Full Of People Of Different Ethnicities example essay topic

I. Identification- Introduction A. Ethnic Identification I was very disappointed when trying to discover some interesting facts on my heritage and ancestry. My background is very ordinary. As far as an ethnic group, I would definitely be considered as Caucasian American. I based this assumption on my complexion and my family heritage. My mothers family derived from Wells, and my fathers family settled here from Ireland.

I was unfortunately unable to find much about my ancestors. B. Class identification I have always considered my family to be middle / working class. My parents are divorced, but they were together during my entire childhood and adolescence. My parents both worked at a local factory in town. They worked a great deal of overtime, and provided the family with a very comfortable living.

I also had to work during high school, but my parents provided me with a new car. I guess I consider my family middle class because we definitely weren't rich, but we weren't poor either. We were somewhere in the middle. Most people that I know are middle class.

It seems like it is the most portrayed class in America. This can be proven by turning on the television set. Most sitcoms, commercials, and even movies are frequently showing the typical American "middle class" lifestyle. This usually includes house in the suburbs, public school, two vehicles, and vacations.

It seems to be a very nice lifestyle. It provides you with a comfortable income, but also makes you respect a hard days work. I believe that are society needs to have class categorization. America is the land of opportunity. If there were no differences in classes, there would be no reason to strive to better your self. I do not believe that people should be judged based on their class though.

It is very hard to eliminate the stereotypes that come linked with a certain classes (the rich are snobby, the poor are lazy, ect), and we as people should strive to eliminate these stereotypes. We should try to realize that people are people regardless of class. I also believe that we should all work at being the best we can be. II. Community A. A description I was born and raised in the average sized community of Henderson, Kentucky. It is a northwestern city of around 40,000 people.

It is on the banks of the Ohio River, and is a good mix of urban and rural life. It has a many suburbs, shopping centers, and restaurants (urban luxuries), but it also includes a great deal of farmland and small rural communities throughout the county. Industry plays a large part in the community. A large number of people are employed at the many large factories located in the city. Gibbs Die Casting, Tyson Foods, and Dana Corporation are a few of the larger ones. The community does have a slight problem with excepting those who don't fall into the "norm" as some would say.

Sexual orientation has raises many eyebrows recently. Many people in the community have had issues with the ever growing homosexual population. B. Henderson has always been made up of mostly Caucasian and African Americans, but recently many Hispanics have begun to reside there. The Tyson Plant has brought many of them into the community. Growing up In Henderson never really gave me to much of a cultural experience. I had a few friends of other ethnic backgrounds, but the majority was Caucasian.

Ethnic diversity didn't seem to impact my life in a large way, although the community is ever changing. I would like to see people in the community to experience what other cultures have to offer.. Family My family growing up was pretty much normal, by American standards. I belonged to a very conventional nuclear family. It included my mother, father, me, and my older brother.

Later in my adolescence however my maternal grandmother moved in for a few years after a stroke. I was very close to my maternal grandmother, and unfortunately lost my maternal grandfather at a young age. My Paternal grandparents were also a big part of my life. They lived down the street for the majority of my childhood and adolescence. I was fairly close to my aunts, uncles, and cousins also. Many of them also lived very near by.

My family is now a more non traditional family after my parents divorce. The divorced my senior year, and I then resided with just my mom. I guess since I have experienced both a traditional and a less traditional family atmosphere I can honestly say that families come in all shapes and sizes and can be happy. I am very thankful though to have grown up in a more traditional setting. IV. Early Experiences A. Color as a factor of difference Unfortunately I had very few friends of other ethnic backgrounds.

I grew up in a mainly all white neighborhood, and I went to a mainly all white elementary and jr. high school. Henderson does however have a very large high school, and this is when I really got a chance to get to know some new people with other races. My family had always respected people of other races, and taught me to do the same, but it wasn't until my freshman year till I really got close to someone different then myself as far as race. I became very close to an African American girl in my homeroom class. It really hit it off and we became very close. I then learned that we are all truly the same, and that it is ignorance that breads prejudice.

I do which that I would have had more friends of other races, I believe that it would have been much more positive. B. Gender as a difference In regards to gender, I grew up doing on the stereotypical girl things. Dance classes, cheerleading, Barbie, and Cabbage Patch Kids took up most of my time. My brother played baseball, basketball, and football. He then actually joined the Marine Corps. My parents always gave us are free will to choose are own activities, but we always chose ones that went with are gender role. I am not sure how they would be if I started playing with G I Joes, but I am pretty sure that it would not have been an issue.

To make a long story short, I was raised as a full fledged girly girl. C. Ethnicity as a factor of difference As I previously mentioned, Henderson wasn't exactly full of people of different ethnicities or people who spoke other languages. I wasn't therefore really familiar with anyone of a different ethnic background. I guess I got my first real good taste of this during a family vacation to Cancun. Cancun as you probably know is in Mexico, and is the home of many Hispanics. My parents really tried to show us kids that many people were different then us and we should try and realize that.

We should also not get frustrated at the different languages, but learn to appreciate it. D. Religion as a factor of difference During my childhood, my parents were both protestant. I had friends that were Catholic and Methodist, but that was it. Those were the 3 religions people in our town usually practiced. I never really encountered any other people of different religious backgrounds till college. My roommate of the past three years is Jewish, and I really enjoy learning her religion. I now truly understand that there are many religions around the world, and everyone has their own religious beliefs. E. Socioeconomic status as a factor of difference.

I was always reminded by my family how fortunate we were. My parents were very big advocates for helping those that were less fortunate. My dad gave people rides to church, my mom helped with the church pantry, and we always donated to the poor. My first real memory of encountering a less fortunate person was when I was real young. My mom stopped and gave a man some money who was holding a sign. My mom told me then to always give if you can because that person might be an angel. V. feeling about membership in my own ethnic group A. Feeling about membership in my own ethnic group I am very proud of who I am, but I am not so proud of my race.

It seems as though Caucasians have historically demeaned others of different races and ethnicity. People that are the majority have a tendency to think a bit egocentrically. We tend to expect everyone to live as we live, or speak our language. I am thankful however that I never had to experience some of the hardships and negative treatment that some races and ethnicities had to encounter. I can not imagine being a minority, or speak a different language then the majority. It has to be a very stressful task. B. Power relationship and how it influences my thoughts and feelings I do believe that my ethnic group unfortunately holds more power.

It is not morally right, but it is the truth. I hate the idea that one ethnic group can oppress another. One ethnic group or race should not have more problems then the next. We all live in one world, and we should begin to act like it. VI. Feelings about gender. A. My feelings on my gender identification I love being a woman, but woman have really struggled over the years to be what we are today.

I have experienced some gender discrimination and stereotyping in my life, and it really insulted me. Men however are not he only ones to blame, some women get so rapped up in the stereotypes that they actually begin to think that it is all right. B. Power relationship and how it influences my thoughts and feelings I believe that men definitely have an advantage over women. Men receive more pay for equal work, and men are hired over women for many jobs. Men also have more power roles in the government, and they dominate job fields such as principles, lawyers, doctors, dentist, and law enforcers.

It seems that women receive jobs that group them in a more submissive. For example, more men are principles, while more women work under them as teachers. I believe that woman are just as strong as men. They not only complete college degree's, get good jobs, and work, but they also tend to be the main caregiver to the children. I know that my mom was always running around after work chasing us kids, cooking dinner, cleaning, and running errands. It almost seems like woman have two jobs.

I do believe however that more and more woman are receiving higher paying jobs, and are taking active leadership roles. I hope that we continue to move up on the economic ladder. VII. Role as a social worker In the field of social work, I hope to bring hope and help into peoples lives.

I believe that social workers are truly helping hands. I would really like to work with the struggles people face while they are dying. I believe Hospice to be a wonderful organization, and I would love to work at a place like that. Death is such a scary issue for some to be facing, and to help those that are terminal and their families would be very rewarding.

People often forget to live when they are dying, and I would love to help them finish their time with the best possible quality of life. V. Effect of socialization I am tremendously grateful that my parents raised me to be the best person I could be. I was always taught to be kind, considerate, and gracious. My parents tried there best to teach me to be respectful of people who were different then me. I was raised being reminded that I was very fortunate, and others were not so lucky. I was taught to help those in need, and always lend a hand.

Although I was raised with few hardships in regards to ethnicity, I was taught to be sensitive to those different then me. I am very appreciative of my life, and of the lives of others.