SOCIOLOGY ASSINGMENT 1- LOUIS HORSLEY

The concept known as ‘sociological imagination’ suggests that people look at their own personal troubles as social issues and, in general try to connect their own individual encounters with the workings of society (Evan Willis, 2011). These personal problems are closely related to societal issues such as depression, isolation, war and even the city life where the private troubles and the public issues become clearly apparent. There are many areas in my life in which I feel that various sociological theories apply. They include the interactions within my family, my emerging sexuality in the context of my gender, being that of a boy, the social class in which to date I have existed, and the accompanying culture evident within that social class and as nurtured within my family. Even though our country supports equality, there still exists a sense of disapproval if ones sexuality is not within the norm. This response to gender and sexuality in our society, has impacted significantly in my both in a general sense and by virtue of my parent’s expectations of the differing roles my older twin sisters and I would occupy. I became a brother to my sisters and a son to my parents. My sisters were given Barbie dolls to play with, while I was given Lego. I loved playing with Lego, but there was always something about the glamour and fashion of ‘the Barbie’ that caught my attention. Nevertheless, I soon realized that twins’ toys weren’t for me and that I should be satisfied with whatever ‘boy’ toys were given to me by my parents. There are obviously different social positions assumed by women and men because even at a young age, one adopts a gender role closely related to gender identity which is
“your identification with, or sense of belonging to, a particular sex-biologically, psychologically, and socially” (Jean Baudrillard