Narrative Essay about Social Awareness

Social awareness is the ability to empathize with and understand others’ points of view. Through studying a variety of texts, we learn that people have different levels of social awareness. From these texts, we may conclude that social change is possible given the current state of our society. Three reasons for this conclusion are being able to identify social issues, realizing the discomfort of others, and being positive, and having the willingness to accept who you are. 

First of all, social change can occur in our current state of society because many people can identify social problems. In the pop song, “Where is the Love?” by Black Eyed Peas, a problem relating to teens or young adults is identified in our society which can help promote social change. Take into consideration the lines, “Negative images is the main criteria/Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria,” (Black Eyed Peas). This shows that social change is possible in our current state of society because the detail is stating the problem. The problem is that young adults, teens, and kids are affected by what they see and action can be taken to solve the problem, which can help bring about social change. Some might argue that social change is impossible because many people fear the consequences of standing up for themselves, but they do not realize that being strong and confident can help society change. For instance, in the poem “Legal Alien,”  Pat Mora states, “viewed by Anglos as perhaps exotic,/perhaps inferior, definitely different,/viewed by Mexicans as alien,” (Mora). This portrays how people from different ethnic backgrounds are treated by both sides of their worlds and also portrays the need for social change. Therefore, social change is possible given the current state of our society because many individuals notice and acknowledge social problems which can help bring about change along with noticing the feelings of individuals that are treated differently. 

Secondly, social change is possible because many people notice the discomfort of others, especially of those that are different from them racially and are not treated equally. In the mystery short story, “The Possibility of Evil” by Shirley Jackson, Miss Strangeworth realized that many residents of her town are disturbed. The text states, “Many people seemed disturbed recently, Miss Strangworth thought,” (Jackson 208). Without paying attention to the story as a whole, this detail conveys concern for disturbed individuals showing that people care and can help change society. Furthermore, the text also states, “a clean heart was a scoured heart,” (Jackson 214). Based on this line, it can be inferred that it is related to cleaning people’s hearts of hatred and removing their wrong perceptions of others, which can help make social change possible. It could be argued that social change is impossible because it is a lost cause as many people are past it or have given up, but all individuals should be treated the same no matter who they are. Saying that social change is a lost cause is an insult to those who are mentally suffering daily from unequal treatment. Consequently, it can be said that social change is possible since many individuals notice the discomfort and disturbance of others who are treated differently and are willing to help. 

Finally, the presence of possibility and the willingness of others to accept themselves for who they are can make social change in our society possible. In her fiction essay “Dyaspora,” Joanne Hyppolite constantly mentions how it is important to first accept yourself as who you are before wanting anyone else to accept you. According to the text, “the connections and disconnections that have made you the mosaic you are,” (Hyppolite 366). Additionally, “They will see where you are from and the worlds that have made you. They will see you,” (Hyppolite 366). This quote from “Dyaspora” helps one realize their roots and background and helps them accept it. If one tries to change themselves to be American, social change is impossible, but if you know and love yourself and your country, social change is possible. Social change can occur because people will understand and see, if explained calmly and with care, the importance of the different individuals and their background which will help them gain honor and respect in society. Others might argue that social change cannot happen because there is a great majority of people who refuse to accept themselves and try to change themselves to fit into the community. As a result, increasing social awareness and individuals being who they are and wanting to make a change can make social change possible. 

In conclusion, the different texts that were read show how social awareness varies throughout individuals, but there is a possibility for social change because many individuals can identify social problems, realize the discomfort of others, especially those that are different, and have the willingness to accept themselves as who they are. Social change is often a big topic in society, but in the current state of our society, social change can come about because people can notice social problems which can help solve them. Being able to notice how people are affected and impacted by social differences can also play a significant role in social change. Along with that, the main reason why social change can occur is that many individuals that are treated differently accept themselves as who they are and do not try to change themselves for others. Overall, social awareness is crucial for our society because it can help those that are treated differently due to their ethnicity or race. It involves taking action and understanding others’ feelings. It is important to increase social awareness so that it can influence social behaviors positively so the society can accept bi-cultural or bi-racial individuals.