EDF 2085 Reflection Paper #8

Jackie Lawrence
EDF 2085
Reflection Paper #8

This is a great topic for me to explore in depth. Since this diversity class began in August, I’ve had quite a hard time figuring out my own opinions concerning social classes, gender, and sexual relations. This has, obviously, led me to believe that I may not know my true self as well as I thought I did.
In terms of gender, my parents taught me I could become anything I wanted, regardless of the fact that I was female. My dad told stories of little girls that flew planes and went to outer space. My mother always told me that I should never completely rely on a man for money or financial security. The minute I was old enough to work legally in New York, I went out and got a job. Both of my parents emphasized my brain, talents, and work ethic over becoming a homemaker. I thought all of this was normal until I moved to Miami. My experiences here, along with the media, have led me to believe that most women are just looking to be spoiled and taken care of, which, quite frankly, gets me pretty angry. The topic of sexual relations is even worse. Sometimes I feel like I’m not good enough to be a trophy wife because I have a head on my shoulders and aspirations of professionalism. The media depicts females as nothing more than baby-makers and sexual beings. I’ve had an extremely hard time dating, and even making friends, because I tend to put up major walls with the people I am constantly surrounded by. I was definitely brought up the right way, but in today’s society, I sometimes feel as if I’m going to be alone forever because my standards are simply set too high.
Social class is a whole other story. I was taught to accept and love people for who they are inside, not how they dress, where they live, what they do for a living, or what type of car they drive. And even though media has produced a culture that is overly materialistic and superficial, I still strongly feel that way. Good people come in all shapes, sizes, and social classes, as do bad people. Some of the most crooked, terrible people I’ve ever come across in life have been upper-class, white Americans. They say money is at the root of all evil, but yet media has taught us to look down on the poor. All in all, it is quite easy to develop stereotypes and prejudices after a bad experience with someone different then you. And it’s even easier to justify your prejudice based on the social class the other person has come from.
So, in conclusion, I am still confused. I do know that most of my passion for psychology stems from a desire to understand myself and others, and I will continue to search for my answers. The media plays a powerful role in constructing people’s opinions and beliefs, which may or may not be positive for society as a whole.