...ROLE MODEL A role model is generally defined as a person who serves as an example of a positive behavior. The term “role model” was introduced by Robert K. Merton who said that individuals compare themselves with "reference groups" full of people who occupy the social role to which the individual aspires. Adults, parents, people in authority, people of influence, celebrities, are often idolized and looked up to by the people around them. Since by definition a role model has to exhibit positive behavior, only some of these people qualify as role models. Others serve as bad examples, which unfortunately can be just as influencing. It is a daunting responsibility to be viewed as a role model. Regardless of how one reaches the stature of being looked up to, the responsibility is the same. Role models are supposed to walk the talk. As Albert Schweitzer said, “example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.” I remember an advocacy campaign that focused on what we as adults show children. We litter and throw garbage even in areas with signs that say otherwise; and on our way to the mall with our family; we jaywalk as we cross the streets; we violate traffic rules, etc. Not unlike Aesop’s fable “the young thief and his mother”, we once saw a father alternating with his son to get packets of sugar and table napkin in a coffee shop. In a span of about half an hour, they must have made ten trips to the condiments station to fill a bag and...
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...If you are an older sister/brother you know the saying “be an example for your younger siblings”. This saying is similar to being a role model. A role model is someone others admire and try to imitate. My idol is the Princess of R&B and Baby Girl, Aaliyah. She created her own sound and clothing style with drum beats and Tommy Hilfiger. She stole the heart of millions with her qualities and characteristics. She is a credited, positive figure. It’s been more than ten years since Aaliyah’s tragic death, yet her influences on music and fashion, and personality is still alive. With a name of Aaliyah being so unique, there is no wonder why Aaliyah is known for her diverse, trendsetting style of music and fashion. In the late 90s and early 2000s...
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...Many people, ones who have lived and ones who are living now, can be considered quintessences of what it is to be positive role-models. Their achievements, attitudes, and actions throughout their lives have helped set an example to the generations to come. Each person has different backgrounds, dreams, and ambitions, yet they still have a way of bringing about change in the world. Take for instance Mother Teresa, whose compassion towards others inspired many of those who had the chance to meet her. Or Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr., who stood up for what they believed in, no matter the consequences they faced afterwards. Many of these model figures came from different parts of the globe, and their messages have inspired those all over to bring about positive changes, in...
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...Jayson Tatum is a influential advocate of being a role model to younger people. Through his actions including the help out a mom program, leadership, and great teammate. “Growing up wasn’t the greatest with my mother that was single. So he told people that when he made it to the nba he would make a single mothers program.” He’s going to help help out families that only have a mom because he grew up that way and wants to give back. Giving back to him is like how he grew up with his single mother and now he wants other mothers to feel appreciated for all the work they do.The importance of Jayson Tatum's social movement is that he has with the single mothers and how he has impacted them. He has helped them buy giving them money and supplies...
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...Athletes as Role Models Learning Team A SOC/105 August 26, 2013 Michelle Gardner Athletes as Role Models The effect of professional athletes has always played a big role in society. Talented, young, charming, women and men smashing world records on the field or court seem to be natural role models for our youth. These athletes and their behaviors and actions are so closely observed and mimicked by the youth it makes you ask the question should they really be considered role models? Athletes throughout history have always been considered role models for young children with a gift for sports. There have been many misdeeds that have occurred that makes us question whether athletes deserve to be considered role models. Conversely, athletes make good role models for several reasons such as promoting physical fitness, educational success, self-confidence, and a strong work ethic. The role of being an athlete is a good goal to reach in itself especially with the obesity epidemic that we are currently having in America. Athletes must have a strong work ethic and devote a large portion of their personal time to training in order to become a professional. Athletes also need to display a high degree of self confidence in order to be successful. With the exception of a very small few most athletes do go to college, and are expected to be successful, which promotes children to seek further education (Williams, 2011 ). A current...
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...When one thinks of a role model the first thing that comes to one's mind is a dependable hero who will give a person an example of ways to better live their own life. A role model is someone to give one hope and inspiration. Superman, Michael Jordan, and even family members are many examples of what one would consider to be a role model, but a role model can also be a figure who negatively influences the daily life of a person. When people think of a role model they immediately think positive thoughts. Role models in most cases are a positive influence. Along with positive role models, a role model can negatively influence one's life in many ways. An example of a bad role model is Miley Cyrus. For years Miley Cyrus had been a person...
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...Sports Figures, Celebrities, and Role Models Since the beginning of time, people have always dreamed of being famous, living lavish lifestyles, or being highly regarded as the best at what they do. Even though these are amazing things to strive for, once it is achieved, people begin to hold you to a higher standard and consider you as a role model. Sports figures and celebrities have often been considered role models for as long as those particular occupations have existed. But before you consider these people role models, it is best to ask the simple question, why? Why would these groups of people be considered role models? Is it because of their job, the money they make, or the fame that they have achieved? It’s probably best to take time and actually define what a real role model is. In short, a role model is a person who has the attributes, values, and behaviors that comes with a particular role. The people that are held in this role are held to a higher standard and are often admired and emulated by others. According to the Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry whether good or bad, “Children may try to copy the behavior and appearance of celebrities, such as athletes and entertainers, and characters from books, TV, movies and video games” (“Children and Role Models”, 2011). Due to the fact that these groups of people often do not take this into consideration, it is very easy for our youth to copy how these groups of people behave, in which a lot of cases is negative...
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... Introduction When we think of role models, we think of people we call mom, dad, auntie, uncle, teacher, counselor or it could even be a politician or a celebrity or somebody of that sort, but somehow they become are role models. The dictionaries definition of a role model is a person imitated by others, but my definition of a role model is somebody you admire and look up to, learn from their mistakes, watch as they become successful, you see there downfalls, but there still become your role model. Years ago when I was in 7th grade it was black history month and we were having our annual black history month project. And again I was going to do something simple and just do Martin Luther King Jr., But my teacher assigned me a different black history activist. “Lorraine Hansberry” and I remember saying to myself “Who is Lorraine Hansberry??”… Later on that day when I arrived that day home I told my mom who my black history project was and we enjoyed doing the project with me. I learned so much about her. Not only was she an activist she also was a playwright, and an author. So when I received this leadership/role-model project I knew exactly who I was doing my project one “Lorraine Hansberry”..!! Lorraine...
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...my mother and stepfather. As far as I remember by father was not in my life as much as my stepfather was. My stepfather is my role model, he has shown me the ways and steps of life to reach our full potential. My Father is a hard worker, he works 5am-8pm Monday through Sunday. I have never met a person in love with work as much as him. He has the choice of leaving his work early but chooses to stay to make sure everything is complete. My stepfather came to this country 18 years ago to pursue a better career opportunity. He came into business doing Mosaics with his cousin where he later became manager in that section of the company. My stepfather never slacked of at what he did. He came across problems with his cousin’s company because they were not paying him enough and so decided to open up his own business. He is very successful at what he does and has done many great mosaics all through out New York City. He taught me that you couldn’t take things for granted. Never allow people to step over you or push you down. He is still, to this day, working to pursue succession and never forgets to tell me that in order to succeed in life you need, ignorance and confidence. Ignorance to ignore people who always try to turn you down and the confidence to know that you are the best at what you do and you will prove everybody why. My stepfather is my true role model because I look at him and I see what a father figure should be. He is always there and helping my family in everything we need...
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...Troy Russell 3/13/12 Role model My father overcame a lot in his life to get to where he is today .His name is Uriah. He is 68 years old. He works for the City and County of San Francisco Health and Human Services Department as a social worker. He helps homeless people find housing. I find it inspiring that he overcame a lot in his life to get to where he is today. Growing up my father experienced various hardships. My father was born in Toledo,Ohio. He was the second youngest of four children. He grew up the projects of Toledo. His parents struggled to put food on the table.When he was fourteen he contracted a blood infection that almost killed him. He was in the hospital for four months. Despite all the hardships he faced he managed to overcome all of them. He played football in high school and was so good he earned a scholarship to the University of Illinois which is a Big Ten program.He played on the team that won the 1968 Rose Bowl which, for those of you reading this who are unaware, is a big deal in college football. He became the first person in his family to graduate from college. He then went on to get a masters degree. He was hired by the City and County of San Francisco Health and Human Services Department as a social worker. He remains there to this day helping homeless people find housing. I hope the people reading this learn that no matter what your upbringing is you can make something of yourself.Because of his guidance I am inspired to get an education...
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...For example, when the author of the book goes to military school, his mother asks one of his teachers to take care of him. This shows how teachers can take a major role in a student's life to make it better and to cause the student to improve in his area of study and in his personal life. Teachers have a special influence in a student's life because they are a role model that a student looks up to and has to be friend in order to succeed in a class. Teachers can serve as role models for their students by asking about the student's personal life and helping them if...
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...they face, or problems that might occur; by showing them a different light. The smile that comes across a child’s face symbolizing that they understand or I've got it! Is one of the best feelings I feel, a teacher could have. This would show to me that I'm doing my job well and I helped a child cover new exciting things! In hopes that they would not be stuck at a lower intellectual development level; not being able to problem solve. I want to see all of my students excel to their fullest potential! That to me would be one of the best rewards that there could be, because in return I would be given a gift of making a difference. My second reward that I feel is important seems to go hand-in-hand with the above, by being a positive role model in a...
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...What Three Things Motivated Me to Start College? What motivations would have me stepping out of my comfortable safe zone to contemplate textbooks, essays, grades, dreaded exams, and taking on the finical burden of student loans? I always had a vague idea someday, after the kids were grown and I had more free time, I would go back and get the college education I passed up in my youth. Life experiences and the oft times unexpected upheaval it brings, has dramatically brought a different agenda to my motivations and goals. Narrowing down to the strongest point that motivated me to start college is a fairly easy task, it all boils down to the main focus of my life: my family, raising our circumstances and all of our future aspirations. The foremost motivation is by far the largest was the dedication to raising my family. My husband became disabled roughly seven years ago; at that time I was unable to keep our small construction company running. The construction company, our main source of income, was gone and quality of life became vastly different. The struggle to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table for our children was the spur I needed to make the decision to return to college. This became my main motivation. Starting college and seeking out a degree that would provide me the ability to find employment with the ultimate goal of being able to provide a better life for my family. The prospect of a brighter future was appealing. The second motivation is, which...
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...horse of a woman, so wild she wouldn't marry.(pg 11)¨ but Esperanza's great-grandmother was forced in a relationship by Esperanza's great-grandfather. Esperanza stated in the book ¨ I have inherited her name, but I don't want to inherit her place by the window(pg 11)¨. The reason that Esperanza said that is that after her great-grandfather forced her great-grandmother into having kids is that her grandmother after having kids she looked out the window and looked depress. My opinion of why Esperanza's great-grandmother is on for her role model is that she wants to live her life to her potential and didn't want to have to stop because of a man that made his mind and has declared that Esperanza has to follow what he says without her inside information. This role model is helps create Esperanza personality by showing that she can do what she wants and no person can stop her in her tracks. That is why I pick Esperanza’s great-grandmother as a role model that helped shaped her...
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...Dear Lukas Raschilla, In your article, “Athletes are artists, not role models”, you claim that you are bewildered that anyone would view professional athletes as role models. By saying that sports figures are "not" and "shouldn't be expected" to be role models in their actions on and off the playing field is in my opinion giving a free pass for bad behavior. As the saying goes...to those who much has been given, much is expected. You claim, "athletes do not choose to be role models", but I feel anyone who holds a position of notoriety and popularity with the public should shoulder that admiration with dignity. As we know, merely by association in any career, be it sports, education, health care, government, and even religion, does not guarantee that the individuals will be positive role models. Instead, moral obligations need to be nurtured and, when necessary, consequences clearly enforced in incidents of conduct not befitting the role that person represents. It is unrealistic to think there will not be transgressions in the athletic arena as they are all human, but even this can serve as a valuable lesson to young fans. Charles Barkley is correct when he says in the Nike commercial that "parents should be the most important role model for kids" and no one expects a sports figure to replace that position, but it also takes a village to raise good citizens. Everyone that occupies attention in a child's life should realize that their actions will be seen and will affect the...
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