The Skeleton Outside and The Fire Within

Question: Discuss and explore the ways in which society may shape us and our pathways as individuals, and also the way we view other people taking politics of respectability and using eye-opening activities to illustrate this. Answer: The society is regarded as the most imperative participant playing a very vital role in shaping the life of the human beings. Individual human beings possess his or her own identity, however, this identity gets completely shaped by the society he or she lives in. As and when a human being is born into a society, he or she receives a particular identity and other related aspects. Gradually the norms of the culture of that particular society start shaping the character of the individual, his or her thought processes and future behavior. The innate identities of the individuals are modified by the traits of the society they live in[1]. With regard to the concept of Paulo Freires , Pedagogy of the Oppressed, it is conveyed how education and proper transmission of knowledge can help the members of a society understand the reality of life. Education enables the oppressed class to understand their standing in the society and regain improvise their condition in the society. Education will allow the oppressors to re-consider their situation, and their relation with the oppressed. Both the oppressors and the oppressed will re-evaluate themselves. Thus, education which is one of the social institutions can help in the attainment of modifications in the behavior of the individual members of the society, thereby redefining their motives and thoughts[2]. Politics of Respectability can be taken as an example of another stance in order to understand how the society acts actively in bringing forth what is latent in the individuals. The Politics of Respectability had begun at the end of the 19th century. It was an attempt on the part of a group of Black women belonging to the Baptist convention or community. This was an initiative taken in order to uplift the identities of the black community, especially those belonging to the lower strata of the society. The Politics of Respectability had put forth a set of ideas that helped in making the impoverished Black community aware about the norms, modes of behavior and decorum needed to live in the society. Thus, it is evident how the society takes various measures in order to influence the outlook of the members of its members[3]. Neoliberalism is another concept that had emerged and became active during the last 25 years. It had mainly evolved in USA; however, it became widespread in the entire world. Bruce Alexander had talked about this phenomena, while he focused upon the increase in the individual freedom, that is leading the youngsters, especially towards drug addiction and other undesirable effects. This is the form of liberalism that allows free enterprise, free trade, lessening of the tariff barriers and more and more privatization of the key industries. It denies the intervention of the government and emphasizes upon the individual responsibility or individual liberty. However, this has led to an adverse impact in many cases in the society. The difference between the rich and the poor increased largely. An excessive presence of individual liberty redefined the identities of the members of the society, but only for the upper class of people. The absence of the government activities has led to the decl ine in the welfare programs that could have enhanced the opportunities for the mediocre section of the society to develop their personal traits and identities[4]. Thus, such concepts quite firmly express the fact the influence of the society and its mores upon the personality development of the individuals is inevitable. It is the society and the related factors which guide an individual through various means towards his goal. Moreover, it is true that the fire or the real identities of the individuals are shaped by the society, the human beings as individuals before being shaped just remain as skeletons. References: Arnulf Kolstad, 'How Culture Shapes Mind, Neurobiology And Behaviour' (2015) 6 BJESBS.. Benny Goodman, 'Paulo Friere And The Pedogogy Of The Oppressed' (2014) 34 Nurse Education Today Fredrick C. Harris, 'The Rise Of Respectability Politics' (2014) 61 Dissent. Mathieu Hilgers, 'Embodying Neoliberalism: Thoughts And Responses To Critics' (2013) 21 Social Anthropology.