Reflection: Race, Geography, And Social Class

First Reflection

According to Satzwewich and Liodakis (2013), “race is defined in terms of physical or genetic characteristics, or an ascriptive characteristic” (p.13). If one were to take an introspective look at society today, it is apparent the issue of race is one which is still prevalent spurring many divisions. An ascriptive characteristic is one which cannot be altered regardless of one’s feeling seeing that some qualities in one’s makeup are innate. Since these characteristics are ascriptive and cannot be altered, the law of averages then suggests that some naturally fall into the category of privilege, while others on the other hand take up a position of subordination on the opposite end of the spectrum. With this reflection at hand, I am choosing to focus on my race, geography and social class.
It is not that I seek to deny who I am and choose to distance myself from my identity, I just grew up around different races and never felt obligated to confine myself to one race of associates. I have always wondered why my skin color is used as a reference to chart my life course often drawing negative connotations. Thus far my experiences as a black individual have not led to a lack of access to substantial resources in my life which has made me question if the societal hierarchy is always going to remain the same. By this I mean every institution I have attended has been a private school, employment opportunities at top corporations have not been hindered, and I find it relatively easy to make friends with those who are not of the same race and ethnicity as me. Due to this when associating with individuals who are of the same race as me, I feel more inclined to act in line with traits and positive stereotypes associated with my race in an attempt to try and fit in with whom society has automatically decided that I “click” with. In regards to my social class, my parents both have respectable careers being engineers and lawyers