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Abigail Schogel

Sociological Autobiography

Dr. Miller

4.29.14

Becoming aware of the social order that has shaped my life has been an interesting and

enlightening experience. Understanding socialization and the effect of race, religion, class, and

gender has made me much more aware of the relation they have regarding my experiences within

family, education, church, and hometown. This understanding not only makes the effect it has

more clear, but I also am more aware of how I responded to these effects, further shaping me as a

person. The tension between what was naturally socialized by the social order I grew up in and

my response that has changed as I matured is clear and became even more so recently, through

my increased awareness.

My perception of and identity in race has been greatly shaped by my family and the area I

live in. I have a small family, just my younger brother and parents. We live in a fairly affluent

area north of Pittsburgh, PA in a very uniformly racial neighborhood. My area mirrors my

family-- predominantly white, well-off families who are not surrounded by much diversity.

Unfortunately it is due to this uniformity of my family and neighborhood that has led to a

skewed perception of how diversity should be handled. Because race rarely was a topic of

discussion, and racism was unheard of, I had the false presumption that if it were ignored, as in

my area, it would cease to be a point of contention. This theory was not something I was taught,

but I formed the idea myself based on what I observed and experienced. This was the idea with

which I came into college and assumed until recently. As studied in Divided by Faith, this

opinion is not uncommon, but is a problem as our country works to eliminate racism from all
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structures of life.

My education and church only aided in my skewed opinion of race. I attended a private

Christian high school that was 97% white and a church with a similar racial structure. It is these

structures that aided the formation of my idea of race, and unlike demographics, structures can

be more easily changed in regards to race. It is disappointing that all of these areas of my life

have affirmed an indifferent view of race, but both of these areas can easily be improved. With

neither the teachers nor pastors ever discussing any issues of race, the theory I formed will only

be perpetuated in those younger than me.

Here at Wheaton, though campus would not necessarily be considered diverse, the

Chicago area is much more so and I have been introduced to new ways of thinking and

addressing the concept of race. I am thankful for Wheatons stress on the subject, something that

has challenged what I had previously believed and now has reshaped my beliefs. What Wheaton

is doing as a structure, addressing and informing students of race, is what my past educational

and religious structures should have provided. This process of reshaping brought a period of

racial insecurity; there was a time of embarrassment for being white, as long as on behalf of my

race in general. Though it was not Wheatons intention, this phase was essential for my

understanding that race relates in no way to superiority or inferiority. Though I would have never

considered myself a racist in any way, now, with a fuller understanding, I see the need for a

structural reform in our country.

My religiosity is a large part of my life and has been influenced in many ways. As my

parents became saved when I was a toddler, I have been attending church weekly for as long as I

can remember. The presence of religion in my family has shaped our relationships, and for me

personally, religion and family went hand-in-hand. About two to three years ago, religion became
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more a part of my own life and decision and less of my familys guidance. It was these habits

that were instilled upon me at an early age by my family that has encouraged my continual

activity in the church. This early socialization affected my decision of college; I would not have

chosen Wheaton had religion not been made such a huge part of my life from an early age. I also

would not be attending a church or value my identity as a Christian, all things that made a large

impact and have had a great presence in my life.

Family was easily the largest factor when it comes to my religion, but smaller factors

including my church and education were influential as well. Attending a Christian school all

twelve years of education and church every Sunday, I was surrounded by Christians all my life.

All of my influences outside of my family were very similar to memy friends and teachers

were all Christians for most of my life, until I began working. This influence was very strong,

but not just in the way to maintain my religiosity, but it also kept me out of trouble and kept

Christianity in a positive light. I never really rebelled against Christianity because all of my

greatest influences only encouraged it. This affirmation of the habits that were set early by my

parents only encouraged my faith further.

Thankfully, my religion has moved beyond simply habits that were instilled upon me at a

young age. Naturally, these were strong factors and set a firm foundation, but in my later years of

high school and in transition of moving out of my familys house, I was able to move beyond

these habits and make faith part of my identity. This foundation allowed me to see the necessity

for faith in my life. I have never experienced a time of true rebellion or fleeing faith, but there

have been times of distance and indifference in relation to faith, and it was these times that

instilled the need for faith in my life. My religion has moved beyond experiencing the benefits of

faith and the habits set by my family, but have been made personal, as I understand faith in a
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personal way.

The social standing of my family fits fairly easily into the upper middle class mold. Only

one of my grandparents went to college, and my parents were able to move up the social class

ladder through their educations. My mother has her PhD and my father his Masters of Business

Administration. Because of their own experiences, they value education very highly and instilled

this upon me at an early age. My family had some complications with housing from the market

crash, but after years of damage control, we were able to purchase our own house. We live in an

area that is in-between a very affluent neighborhood and a more rural neighborhood, so we have

a mix of upper and lower-middle class. Because new developments are forming and new

businesses are coming in, the upper-middle class is growing. We recently moved before I left for

college so I do not know many people in my area personally, but based on the size of the

majority of houses it can be assumed that most people in my area are well-off.

My education and lifestyle in high school were other large aspects that mirrored my

familys social class. I went to a private Christian school, a result of my parents value of faith

and education. Most of my classmates fit into similar social classes. There were few students

who attended on scholarship, but most students had similar upbringings as myself financially. I

did have a job in high-school, but not by means to pay for things I needed, it was all for savings

and extra spending money while my family covered my gas, clothing and most other expenses.

Affording my education and not requiring me to work relate strongly to my familys social class

standingas we are still paying for my parents student loans, we do live paycheck to paycheck,

but with my parents vocations, this is something that is manageable and comfortable. In regards

to my familys class, race and parents education, it had a large influence in my decisions post-

high school.
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There were many factors that made my decision to go to college a given: my parents

belief and experience that proved that education is the only way to have a respectable career, the

influence of my friends, teachers, and area that relates to my class and race. I never even

considered any other options aside from collegetaking a gap year had never occurred to me

until it was too late, and even if I will be a stay-at-home mom, it was understood that I would

have the college experience, at the very least. Today I would argue that most white, middle-class

teens have a similar experience and attend college by default with similar motivations. I went to

college because that is what all my friends did. My parents never presented any other options and

would have been disappointed had I done otherwise and not followed the experience that worked

so well for them. From my perspective, the only way to get a respectable job was through high

education, and I assume that these motives are similar for other white, middle-class students.

It is logical that attendance in higher education would increase, as many want to climb

the social class ladder, but through being in college myself, I have grown frustrated with the

assumption that middle class students will attend college. Being here, I have learned that I have

no idea what I want in a career; much less what I am interested in studying. I am spending

thousands of dollars on furthering a career that I have not decided on yet and exploring options

for a very high price tag. Had taking a year off to work or travel been a respectful option, I

probably would have done so. Instead of spending money while learning and simultaneously

trying to learn about my dreams for the future and myself, I could have taken time to understand

what I want for the future and then proceed to study it. I am frustrated that this was never

presented as a respectable option by anyone, not even my school counselor. That is not to say

that I do not value my education, but I do believe that not everyone is ready for college

immediately after high school. I regret not considering this earlier, before I was enrolled in
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college because I am not positive that my time at Wheaton is being put to the best use by not

having any sort of plan. In the future, I intend to guide my children in a different direction,

ensuring that they are prepared for what college requires.

Finally, I have found that the role of gender has had a considerable role in my formation

of self. Much of this role was based off of my parents relationships. As my mother has a higher

degree and a higher paying job, they are a unique couple. What is even more interesting is that

my mother has specifically called herself a non-feminist. She simply means that she has found

a way to be treated with respect and equality with men, in a way that she worked for her success

and did not have to degrade men. She firmly believes and has instilled upon me the idea that if

women work diligently, they can achieve the same as men, but she also believes that God

intended for woman to be mans helper. This has played out in my family as my mom is the

primary cooker and cleaner of my housemy dad often tries to help, but has medical conditions

that often prohibit it.