Sociology Of My FAmily

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorCollege, Undergraduate February 2008

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hough many people choose to view themselves as unique and one of a kind, sociologists work against that idea to show connections between groups of people. My family has achieved status, which is a social position attained by person through their own efforts, in my town and I have used that to get certain jobs. Achieved status is just one example of how we can all be classified into a certain sociological group. By examining my family I discovered that it was an environment where all members interacted and this portrayed a small group.

My mother's side of the family is mostly Irish, and shows cultural relativism in so far as the use relatives' actions to solidify their own decisions. My relatives depict the typical image of an Irish family. Every St. Patrick's Day is a big event in my house, almost more important than Christmas, it seems. By the time the boiled dinner is placed on the table, most of the relatives have had their fair share of beer and are squawking like a bunch of chickens.

I find this this ritual interesting as it greatly displays diffusion from a little known Irish saint to a world recognized event.

My Father's side of the family brings a completely different background to the table, as they are from Italy. When this side of the family gathers, they show there willingness to abide by Italian social norms even though they have all been living in America for many years. Some of these norms include: preparing large meals, brewing their own wine, and tending to large gardens.

Although, my parents are divorced and my father remarried, my sister, who's fifteen, and I still manage to adopt an equal amount of traits from both groups. A good way to examine what traits a...