11/19/13
Sociology MWF 1:00-1:50 p.m.
Sociological Autobiography
Sociology is study of the development, structure, and functioning of human society. It has a lot to do with cultures, and cultures are a big part of our lives. Because of this, sociology can be spotted and examined throughout almost all aspects of life.
One area of my life that sociology is very prevalent in is my gymnastics career. I have been a gymnast my whole life and I have moved around a lot. Because of this, I have attended many different gyms, and have had to adapt to resocialization and new norms. Resocialization is defined as radically changing a person’s personality by carefully controlling the environment. A norm is something that is usual, typical, or standard. Each gym that I have been to was a little bit different than the one before. I was young the first couple times I moved gyms so I do not particularly remember those changes much. The one move that really stands out to me though, was my most recent move. I attended Maple City Gymnastics for about 11 years before I moved. I was very used to the culture at this gym because I was there for so long. I ended up moving to Gym America. From the very first day of day of practice, there was already so much that was different from Maple City. Although not completely prevalent, resocialization can be seen in this move. Before I
Page 2 went to Gym America I was very shy. Once I got there, no one really talked to me. I did not know if they maybe did not like me or it was just because I was new. Since this was going to be my new team for the year, I had to get out of my shell and actually talk to people. Because of this experience, I am now much more outgoing because I had to step out of my comfort zone.
Not only did I experience resocialization when I switched gyms, but I also experienced a change in norms. At Maple City it was the norm to wear shorts over our leos. When I walked into Gym America,