Essay On Social Location

The importance of knowing one’s social location is imperative to fully understand one’s personal values, goals and relationships with other people, in other words, self-identity. Developing a sense of self is also an essential part of every individual becoming a mature person and for me, a competent social worker. Additionally, having a sense of identity is important because it allows people to stand out as individuals, develop a sense of well-being and importance, and fit in with certain groups and cultures. Each person's self-conception is a unique combination of many identifications, identifications as broad as being either woman or a man, Catholic or Muslim, or as narrow as being a member of one particular family. Throughout this paper I will discuss my personal internal and external forces that act upon my identity. Furthermore, I will reflect on certain aspects of my social location which my influence or cloud my
These factors include but are not limited to, being raised in a strong military family. Patriotism is valued highly within my family, and I would go so far as to say it is the highest value among my family. Every one of the male members in my family has served in the military and has all been to combat. This ideology of what it means to be a patriot has been passed down from generation to generation, since my family arrived here in the late 1800’s. Additionally, external factors that have influenced my social location are my own experiences in the military. I have been all over the world, and I have experienced a vast amount of different cultures. All of these are important in understanding my social location because in each one my role is different. These different roles have impacted my experiences in both positive and negative ways which I will explain in the effects of my social location on my interpersonal interactions with peers and clients section of the