Reflection Essay Sample on Social Structures

Studying human animals and their societies requires a deep understanding of what builds their society and the hierarchies in the society. Humans and their societies are based on many factors, most of them created by the powerful people in their societies and the history where they are. In every society there are structures that can either gain an individual major privilege or put them in the lower classes. But the one thing that can change these structures is a person's agency and ability to make decisions for themselves. Understanding societies is the best way to understand why the society functions the way it does.
Social structures are the way we determine how a person is most likely going to turn out. These social structures have been in the making for centuries sometimes even before society existed. Understanding what the basis is for these social structures varies based on the society that is being studied. In this case we are focusing on modern American society. In this society the social structures are heavily based on the history of the country. Social structures are the statuses and roles that are assigned to people in a society. The status and role you are born into can determine what everyone expects you to do for society. In American society the expectations are determined based on your race, economic standing, and where you live in the country. 
One of the most obvious social structures are gender roles and these have been established since childhood. These social structures come in the forms of names, toys, what we see in the media and are told. An example of this can be seen in the video about children's roles and generalizations of gender roles and stereotypes, in this video most of the children have very similar answers about the assumptions they are making about the dolls and what men and women are like. Oftentimes these are things we don’t even think about because it is so ingrained in our lives. 
There are many other structures that also exist that we don't even acknowledge or think about but do subconsciously. An example of this can be found in the film 14 up in America. In this film the girl named Edie from Georgia mentions how many of the racial groups subconsciously go together. This sentence was small but important. It highlights how social structures are a part of our everyday lives. In a class we can talk about being inclusive but as soon as the conversation ends everyone goes back into their assigned groups. These groups are how we identify ourselves to others and create a form of hierarchy. These groups extend outside of schools but into our entire society. Humans have formed an imaginary hierarchy based on how you look, how much money you make, and where you live.
The jobs and opportunities they were aware of were also very different. In New York they were made aware of all of the jobs that their class would be working in. For the wealthy girls they were put towards higher paying opportunities while the working class kids dreamt of jobs that were shown in the media because no one told them about all of the other high paying jobs. Structure may seem like they are set in stone, and almost like our lives are planned before we are even born but that isn’t always the case. One of the best things about being a person is our agency. 
Agency is our ability to make decisions for ourselves. Structures set limitations and opportunities. The opportunities for a poor person are not going to be the same as a wealthy person. Wealthier people can afford to go to private school and go to a prestigious university while someone who is poorer people may not even be able to finish school. 
The aspirations for kids are also very different between the social classes. Wealthy kids are more exposed to high paying behind the scenes jobs that aren’t in the public eye but pay well. While poor kids may aspire to be professional athletes or pop stars because they are high paying jobs that these kids are exposed to. 
Kids born into wealthy families may partake in activities like ballet, horseback riding, and other activities that are more expensive and exclusive. These activities require lots of extra training and require lots of equipment. While poor kids may partake in basketball or whatever is played locally in their area that doesn’t require lots of equipment. They can’t afford to travel for their sports so they may not play as competitively as their more wealthy counterparts. Hypothetically a person can choose any activity that they would like but that just isn’t the case many popular games were created due to the inability to partake in the original sport or activity. 
The kind of future that kids may have depends on where they live and the choices they make. Poor kids are more likely to be pushed into gangs or lower paying jobs rather than the higher paying ones. They are more likely to stay in their social status because they often are never taught any different. While the more wealthy kids are more likely to either stay wealthy or be upper middle class. They have almost guaranteed good futures as long as they choose to stay away from crime and drugs. They will never have to worry, for the upper class agency is the most important because the only way they can mess up their good life standing is by making bad choices. But for the lower class kids avoiding these choices can be extremely difficult and hard to do. 
Agency is the most powerful way to break down social structures. The futures of the kids in the documentary 14 up in America are hard to pinpoint but Lucy and Alexis are most likely going to remain wealthy because of their families, while Kennisha if she keeps up the hard work could become a part of the middle class and go on to have a good home and family life. While someone like Joey is content where they are and will grow up to be like his parents. Kennisha is the best example of agency because she chooses to focus on school and chooses to travel in order to get the best education that she can. Everyone else will most likely become just like their parents and stay in the same economic class which is the most common outcome. All of these sociological concepts apply to everyone's life. 
The structures that form my life are based mostly off of my parents hard work and effort; neither of my parents came from money. My dad grew up very poor and was homeless at one point but he worked and focused on bettering himself in order to make sure that his kids never would have to want for anything. Because of this hard work we are now upper middle class. 
My parents also gave me the freedom of not being tied to one religion so I can research and find what works for me which to some may seem wrong but I appreciate it.        
The only thing they couldn’t make sure was never a concern was the fact that I am biracial but look white. As long as I don’t say anything I will always be deemed unassuming and no one will notice me. But when they find out there are a myriad of different reactions and responses that people tend to give. White people view me as a person of color and people of color view me as white. While I was reading through Mills' article I realized I related to the sentiment of people forgetting or ignoring history for convenience because it is more convenient to make generalizations rather than understand the whole story. I resonated with this because being half Mexican people assume I will look just like their idea of a Mexican person rather than understand the complex and unique history of the region and acknowledge that there is no one look for Mexicans or any Latino person. Looking at the world through a sociological lens has given me a chance to slow down and to see how societies have so many complexities and not only the people right now but the history has an impact on society.