Understanding Social Location: Social Class, Gender, and More - Paper Example

First, I would like to describe what social location is. There exist various social elements that comprise an individual's social location that affect every individual's development as a human being. Hence an individual’s social location comprises a mixture of various elements that include social class, gender, age, race, sexual orientation, geographic position, religion, political affiliation, and education. The social location in sociology might not necessarily have the same outlook for two individuals (Henslin, 2015). Social location aids learners who are new to the sphere of sociology to comprehend the relationship between what they learn in the classroom and social experiences.

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I want to consider myself part of the middle-class society due to my parents' hard work that has put in to ensure that my siblings and I never lack anything. Like most refugees or asylum seekers who are lucky enough to get into the United States, they usually end up cramming in the same neighborhoods with people of the same race or religion; hence, in my neighborhood, most residents are from the Middle East of the Islamic faith. It has been years since we moved from our war-torn country of Syria to the United States. The life experiences of growing up in Syria and then in the United States have certainly been life-changing with both having its advantages and disadvantages. In Syria, walking down the streets with a hijab is normal while even walking without might be rare for women, in the United States, it is quite the opposite with people always giving out glances.

Growing up in Syria, my family members, peers, and I always had high expectations of me; thus, when growing up, I always believed that I would join the best university in Syria. Unfortunately, I failed to achieve the required grades to enable me to join the university. When the war broke out in my country that necessitated my family to move, it came as a blessing in disguise as I took it as an opportunity to rebuild my life from scratch. Moving to the United States offered me the opportunity to rebuild my academic life which would eventually lead to attaining a respectable job to enable me to live a comfortable life.

On arrival in the United States, I had nothing except determination and motivation to change the course of my life; hence I learned the English language and was able to continue with my education. After completing high school, I was accepted at the University of Texas in Dallas. In the university's social networks, I was not lucky enough to have close individuals who would have helped me choose my major. Thus I decided to select a major in Biology as an upper elective that would enable me to earn my degree due to its title as it seemed intriguing.

Being a 22-year-old heterogeneous Muslim female comes with its fair share of challenges and expectations from my peers and family members. In Syria, most women at an early age are set on a path that would prepare them for marriage and domestic work. To some extent, I thought this would be my life, especially after I had failed to secure the grades for entry into the university; hence I had given up on the hopes of ever attending university. Most of the refugees and migrants in my neighborhood only attend high school and fail to continue to college; thus, I consider myself lucky partly due to the hard work I have put in. Being able to join the University of Texas has elevated the expectations of family and peers. They highly regard me and always expect the best from me, which has elevated my motivation levels and determination for success.

The transition from Syria to the United States has been quite difficult due to the language barrier at the beginning and the difference in culture. Adjusting to the US's culture has been quite challenging, especially living as a minority and as a Muslim. The prejudice and stereotypes in American culture are quite disturbing as Muslims are associated with violence and other obscene kinds of stuff. The struggles that I have undergone through my 22 years have shaped who I am today, and I hope for a better life in the future.

Works Cited

Henslin, Jim M. Essentials of sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach. 11th Edition. Pearson, 2015.