, Research Paper
Are We Free Within Our Culture?
I believe that within limitation we are free in our culture. George Herbert
Mead thought, ?both our mind and our body are social products?. He believed
they were the outcome of our interactions with other people rather than how we
grew up. I think that no matter what we believe to be right or true at a given
time, if we have peers around we will tend to go with the crowd.
Sigmund Freud believed that is was important that the social agents of an
individual were important to create the ?sense of right and wrong as these
matters are defined by cultural values, beliefs, and norms?. Freud also
believed in the he thought it was important to ?counteract the antisocial
impulses of the id?. I think that Freud would have believed that we are free
within our culture. He thought that the parents, peers, and teachers were
important in guided us in the right direction but when it comes down to it we
are the only one that can make the decision. We might have society behind us
trying to edge us in one direction but we truly chose which way to go.
I agree with Freud on this topic. I know that we have all been put in the
situation to chose between right and wrong and have had a hard time choosing. I
know that I have. You want to make the right choice but you are not really sure.
You want to go with want the society says but is it always right? I think this
is where we are culturally free. Even though we have the believes of our family,
our friends, what we have been taught
we also have our own believes. What we choose in the end is what we choose.
Just because someone sees us how the see us does not mean that is how we are.
When I think of a rich person I think of someone rolling in money and being
stuck up. I do not know any rich people so this is how I will continue to see
them until I am proven wrong. They have the freedom of will to change how most
people thing of them. People in any situation have the freedom to change their
status and position to get to a better one or one that they enjoy more. We are
never stuck in any place. We can always move up or down depending on how you
want to be. It is all based on how much will power we have and how motivated we
are to change our positions.
I think that understanding sociology could restrict personal freedom. I think
of the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other shoulder when I think of
this. Understanding sociology is the one of them (you choose which one). It
pulls you one way and wants you to go that way but then you have your own
believes pulling you the other way. Understanding sociology just gives you more
options. I think that it is good to have more options sometimes but other times
you only want one choice. You just want to go the way everyone wants you to go
and not ague with it. Just go with the flow.
When it all comes down I believe we are culturally free. We have a lot of
knowledge on how to solve problems our handle life but we have the finale say on
things.