Wouldn't you like to know (remix)

The definition of myself is ambiguous and unattainable. Not because I feel like I'm individually unique from the crowd, but rather because I am part of the crowd. This crowd known as humankind. All of human kind can be placed on a physical gradual spectrum where slight variations make each and everyone of us unique (identical twins excluded). It's very difficult to begin to draw barriers and lines separating us into different catagories and groups. On the other hand its also very difficult to describe a certain person without commenting on race of culture. So where these two ideas crash, the ambiguous definition of my life lies.

It's difficult on both sides to describe me without groupings or describe me with groupings. Race would be one way of those ways of groupings. Race itself is not real, not concrete, and subject to change due to social views and standings. Race is a social construction that helps people grasp this notion of human diversity. The diversity span is much to mass for anyone to really be able to comprehend and grasp the concept of a single person that's why there is race. In actuality there really is no physical bounderies that restrict one to a single race because it usually is a conglomeration of traits and characteristics that sum up that race as a general. Which then creates stereotypes.

I earlier said, "to label myself under specific names and brands would be unfair to me and your understanding of me. No one likes being stuck with a label and the connotations that follow that label." Which still remains true. I hate stereotypes and the way they affect the way I live. I'm Asian and therefore I'm expected by my parents and or peers to perform at a certain degree academically. It's annoying to have someone judge you completely solely on the stereotype and generalization of people that look like you, and yet I still catch myself doing it to others. Its such a horrible thing that I'm trying to change but I feel like it's going to take a little longer than the 5 months I had.

"Well then what makes up the person that I am? Experiences." So very true. Most lives are dictated by the social construction in which they grow up in. Social construction is the influence that affects how we view the world. Growing up as a minority and moving around a lot, I've come to see and hear a lot of things. I've learned and was taught to be open up to different cultures and traditions. Thus I feel like not to many things offend me, which makes it difficult for me to realize what offends other people. For instance, in China it is not uncommon to see people slurping their or noodles, but here it disgusts and upsets a lot of people.

My goals and dreams being vague and nonexistent could be contributed by the social class that I live in as a teenager. This social class, known as upper middle, distills a sense of helplessness within all teenagers of this social status. In an age where, anything we want we receive, anything we mess up our parents fix, anything we do amounts to nothing, a sense of identity is lost upon us. We usually don't struggle through anything, and never really experience any true pain or suffering. The closest we come to suffering is staying up all night doing a paper. We are separated from the rest of the social classes believing that everyone has a cell phone or internet. We are isolated from everyone else where no one else's problems are as important as our petty problems like keeping up with the Joneses. Volunteering however helped me realize a sense of self importance that is actually beneficial to the community. A sense of belonging where I could actually see the kids I was helping in inner city Chicago by painting schools.

As a whole, Sociology helped change the way I viewed the world. It made me become aware of the social construction of reality built within my life. IT allowed me to see the tiny pieces and parts that make up this complex structure. It's allowed me to tinker and bend things to change my perspective and views. I wish I could say that the generic, "and it has made me a better person" because I dont know that it has. It's only made me more aware. It's only become another experience and piece to add on to the influences in my life. Will I hope to seek out to do good with this new found knowledge yes. Will I be able to? I hope so.