Priya Solanki

Reaction Paper 1
Throughout life people are influenced by a large number of factors and variables. These
include various different types of situations that shape a person and affects how they grow as
individuals within society. These situations also influence how that person perceives themselves
as well as others around them. Because humans are naturally social creatures, society plays a
large part in the development of individuals. I believe that all individuals possess a role given to
them by society. A role is a set of expected behaviors others have for a person associated with
your status. I myself have a role as does the rest of my family. Currently, my role as a student is
to attend classes, study, and make good grades, just to name a few of my responsibilities. Roles
are a major influence in our behavior as well as what is socially acceptable. Roles allow people
to understand what it specifically is that society expects them to do. For example, the role of a
mother is to take care of her child. This includes responsible behavior such as providing support
for the child in any way possible whether it be monetarily or lending a listening ear. Most
mothers understand that this role includes a set of specific behaviors that are acceptable as well
as behaviors that are unacceptable, such as being negligent or abusive towards the child. I
believe that our roles within society determine our actions and conduct towards others.
I definitely consider my sociological imagination to be one of the most important factors
in interacting within society. The sociological imagination is defined as your ability to step back
from social life and analyze the situation from many points of view. I believe this is an important
factor of society, as well as the individual, because it allows us to consider various perspectives
in order to understand a situation. This can be used in law proceedings such as in a murder trial

or other situations encountered. One example of me using my sociological imaginations was

when I learned about the cheating scandal in my high school. One student had stolen a copy of
the final exam and copied down all the questions and answers in order to pass the exam. At first I
could not understand why the student had done this knowing that there was a large probability of
being caught and penalized. By using my sociological imagination I was able to put myself in the
students shoes and try to understand why he did what he did. I realized that the student was
under tremendous pressure to pass the exam and the class and resorted to desperate measures.
Even though what he did was wrong, I was able to see the students point of view and understand
his situation and behavior. I believe having sociological imagination is critical because it allows
us to better comprehend others in society.
In order to be socialized people must learn what is and is not acceptable in society. This
includes the theory of behaviorism which states that people learn from a system of rewards and
punishments. I agree with the behaviorism because this theory shows how individuals learn,
whether it be humans, such as Watsons experiments with Baby Albert, or with animals such as
in the case of B. F. Skinners and Pavlovs experiments. I believe that behaviorism is such an
important theory because with behaviorism a person can teach others how to act in society.
When I was younger I learned through a system of rewards and punishment. For example, when
I completed my chores or homework I was allowed to have a piece of candy but when I acted
inappropriately, like throwing temper tantrums, I was put in time out. This showed me what
behaviors were considered acceptable and what were not. I believe that through this system of
rewards and punishments I was able to understand appropriate behavior within society and
become more socialized.

Another important aspect of society is culture. I believe that culture definitely affects the
growth of individuals in society. Culture is the modes of thought, behavior, and production
handed down from one generation to the next by means of communicative interaction rather than
by genetic transmission. Culture includes the various aspects within a specific society, such as
what actions and beliefs are considered appropriate and normal. Because culture is an all
encompassing entity it exists without explicit acknowledgment unless seen through an outsiders
perspective. One example of this is the Mexican Day of the Dead festival that celebrates the
deceased through parties and foods. At first I could not understand why a party was held to honor
the dead; I thought everyone should be mourning, not celebrating. This festival is a part of
Mexican culture and is therefore a normal aspect of life for all the individuals in society and
although it is different than American culture is still shapes the thoughts and beliefs of people.