role of making health decisions for patients who are no longer fit to do so (Walczack et al., 2014). In a study implementing the use of a Question Prompt List (QPL), which contained a list of questions related to EOL that patients and families were encouraged to ask, results indicated that patients and caregivers asked twice as many questions and had fewer unmet information needs regarding future care (Walczack et al., 2014). Thus, patients can be expected to have fewer concerns and a potential decrease in anxiety related to end of life. End of life is something that everyone will have to experience one day or another. Regardless of how prepared an individual is, end of life is never easy. I hope you enjoyed reading my blog, I look forward to reading all of your responses and blogs as well!

References

Sprinks, J. (2011). Nurses lack confidence in providing end of life care. Nursing Older People, 23(2), 6-7. http://dx.doi.org/10.7748/nop2011.03.23.2.6.p5035

Walczak, A., Butow, P.N., Clayton, J.M., Tattersall, M.H., Davidson, P.M., Young, J., & Epstein, R.M. (2014). Discussing prognosis and end-of-life care in the final year of life: A randomized control trial of a nurse-led communication support program for patients and caregivers. BMJ Open, 4(6), e005745. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005745.

Design Document

/in /by

My design document for my portfolio!

design doc screenshot