Reflection Paper: “Is Everyone Really Equal?”

Reflection Paper: “Is Everyone Really Equal?” Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Course Name/Number Instructor’s Name Due Date Reflection Paper: “Is Everyone Really Equal?” The main idea in chapter 3 of Sensoy and Di Angelo’s “Is Everyone Really Equal?” is understands how an individual is socialized by their culture. According to Sensoy and Di Angelo, socialization is a process through which individuals systematically train into the norms of their culture (207, pg. 37). When it comes to gender norms, we are socialized to ascribe certain behaviors to males and females. Like the example given in chapter three of the reading, people would be disgusted by a woman who raises her unshaved underarm. Conversely, when a man does the same, it would be considered normal (Sensory & Di Angelo, 2017, pg 40). Underarm hair is natural to the adult male and female body, but, the difference in perception comes in when we consider whose body it is on. Socialization is so powerful that often times, individuals physically react when a norm is violated. “There are penalties when a norm is violated” (Sensory & Di Angelo, 2017, pg 41). Like the example of the woman with the unshaved underarm, despite having the right to shave or refuse to shave her underarm, she has to deal with the consequences of her choice. By refusing to conform to the societal norms, she jeopardizes her status as a “normal” member of the society. Another important aspect discussed in this chapter is Frames and Lenses. Construed from this chapter is the fact that frames represent the societal norms which we are taught from birth. For instance, “Blue is for boys and pink is for girls.” Lenses, on the other hand, represent individual experiences that alter how one views the world. Our frames and lenses are shaped by our specific group identity. These consist of race, class, religion, nationality, ability, gender, and sexuality (Sensory & Di Angelo, 2017, pg 45). This chapter also discusses the difference between ethnicity and race. The point emphasized is that there is a significant difference in how individuals identify themselves versus how they are identified by others. It is important to look at socializing agents because their frameworks may shed light on how people’s lives hav...