Artist Statement
My mask represents how I have been socialized positively and negatively according to my class and gender. On my mask there is a blindfold covering my eyes with the word “Society” written on it. This symbolizes how I have been blinded by society and how society has guided me through life even though I can't see. The forehead of my mask is split in two parts. The left side is dirty and worn down and on the top is written “Poor”. The right side is all shiny with stacks of money and on the top is written “Rich”. This symbolizes how I have been socialized that wealth is the key to happiness. Right below the blindfold on my left cheek is a white male symbol. The symbolizes how I have socialized as a white male. Finally, on the right cheek is gonna be a “tear” in the mask with a face in the tear that is smiling. This represents how I have been through some tough times but it always ends in happiness.
Mask Essay
What if you could control your life without society getting in the way and telling you how to live? Your life would be very different. The person I am today has been shaped by the things that have occurred around me. When I was little I was confused and lost. I was in a maze looking for paths to take and hoping it would be the right choice. While I was in this maze society was guiding me through paths I didn't want to take but I still listened to society because it felt like the “normal” thing to do. In the end I got so used to listening to society that it shaped me so much I continued to listen to society. Throughout my life, I have been socialized positively and negatively while living in a middle class family.
I was socialized when I was very young by my parents and other family members. They taught me what was good and what was bad and how to respect others. My parents would tell me to treat others the way I would want to to be treated. This is one of the times I was positively socialized by my parents and the people around me. Once I got older, my parents were still influencing me but society was much more powerful and was shaping the person I was soon to be. This goes to show how much society plays a role in peoples lives. Society taught me that to pursue happiness you must become wealthy and powerful. I thought this because I would see that the wealthy people in movies were very happy and powerful rather than the poor people who were sad and not in control. Also, society taught me that the cool kids had to do bad things and act like rebels. I thought this because when I was at school I would see the kids who were messing around and and breaking rules seemed to be getting a lot of attention and power. This is kind of the same for rich people and poor people. The rich people are the kids messing around and breaking rules were the popular kids that everyone wanted to be. The poor people were the less popular people who were trying so hard to be like the cool kids (rich people). “The rich people own 40% of U.S’s wealth” ("The 1% - Stunning Facts about Wealth Inequality in America." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2014.) and the cool kids control 40% of the school’s students. In middle school I saw this a lot. I think that is why people wanna be rich, because when you were a kid you always wanted to be cool and powerful. This is the same as you get older but instead of being cool, you want to be rich and powerful. So this means that as you get older nothing will change, you will always want to be rich and on the top, that’s unless you break the cycle.
The cycle of socialization is a cycle how our surroundings define our personality and shape us throughout our lives. The first stage is called “The beginning”. This is when you were first born into this world as an innocent baby that can't feel shame or guilt. The second stage is “First Socialization”. This is when you were first socialized and influenced by your parents and other people close to you. The third stage is “Cultural and institutional socialization”. This is when institutions and cultures (TV, churches, movies, peers, schools, etc.) socialize us positively and negatively. For example, I was positively socialized by my church and teachers. The fourth stage is “Enforcements”. This is when society tries to get you to keep following the cycle and fitting in. If you don't follow the rules and try to break the cycle, you get blocked out and tore down by society. The fifth stage is “Results”. This stage is what happens when you continue following the cycle. It results in anger, silence, depression, violent behavior, etc. The sixth and final stage is “Directions for change”. This is when you choose to keep following the cycle or break it and live your own life without society's rules and enforcements. In the end society will either take control and keep you in the cycle or you break it and begin going against society (Harro, Bobbie “The Cycle Of Socialization”).
I have been affected by the cycle of socialization for my whole life and am still going through it. I was born May 11, 1999 and came into this world crying. This was “The beginning” and the starts the cycle. When I got older I went to church with my family and became a religious person. My parents taught me to be good and respectful. This is “First Socialization” and I was being influenced by the first people around me. Once I started school I began listening to what my friends would say and did what they told me to do. I tried to act tough and not act like a “wimp”. Society taught me that if I didn’t act like a boy then I would be a social outcast. Also, when I watched TV, I would be bombarded with messages. This is “Cultural and Institutional socialization” and when I was being influenced by institutions and cultures. As I went through school people began to become jealous of others. Once this happened everyone wanted to be like the popular kids so they acted like them and dressed like them. If you didn't act like the cools kids then you wouldn't be known as a normal person and blocked out by most people. This is “Enforcements” because society would not accept people who didn't act like normal (trying to be like everyone else and not act differently). I tried hard to be like the normal kids and made me angry and some what depressed because I didn't want to be like them but had to or I would be rejected. This is “The results” because I worked hard to stay in the cycle even know I didn't want to and this made me angry. I still haven't decided which direction I will take but I do know that it will be the right choice.
Society isn't all bad and doesn't just socialize you negatively. Teachers are a part of an institution which is part of the society and they influence kids to be good and educate them positively. Also, some things you here in society can help you through life rather than leading you down a bad path. For example, when I was young I heard on TV that hard work leads to success and success leads to happiness. This positive because it taught that I must work hard in school and other things so that I can be successful in the future. Even though there are positive messages in society does not mean that all the messages are positive. Some negative messages I've seen in society is on TV. When I watch shows a lot of them show the main character drinking alcohol and doing drugs like its cool. This is negative because its basically showing that if you do all of that stuff it makes you cool. This goes to show that our society isnt perfect but if we just break the cycle there is a chance we can change the “rules” of our society.
Society isn't just made up of bad messages and does not always negatively socialize you. I have been socialized by both sides and learned a lot from my experience. I learned that it was my own choice to be socialized ny the messages from society I just didn't realize it. The only reason I continued to listen to society was because it was the “normal” thing to do. I now know that I can change and possibly break the cycle if I simply just choose my own path. The path that I want, not society.
I was socialized when I was very young by my parents and other family members. They taught me what was good and what was bad and how to respect others. My parents would tell me to treat others the way I would want to to be treated. This is one of the times I was positively socialized by my parents and the people around me. Once I got older, my parents were still influencing me but society was much more powerful and was shaping the person I was soon to be. This goes to show how much society plays a role in peoples lives. Society taught me that to pursue happiness you must become wealthy and powerful. I thought this because I would see that the wealthy people in movies were very happy and powerful rather than the poor people who were sad and not in control. Also, society taught me that the cool kids had to do bad things and act like rebels. I thought this because when I was at school I would see the kids who were messing around and and breaking rules seemed to be getting a lot of attention and power. This is kind of the same for rich people and poor people. The rich people are the kids messing around and breaking rules were the popular kids that everyone wanted to be. The poor people were the less popular people who were trying so hard to be like the cool kids (rich people). “The rich people own 40% of U.S’s wealth” ("The 1% - Stunning Facts about Wealth Inequality in America." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2014.) and the cool kids control 40% of the school’s students. In middle school I saw this a lot. I think that is why people wanna be rich, because when you were a kid you always wanted to be cool and powerful. This is the same as you get older but instead of being cool, you want to be rich and powerful. So this means that as you get older nothing will change, you will always want to be rich and on the top, that’s unless you break the cycle.
The cycle of socialization is a cycle how our surroundings define our personality and shape us throughout our lives. The first stage is called “The beginning”. This is when you were first born into this world as an innocent baby that can't feel shame or guilt. The second stage is “First Socialization”. This is when you were first socialized and influenced by your parents and other people close to you. The third stage is “Cultural and institutional socialization”. This is when institutions and cultures (TV, churches, movies, peers, schools, etc.) socialize us positively and negatively. For example, I was positively socialized by my church and teachers. The fourth stage is “Enforcements”. This is when society tries to get you to keep following the cycle and fitting in. If you don't follow the rules and try to break the cycle, you get blocked out and tore down by society. The fifth stage is “Results”. This stage is what happens when you continue following the cycle. It results in anger, silence, depression, violent behavior, etc. The sixth and final stage is “Directions for change”. This is when you choose to keep following the cycle or break it and live your own life without society's rules and enforcements. In the end society will either take control and keep you in the cycle or you break it and begin going against society (Harro, Bobbie “The Cycle Of Socialization”).
I have been affected by the cycle of socialization for my whole life and am still going through it. I was born May 11, 1999 and came into this world crying. This was “The beginning” and the starts the cycle. When I got older I went to church with my family and became a religious person. My parents taught me to be good and respectful. This is “First Socialization” and I was being influenced by the first people around me. Once I started school I began listening to what my friends would say and did what they told me to do. I tried to act tough and not act like a “wimp”. Society taught me that if I didn’t act like a boy then I would be a social outcast. Also, when I watched TV, I would be bombarded with messages. This is “Cultural and Institutional socialization” and when I was being influenced by institutions and cultures. As I went through school people began to become jealous of others. Once this happened everyone wanted to be like the popular kids so they acted like them and dressed like them. If you didn't act like the cools kids then you wouldn't be known as a normal person and blocked out by most people. This is “Enforcements” because society would not accept people who didn't act like normal (trying to be like everyone else and not act differently). I tried hard to be like the normal kids and made me angry and some what depressed because I didn't want to be like them but had to or I would be rejected. This is “The results” because I worked hard to stay in the cycle even know I didn't want to and this made me angry. I still haven't decided which direction I will take but I do know that it will be the right choice.
Society isn't all bad and doesn't just socialize you negatively. Teachers are a part of an institution which is part of the society and they influence kids to be good and educate them positively. Also, some things you here in society can help you through life rather than leading you down a bad path. For example, when I was young I heard on TV that hard work leads to success and success leads to happiness. This positive because it taught that I must work hard in school and other things so that I can be successful in the future. Even though there are positive messages in society does not mean that all the messages are positive. Some negative messages I've seen in society is on TV. When I watch shows a lot of them show the main character drinking alcohol and doing drugs like its cool. This is negative because its basically showing that if you do all of that stuff it makes you cool. This goes to show that our society isnt perfect but if we just break the cycle there is a chance we can change the “rules” of our society.
Society isn't just made up of bad messages and does not always negatively socialize you. I have been socialized by both sides and learned a lot from my experience. I learned that it was my own choice to be socialized ny the messages from society I just didn't realize it. The only reason I continued to listen to society was because it was the “normal” thing to do. I now know that I can change and possibly break the cycle if I simply just choose my own path. The path that I want, not society.
Mask Project Reflection
Socialization is how we are influenced throughout our lives by the people around us. Also, it is when we learn to follow the norm and try not to be different because that is what society tells you to do. This affects your life in society because you try so hard to fit in and follow society that it can lead to depression, anger, violence, sadness, etc.
This project was meant to describe how our lives have been socialized. We wrote an essay that about socialization and what it means to us. Also, we explain how we have been socialized and how it affected our lives. We then made a mask to represent the “mask” we wear to show society that we are following the norm. On the mask we put symbols on it. Each symbol on the mask has a meaning. They represent how we have socialized positively and negatively. The essay we wrote and the mask are supposed to be the same but the mask has symbols and the essay has an explanation.
The process we went through started with us writing a rough 4 paragraph essay on how we have been socialized according to our class, race or gender. Then we one of our peers review this essay and give some advice to improve our topic sentence, evidence and analysis. After that, we tried to improve our essay as much as possible and had Matt check it a few times to see if we could change anything. Finally, we made our very last changes and completed our final draft that was ready to present at the exhibition.
While I have been at animas I’ve learned a lot more about how much society affects our daily lives and how much we as individuals rely on society. Im very proud of my mask because I really felt like I really understood the information I used in my essay and felt very proud of the final result of my mask.
This project was meant to describe how our lives have been socialized. We wrote an essay that about socialization and what it means to us. Also, we explain how we have been socialized and how it affected our lives. We then made a mask to represent the “mask” we wear to show society that we are following the norm. On the mask we put symbols on it. Each symbol on the mask has a meaning. They represent how we have socialized positively and negatively. The essay we wrote and the mask are supposed to be the same but the mask has symbols and the essay has an explanation.
The process we went through started with us writing a rough 4 paragraph essay on how we have been socialized according to our class, race or gender. Then we one of our peers review this essay and give some advice to improve our topic sentence, evidence and analysis. After that, we tried to improve our essay as much as possible and had Matt check it a few times to see if we could change anything. Finally, we made our very last changes and completed our final draft that was ready to present at the exhibition.
While I have been at animas I’ve learned a lot more about how much society affects our daily lives and how much we as individuals rely on society. Im very proud of my mask because I really felt like I really understood the information I used in my essay and felt very proud of the final result of my mask.