AmayaHolliday
Wearewhoyouare
Socializationisthelearnedbehaviorthatourcultureteachesus.Someofthegreatest
influencesonhowwearesocializedarethroughthesixagentgroups.Theseincludefamily,
peers,school,media,religion,andsports/activities.Themediahasimpactedmesocially.A
quotebyJimMorrisonstates,Whoevercontrolsthemediacontrolsthemind.I,likemany
others,followthemediasnorms.Thisinfluenceispervasivebecauseitiseverywheredueto
thegrowingpopularityofsocialmedia.Themediahasdictatedsocialnormsinnegativeways
thataffecthowIperceivetheworldandmyself.Inturn,IhavebeentaughtbecauseIama
femaleIamonlyvaluedbymybody,thatmyraceisprivileged,andthatmyclassdefinesmy
future.
Asafemale,Ihavebeentrainedbythemediathatmybodyisvaluedmorethanmy
brain.Inthedocumentary
MissRepresentationtheystated34womenhaveservedas
governorscomparedto2319men.
Thisfactstillexistseventhoughcurrentlymorewomenthan
menholdPhDs.Sowhatishappeningtomakequalifiedwomennotpursuetheirpotential?Itis
thewaywomenhavebeensocializedtothinkofthemselves.Morerecently,Ihavebeenthinking
thatbecauseIamagirlIamafragileobjectandmyselfworthisbasedoffmybody.Asachild
myparentsshelteredmefromthemediaandinturnIdevelopedastrongselfworth.NowIama
teenagegirlandIamrealizingthatisharderthanevertokeepthissenseofselfwiththe
relentlessforceofthemediasstereotypesbombardingme.Themediahasenforcedthisbecause
Iseewomenontvplayingcharactersthatarecattyandonlycareaboutwhatmenthinkofthem.
Forexample,inthemovieMeanGirls,thecharacterCadyHeronbecomesfriendswiththe
populargirls.Shechangesherstyletorevealinginappropriatelooksandstartswearingmakeup.
Sheevenstartspurposefullyfailingmathsotheboyshelikeswillstarttutoringher.Irarelysee
womenportrayedinthemediaasstrong,independent,powerfulpeople.Themediaand
advertisinghavegonetotheextremeofphotoshoppingpeopletomakethemmoreappealingto
thepublic.HowdotheythinkIfeel?Itisphysicallyimpossibletoachievethemedia's
standards?AsateenagerIhavelookedatthoseadvertisementsandfeltterribleaboutmyselfand
myflaws,likefreckles,whichIcannotchange.Ithenstartedwearingmakeuptotrytoconform
tosocietysbeautystandards.ItsickensmethatIhavetochangethewaymyfacelooksjustto
feellikeboyswilllikeme,insteadofmebeingjudgedbymycharacterandintellectualability.
Asapartofmysocialization,Iwasbornwithanunderlyingadvantage,myrace.Inan
experimentshowninthedocumentaryGirlLikeMe,15/20AfricanAmericankidschosea
whitebabydolloveraAfricanAmericandoll,whenaskedtoshowthedollthattheylikedbest.
ThisdemonstratesthatAfricanAmericansmoreoftenthannot,stillthinkthatwhiteisthemore
favorablerace.Additionally,AmericanmediaisstilloppressingAfricanAmericans
unintentionally.Forexample,mostyounggirlshadaBarbie.Barbiewasperfectlypalewith
straightblondhairandaschildren,weallwantedherlife.Iwonderhowitfeelstoidolizeadoll
thatistheexactoppositeofyou.Furthermore,asawhiteindividual,Ihaveneverthoughttwice
aboutthecolorofmyBandaids.IknowIcanalwaysfindonethatmatchesmyskintone.Ilive
inacountywhereonly.5%ofitsresidentsareAfricanAmericans.WhenIwalkdownMain
Street,itisrareifIseeanyonewhoisnotmyownraceandifIdoseesomeonedifferentIcant
helpbutstare.LivinginDurangohasaffectedthewayIseewhiteprivilege.Thatisanother
exampleofthesubtlehintsofwhiteprivilege.Asacountry,webelieveallarecreatedequal,but
howcanthatbewhenpeoplestillfeeluncomfortableintheirownskin,literally?
Icomefromamiddleclassfamilyinwhichbothmyparents,likemostAmericans,work
fulltimejobs.ANewYorkUniversityarticlebysociologistsWarren,Meeker,Ehlsconvey
Oneofthesinglemostimportantideasforunderstandingsocietyissocialclass.Atavery
youngageIunderstoodthedifferencebetweenrichandpoorandwhereIfitintothespectrum.I
alwaysknewthatIcouldgotocollegeandachievemygoals.Iwassocializedtobelieverich
peopleweresuccessfulhappypeopleandpoorpeoplehadlessopportunitiesandmostlikely
wouldendupwithlowpayingjobsatfastfoodrestaurants.Iwasalsoinfluencedtojudgepeople
bytheireconomicsituations.Irememberinsecondgrade,myfirstyearatapublicschool,
judgingagirlwhoworethesameskirteveryday.Ilookbackwithanewperspectiveandrealized
thatthegirlcamefromaverypoorfamilyandshecouldnotcontrolthefactsheonlyhadone
skirt.Thisisfarfromfairbecausemostpeopleinthelowerclasswerebornintoitandcant
breakthechain.Theysaymoneydoesntequalhappinessbutthatsnotwhatsocietysays.
Thecycleofsocializationishowwebecomesocialized.Itstartswhenweareborn.In
thebeginning,thisincludesyoursocialclass,raceandgender.Thenyoumovetoyourfirst
socialization.Thisisusuallywhatyouaretaughtbyyourfamily,teachers,andcommonsocial
norms.Afterthatyoumovetoinstitutionalandculturalsocialization,whereyoulearnfromthe
tv,religion,themedia,etc.Thenextpartisenforcements.Examplesinclude,empowermentand
discrimination.Examplesoftheresultofthissocializationcanandarentlimitedtoselfhatred,
dehumanization,anger,andguilt.Furthermore,youcanthendecidetomovetowardsadirection
ofchangeandtakeastandorstaywiththeseactionsanddonothing.Mostimportantly,atthe
coreofeveryone'scycleofsocializationisfear.Fearofbeingthenexttargetgroup.Everybody
wantstofeelaccepted.Icanbreakmycycleofsocializationbystartingwithmyself.IfIstop
judgingpeopleandmyselfthenpeoplewillseemeleadingbyexample.Weneedtobreakthis
nastycyclebylovingourselves.Onceweloveandacceptourselves,societycannolonger
oppressus.
MaskParagraphs
MyfirstmaskrepresentswhoIhavebeensocializedtobe.Istartedoutbypaintingthismask
pinktorepresentthecolorsocietyseesasfeminine.IcollagedpicturesIfoundinmagazinesand
offtheinternetofmodels,makeupads,andexamplesofhowthemediarepresentswomen.The
reasonIusedpicturesfrommagazinesandtheinternetisbecausethesetwothingsareconstantly
aroundme.IputpicturesofSportsIllustratedswimsuitedition'scoversonitshowingwomen
wearinglittletonoclothing.ThesesupporttheexamplesItalkedaboutinmyessayofwomen
beingphotoshoppedtolookmoreappealing.Also,thesewomenarebeingvaluedfortheir
bodysandnottheirbrains.Iputacartoonimageofamancarryingabriefcasetorepresentthat
menhavecareers.Heisstandingnexttoawomanholdingababynexttoamopwhichshows
thatwomenarebetterofftakingcareofthechildren.Theoverallthemeofmyfirstmaskis
stereotypesofwomen.
MysecondmaskiswhoIreallyam.Akeyelementonmymaskisthewordssmileacrossmy
lips.ThisrepresentsthatIamhappywhenIambeingmyself.IputapictureofalltheIvy
LeagueschoolflagstoshoweventhoughIamagirlIwanttobeanintellect.Additionally,I
haveapictureofHillaryClintonsmilingandhuggingChelseaClintonwhichrepresentsthatI
wanttobealovingmotherandstillhaveacareer.Thefocalpointonmymaskisacrossmy
foreheadwheretwoadultsarepullingatachildindifferentdirections.ThisshowshowIhave
alwaysfeltduetothefactmyparentshavebeendivorcedsinceIwasoneyearold.Furthermore,
Iaddedwordsthatbestdescribemeandfemalesthatarebeingleaders.Tosumupthismaskit
showsthatIreallyamafemalewhowantstomakeanimpactintheworld.
